Pro Landscaper April 2021

APRIL 2O21

PANORAMIC VIEWS BOWLES & WYER

LET’S HEAR IT FROM

PRICING PRESSURES

SUCCESSFUL RECRUITING

PORCELAIN PAVING

Benjamin Walker, LDA Design

How are supermarkets impacting the industry?

Nick Ruddle guides us through the process

Delve into the debate around the trendy product

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WELCOME

W E LCO M E F

recognition they deserved on the programme), adds to the overall value of the project.

Utilising VR is a great way to visualise the end garden and we’re sure it will come more into play over the coming years; hopefully the technology will be able to show the gardens in different stages of maturity and during different seasons of the year.

But overall, it’s a good programme and hopefully it may mean the end of the £2k makeover we too often see on TV. Well done to Tom, Helen, Manoj, Pip and Joel, and of course the vibrant Angela Scanlon – we hope we’ll see you back on our screens with a second series soon.

Also, some exciting news from the team at Eljays44. We are in the process of launching a consumer magazine that will be available via Waitrose, M&S, Sainsbury’s and other news outlets. The concept of Dream Garden is to drive home the value of having gardens designed and built professionally and understanding the costs involved. We will also be looking at trends and projects and new materials and technology, so keep an eye out for the launch of the first issue.

Have a great month,

JIM & LISA

IT’S A GOOD PROGRAMME AND HOPEFULLY IT MAY MEAN THE END OF THE £2K MAKEOVER WE TOO OFTEN SEE ON TV

Garden by The Garden Company ©Rebecca Bernstein

irstly, we hope everyone is well and looking forward the lifting of more restrictions in April, and the possibility of enjoying a glass of wine or pint of beer in your local pub garden.

We thought we’d use our column this month to praise the new garden TV programme Your Garden Made Perfect (we know that’s unheard of).

Even though not quite perfect, it did grasp a few of the important issues.

We’ll start with budget – these were more in line with reality than every other garden makeover show to date, the lowest being £20k going up to £60k.

We’re sure there were some costs still not included, but again they were much closer to what consumers should expect to pay – which certainly is a step in the right direction. Also, the clients, in some cases, chose to change certain elements, like trees/plant sizes, choice of furnishings, which had the consequence of the projects coming in over budget.

It’s also a really positive move showing the real value of having a garden designer, giving a better understanding of their thought process, the way they interact with clients and listen to the brief.

And of course, having quality landscapers build the projects (who maybe didn’t get quite the

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Pro Landscaper / April 2021

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CONTENTS

IQ 35 40 43

21

INFORM

08 10 15 18 21 24 28 31

4

Agenda Should UK landscaping be regulated?

News Our monthly roundup of industry news News Extra Climate positive design

Forging Ahead Neil Edwards Let There Be Light Eva Woode

INSPIRE 47 50 54 58

Seamless Scenery Rachel Bailey Garden Design Flowing Views Bowles & Wyer The Quay to Success Maylim Reclaim Your Weekend Debs Winrow

Future Projects SEND Schools Let’s Hear It From Benjamin Walker, LDA Design Inside: The Garden Company 30 years in business What a Collection?

Andrew Wilson Reprogramming Regenerative Cities Christopher Martin

Pro Landscaper / April 2021

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UK Landscape Barometer Stats from January 2021

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63

NURTURE 63 66 67 69 70 72 74 75

Feature Garden Kenilworth Elizabethan Garden The Humble Hedge Nick Coslett Does Money Grow on Trees?

Keith Sacre The Value of a Plant Lewis Normand Dare to be Different Steve McCurdy Nursery Focus English Woodlands Going Green on Top Zinco Green Roofs Green Roof Drainage Top tips and products

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18/03/2021 18:19

CONTENTS

APRIL 2021 E D U C AT E 79 80 81 82 85 86 87 89 91 92 95

Six Steps to Recruiting a Dream Team Nick Ruddle Investing in People Power Alison Warner Halting Harassment Ilan Braha and Jason McKenzie of Oracle Solicitors A Trusty Workhorse Angus Lindsay Ride-on Mowers Carbon-cautious launches

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Reesink: Toro LT-F3000 Product DNA Stoneworld Great British Stone Selection

APRIL 2O21

Debating Porcelain Paving What do the experts think?

PANORAMIC VIEWS

Composite Decking Suppliers’ installation warnings Resin The Bar Playground projects

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BOWLES & WYER

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Best of Bollards Street furniture

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PEOPLE 99 100 101 106

30 Under 30 Update Oliver Rutman Love Horticulture Andy Kirman Closing The Gender Gap International Women’s Day Little Interviews Questions with the individuals who make up our industry

LET’S HEAR IT FROM

PRICING PRESSURES

SUCCESSFUL RECRUITING

PORCELAIN PAVING

Benjamin Walker, LDA Design

How are supermarkets impacting the industry?

Nick Ruddle guides us through the process

Delve into the debate around the trendy product

To receive a copy of Pro Landscaper, please contact Joe Wilkinson.

Email joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com or call 01903 777570.

Pro Landscaper / April 2021

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CONTRIBUTORS

CO N T R I B U TO R S Andrew Wilson For students at the London College of Garden Design, spring means delving into planting design on their course, which leads Andrew Wilson to ponder the complexities of this aspect. Rather than creating a ‘plant collection’, a planting design must be carefully considered, with exciting results.

P28

W W W.LCGD.ORG.UK

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN P31

@ANDREW WILSONII

Keith Sacre

NEIL EDWARDS P40

In a series focusing on the value of trees, Keith Sacre considers their financial value this month, amongst other benefits. He uses Treeconomics’ report for Torbay Council, which was the first in the UK to look at the benefits of an urban forest from an economic point of view.

P67

W W W.BARCHAM.CO.UK

@BARCHAMTREES

EVA WOODE P43

Lewis Normand Grabbing a bunch of daffodils would usually set the consumer back a pound, but this low price point is becoming unsustainable, says Lewis Normand. Supermarket price wars may be good for the consumer’s pocket, but they are taking their toll on the growers who are supplying the plants.

P69

W W W.IPLANTSMAN.COM

NICK COSLETT P66

@IPLANTSMAN

Alison Warner

ORACLE SOLICITORS P81

Filling a vacancy can be one of the biggest challenges for a business, from encouraging the right candidates to apply to narrowing the applications down to one. Business coach Alison Warner provides her to tips for the process, including an important it is to ‘widen the net’.

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CONTACT

Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA Tel: 01903 777 570 EDITORIAL Editorial director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 579 Head of content – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 393 Deputy head of content – Rachael Forsyth rachael.forsyth@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 578 Equipment editor – Rachel Gordon proarbeditor@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Subeditor – Katrina Roy katrina.roy@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 391 Subeditor – Sam Seaton sam.seaton@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 391

Design – Kara Thomas, Kirsty Turek ADVERTISING Business development manager – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 585 Head of sales – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 587 Horticulture Careers – Alex Olley alex.olley@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Managing director – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 589 MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Tel: 01903 777 570 Subscription enquiries – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 577

@EVOLVE ANDGROW

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Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture. Pro Landscaper’s content is available for licensing overseas. Contact jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year

by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2021 subscription price is £100. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

Whilst every effort has been made to maintain the integrity of our advertisers, we accept no responsibility for any problem, complaints, or subsequent litigation arising from readers’ responses to advertisements in the magazine.

We also wish to emphasise that views expressed by editorial contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Reproduction of any part of this magazine is strictly forbidden.

Pro Landscaper is proud to be an affiliate member of BALI

The Association of

Professional Landscapers

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

MANAGEMENT Managing director Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson Business development manager Jamie Wilkinson

Cover image ©Clive Nichols Garden Pictures, Bowles & Wyer

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INFORM

AGENDA

S H O U L D U K L A N D S CA P I N G B E R EGU L AT E D ?

Ken White

Wayne Grills

MANAGING DIRECTOR, FROSTS LANDSCAPES

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE INDUSTRIES

Construction is already one of the most regulated industries within the UK, and since we operate primarily under these regulations, I see no requirement for further regulatory constraints.

CONSTRUCTION IS ALREADY ONE OF THE MOST REGULATED INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE UK Additional legislation has come into place in January covering construction materials following our exit from the EU. Many of the regulations are due to the number of hazards that the workforce is likely to encounter. Quality is controlled by specification and British Standards, contracts and laws surrounding construction activity.

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Pro Landscaper / April 2021

The British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) welcomes any measures that can increase safety and consumer confidence in landscaping, including regulations. However, as with any industry, care must be taken to make sure any new regulations are sensible and forward-thinking.

The landscaping industry is already highly regulated, with 100-120 pieces of legislation professionals need to be aware of when they are working on site. There is a case to be made for the regulation of individual businesses, where contractors would be required to be registered to their relevant national association. This is a model that works well in Germany.

However, any system like this would need to be reflected in legislation to ensure unscrupulous landscapers and builders do not simply opt out and fail to register to avoid scrutiny.

More regulation for landscape construction brings with it additional

questions, like whether one should also regulate maintenance. As many companies offer multiple services at once, any new regulations would need to be clear and take into account the different strands of many landscaping businesses.

Parts of landscaping already fall under building regulations, but we should be mindful that even where these exist on a large scale for building works in the construction industry, better quality is not guaranteed and there are many stories of builders not fulfilling their contractual requirements. SuDS and water management is being implemented by many in the industry but in the domestic market this is probably limited to high-end and client influence.

Regulation alone may not mean we see much reduction in mistakes. Improving industry standards may be a better way of achieving increased quality, whether done alongside more regulation or separately.

Ideally, this would be achieved by better use of and commitment to Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Construction Design and Management (CDM) regulations.

If the industry were to be regulated/ legislated, the construction model could be a starting point for funding the regulation.

The industry would have to assess whether we want/need something similar where companies come into scope for an industry levy to help pay for the development and monitoring of standards in the industry.

Ultimately, it would need government backing and funding as well as the industry having to pay for this to be set up and maintained.

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18/03/2021 15:22

INFORM

Sean Butler

Lynne Marcus

David Sewell

MANAGING DIRECTOR, CUBE 1994

CHAIR, SOCIET Y OF GARDEN DESIGNERS

CHAIR, ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPERS

We, as a professional industry, would love for it to be more closely regulated.

The problem starts with public awareness. Let’s use both of the two most recognised organisations, BALI and the SGD – and I have to say loosely ‘most recognised’, as it’s only really recognised by the people/members within it.

The landscape industry falls under the same regulations as the rest of the construction and horticultural sectors with the elements of a project already covered on as issue-by-issue basis.

For example: • Construction (design and management) regulations – garden designers have standing duties under CDM regulations regardless of whether or not the project is ‘notifiable’.

• Health and safety regulations – these apply on all construction sites and this includes garden construction.

• Building regulations – these apply to many garden facets, including access, balustrades (when you need them and height), steps (treads, risers, rake, landings), garden buildings, fire regs on multi-occupancy buildings (e.g. no living walls or trellis on façades), SuDS. • Planning law – what does and does not need consent. For example, you cannot erect a fence or wall on a front boundary next to a public highway taller than one metre without planning consent. Tree protection orders, the specific requirements of conservation areas, areas of special scientific interest, heritage sites, etc.

• Plant health and biosecurity regulations • Contract law The question should be whether the term ‘garden designer’ should be regulated to ensure that the public can be protected and assured that it refers only to someone who has been trained, cognisant of regulations and continues to undertake professional development each year – i.e. a member of the Society of Garden Designers.

The APL believes our industry should be regulated and we’ve been actively involved in talks towards this aim for the last five years. Three years ago, a task force was set up by FMB and CLC and the APL is represented on this by Trustmark’s Simon Ayres. So, our opinions and views have been directly contributing to this conversation for several years. We believe that regulation would lift standards across the industry and help to flush out the cowboys.

It would make sense to apply this to construction ahead of maintenance because construction already falls under CDM, but there is a strong argument that all trades should become licensed and we have remained perplexed by government intransigence on this especially when evidence of rogue trading is so widespread.

I REGULARLY ASK CLIENTS HOW THEY HEARD ABOUT US AND WHETHER THEY KNOW WHO THE SGD OR BALI ARE AND, SADLY, MOST DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT EITHER I regularly ask clients how they heard about us and whether they know who the SGD or BALI are and, sadly, most do not know anything about either.

If we could collaborate as an industry and finance a public awareness programme through TV and press (not in-house publications), this would be a great starting point.

We would hope then that the public can see real value in only using the industry’s main organisations to carry out any works. This would then, in time, wipe out the amateur companies. This, due to the skill levels at which we all aspire to and maintain, would deflect the need for regulation.

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WE BELIEVE THAT LANDSCAPING IS A PROFESSION AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH Personally, I think the relevant trade associations should regulate licensing and in the domestic landscaping sector there isn’t anybody better qualified to carry that out than the APL. It fits in with our ongoing agenda to define and improve standards across the board and our rigorous inspection process is robust and consistent. We believe that landscaping is a profession and should be treated as such.

Pro Landscaper / April 2021

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INFORM

NEWS APL AWARDS 2021 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

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andform Consultants has scooped the Supreme Winner title at the APL Awards 2021. A virtual ceremony took place on Friday 12 March to recognise the outstanding landscaping carried out by members of the Association of Professional Landscapers across the country.

The accolade of Supreme Winner went to Landform Consultants for the Cottonmill Spa Garden at Sopwell House Hotel. This entry also topped the Commercial Garden category.

Sopwell House is a privately owned hotel, which in recent years has invested in making

elements of the hotel high end. The spa was the latest project, a member’s only luxury spa complex complete with its own gated spa garden, designed by Ann-Marie Powell. The works consisted of a full hard and soft landscape package. Structural retaining walls, pools, showers and complex services were all included along with full irrigation design and install, full lighting and feature lighting.

The judges commented: “The quality and energy of both the design and build were incredible and cannot be faulted. The project was executed beautifully, and the finished results are nearly identical to the plans.”

James Alexander Sinclair hosted the event, live from the Events Engineering studio, and was joined by APL Manager Phil Tremayne. www.aplawards.co.uk

COTTONMILL SPA GARDEN SOPWELL HOUSE HOTEL BY LANDFORM CONSULTANTS LTD – APL AWARDS SUPREME WINNER 2021

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SARAH MORGAN AWARDED FELLOWSHIP OF THE SOCIETY OF GARDEN DESIGNERS

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arden designer and former chair of the SGD Sarah Morgan has been awarded a Fellowship of the Society.

This is in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the profession. Sarah has been a registered member of the Society for 25 years. She ended her three-year term as chair in September 2020. Previously, she served on the council representing education and colleges.

On being awarded the Fellowship, Sarah says: “I am both surprised and delighted to be honoured in this way. It is a lovely accolade after 40 years of being in the industry.”

During her time on council Sarah led many key initiatives. These have included launching SGD Educator Status and introducing CPD requirements.

Since stepping down, she has taken on the role of chair of adjudication. She’s working to ensure that the high standards of the SGD registration process are kept.

Sarah also makes the route to receiving membership understandable and achievable, and sits on the judging panel for the SGD Student Awards.

Speaking of her plans for the future, Sarah explains: “Now, more than ever, professional garden design is recognised, valued and in demand.

“I’m looking forward to sailing in this good wind, with the rest of the SGD membership.

We’re adapting for a future where design will be more about how we work with nature rather than what we impose on it.” www.sgd.org.uk

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18/03/2021 16:37

INFORM

I DVERDE UK ANNOUNCES NEW CEO

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oug Graham is stepping down as CEO of green service provider idverde UK. His successor, Chris Pullen, takes over on 29 March.

Doug has led idverde through a strong growth phase. He joined the business in 2008 as chief financial officer and has been CEO since 2017.

Hervé Lancon, idverde president, says: “In spring 2020, Doug Graham took a personal decision to stand down from his position of CEO at idverde UK. “Doug led the business through a significant growth period. He played a key part within the wider idverde Group that has grown from €250m turnover and 3,000 colleagues in 2014 to €850m turnover and 9,000 colleagues in 2020.

“We’d like to thank Doug for his significant contribution to the business and we wish him well for the future.”

Doug Graham commented: “I have been proud to work for idverde for the past 13 years and privileged in the last four years to lead idverde UK as CEO.

“I’d like to congratulate idverde colleagues for the great work they do for our clients across the UK and Europe. Thanks everyone for supporting me.

“I am pleased to welcome Chris to idverde. I look forward to supporting his introduction to the business.”

Chris joins the business with a wealth of experience in the support services sector.

His most recent role was at Staffline Plc where he was CEO. Before Staffline, Chris was global managing director for IWG Plc. He started his career as an army officer in the Coldstream Guards. www.idverde.co.uk

GROUND CONTROL CARBON NEUTRAL FOUR YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

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round Control has reached its goal of achieving carbon neutral certification. This has come four years ahead of schedule.

Ground Control’s certification by the Carbon Trust followed a detailed analysis of its carbon emissions. It illustrates the company’s commitment to fight climate change.

Carbon neutrality has been achieved by reducing carbon emissions through a combination of in-house efficiency

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measures and the use of renewable energy.

The business has also offset remaining emissions through external projects.

Ground Control CEO Simon Morrish said: “We’re delighted to have beaten our initial target of becoming carbon neutral by 2025.

“With the help of the Carbon Trust, we calculated our carbon emissions in our operations. This has helped us to identify where we can do more in the future.”

“We strive to improve our sustainability.

But there are emissions we can’t avoid. We purchased verified offsets such as tree planting and renewable energy production through wind and solar to compensate for these inescapable emissions.”

The Carbon Trust’s assessment revealed a significant share of the company’s emissions use came from fuels used to operate its vehicle fleet and equipment, together with the energy required to run its offices, depots and facilities. www.ground-control.co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF FUTURESCAPE VIRTUAL 2020 SHORTLISTED FOR AWARD FutureScape VIRTUAL 2020 has made the shortlist for a Digital Event Award. The event, which happened in November 2020, is up for the gong in the Best Digital Exhibition category. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, FutureScape EXPO 2020 was converted into a digital event. over 3,000 industry professionals logged in over the three-day event. www.futurescapeevent.com

4TH CORNER HELPS LOCAL AUTHORITY INCREASE BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity initiatives, actioned by 4th Corner Landscaping at Spiceball Park in Banbury, are making the riverside a haven for wildlife. A tree planting programme is creating new habitats and adding to the flora and fauna of the area. Banbury Town Council’s contractors 4th Corner Landscaping are planting hazel trees. This will provide food for birds and animals that live close the waterway. www.4thcorner.co.uk

NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR JOINS STIHL GB Kay Green has joined STIHL Great Britain as managing director. This follows the retirement of long-standing predecessor Robin Lennie in December 2020. During her career, she also held many senior commercial roles. These include director level positions in both sales and marketing. She also had a two-year period as Nordic Country Manager in Copenhagen. www.stihl.co.uk

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18/03/2021 16:37

INFORM

Online Exclusives INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY This year’s theme for International Women’s Day was #ChooseToChallenge.

We took a look at how some companies within our industry – including Ground Control and Lendlease – celebrated International Women’s Day. And at Pro Landscaper, we celebrated the inspirational women who form the backbone of the Pro Landscaper team. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ international-womens-day

HOW IMPORTANT IS SUSTAINABILITY? It is safe to say that sustainability is becoming increasingly important, especially with climate change trending the way that it is. We asked barometer participants nationwide in domestic landscaping, commercial landscaping, design and build, and garden design, two key questions to find out more. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ how-important-is-sustainability

HOUSE PRICES IN DECEMBER 2020 UK house prices for the year increased from 7.1% in November 2020 to 8.5% in December 2020. Comparing December 2020 to November 2020, the average UK house price increased by 1.2%. This same comparison was -0.1% in 2019. We delve into these figures further, looking at regions and reasons. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/ house-prices-in-december-2020

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TOM STUART-SMITH APPOINTED TO DESIGN CUERDEN HALL’S GROUNDS

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renowned landscape architect has been appointed to transform the setting and grounds of Cuerden Hall and preserve the ancient woodland surrounding it.

Colin Shenton, owner of the historic Grade II* listed countryside mansion situated in the Cuerden Valley near Chorley, Lancashire, has engaged Tom Stuart-Smith following a highly competitive design consultation process, in which four firms tendered for the project.

Tom is an accomplished landscape architect and garden designer, delivering projects in the

UK and worldwide – including the Queen’s Jubilee garden at Windsor Castle, the Garden of Illusion at The Connaught Hotel, the Keeper’s House Garden at the Royal Academy of Arts, several projects at Chatsworth, and the masterplan for the RHS’s gardens at Bridgewater (near Salford), the largest new garden project in the UK. Tom’s unique and distinguished style has won accolades including eight RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medals, three of which were also awarded ‘Best in Show’.

Tom Stuart-Smith said: “It’s an honour to be part of Colin Shenton’s team at Cuerden Hall, as the grounds are a crucial element in Colin’s plan. Our proposal intends to enhance the setting of the hall and the enjoyment of the 16-acre garden, and connect the hall visually to the surrounding 650-acre park.”

The restoration of Cuerden Hall and its gardens is expected to take five years and cost more than £15m. www.tomstuartsmith.co.uk

GREEN-TECH ACQUIRED BY ORIGIN ENTERPRISES PLC

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upplier Green-tech has been acquired by Origin Enterprises as of 4 March 2021.

Origin Enterprises is a focused Agriservices group providing specialist on-farm agronomy services, digital agricultural services, the supply of crop technologies and amenity inputs.

Origin Enterprises’ vision is to be the leading and trusted partner of choice to farmers, growers and amenity professionals.

Green-tech is expected to enhance the offering of Origin’s amenity businesses and offers potential in the areas of environmental land management for its Agri focused businesses.

Commenting on the deal, Green-tech founders Rachel and Richard Kay said: “When Rachel and I started the business, we had great ambitions to be the ultimate one-stop-

shop to the UK landscape trade. We have learnt and grown personally and professionally throughout this time.

The success story is beyond our wildest dreams and we are incredibly proud and grateful for what has been achieved.

“Throughout this journey we have made some lifelong friends, but none of it would have been possible without the dedicated team at Green-tech who are the backbone of the business.

“This deal reflects the ambition of Green-tech, very much onwards and upwards and definitely business as usual.” www.green-tech.co.uk

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INFORM

B EC O M I N G CLIMATE POSITIVE

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PAMELA CONRAD IS REVOLUTIONISING THE WAY LANDSCAPES ARE DESIGNED WITH THE LAUNCH OF AN APP

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ow many times have you wondered about the environmental impact of your project? Today, there seems to be an app for everything, so it’s probably not too surprising that there’s a carbon calculator app too. The Pathfinder was launched towards the end of 2019 to help create what founder Pamela Conrad calls ‘Climate Positive Design’, which is aptly the name of the organisation behind the app.

“We were trying to embrace the idea of being climate positive, where we’re ultimately taking more greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere than we’re emitting through our work,” explains Pamela, principal at CLMG Landscape Architecture in San Francisco, California. “We’ve always held sustainability at the highest priority for our work. And for me personally, I grew up on a farm, playing in the dirt – I very much care about the environment, and around five years ago I just wanted to understand the carbon impact of my projects.

We were looking at all kinds of other aspects like stormwater, habitats, plants, but carbon was never part of the conversation.

“So, ultimately Climate Positive Design came out of frustration of not being able to measure the impact of my own projects, which meant there were plenty of other people in the world who also didn’t know

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how to measure the impact of their projects.

There was a gap.”

The Pathfinder app doesn’t just act as a carbon calculator, though. It also offers suggestions for reducing the project’s carbon

ULTIMATELY CLIMATE POSITIVE DESIGN CAME OUT OF FRUSTRATION OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF MY OWN PROJECTS, WHICH MEANT THERE WERE PLENTY OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WHO ALSO DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THEIR PROJECTS footprint and for improving its carbon sequestration. And it comes with a challenge too – to be climate positive by 2030. It’s a bold

PAMELA CONRAD

ambition, but it’s proven popular, not just in the US but globally. “It’s very international,” says Pamela. “I believe that climate change is a global human issue and that we should be approaching it that way. Although I’m in the US, I’ve given lectures around the world and I’m collaborating with other international organisations such as the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and the Landscape Institute. For me, a big part of it is bringing people together to make an improvement, to have a positive impact.”

In the space of just over a year, more than 1,000 projects have been submitted from more than 100 countries. This includes academic

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projects, where universities are utilising the resource as a learning tool. “This is something that’s really great to get into schools early so that people are learning about the importance of it and when they go out in the world it’s just part of their toolkit, these best practices.

It’s been interesting to see the other groups which are using it – it’s not just landscaping arms; it’s multidisciplinary arms, it’s government agencies.

“Everybody who logs any kind of project is recognised as a contributor, which is a way of celebrating people getting involved and educating themselves and taking action.

The cumulative impact of those projects is essentially how many trees those projects are planning to plant and how that relates to CO2 in a more tangible way, by understanding what the equivalent is to taking cars off the road – how many metric tonnes of CO2 doesn’t mean a lot to people, so we try to make it more relatable.”

Since its launch, the Pathfinder’s reach has clearly continued to expand; but even though Pamela set out to make a difference, she didn’t quite envisage being at the forefront of change.

“It was maybe more of an accident,” she says, laughing. “A lot of people see a landscape, they think ‘green’ and they don’t go beyond that.

They weren’t diving into a deeper curiosity of really understanding it and measuring it and, quite frankly, you can’t manage what you can’t measure. I’m admittedly a bit of a stubborn farm girl – it takes a lot for me to come from my upbringing and background to where I am now, so I’m a pretty determined person. It just seemed to so obvious to me that we needed

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something, and this is a gap that our profession should be filling.”

The Climate Positive Design Challenge sets targets for how many years it will take for the project to offset its own carbon footprint, or it’s ‘years-to-positive’. The lower the project’s score, the better. And there are straightforward changes designers can make to reduce the years-to-positive score, which the Pathfinder app will suggest. There are three factors in the landscape carbon footprint, says Pamela – the materials used, carbon sequestration and operational emissions, or maintenance.

WE’RE BEHIND AND WE NEED TO GET BACK UP TO SPEED. WHAT CAN THESE LANDSCAPES DO TO HELP ADDRESS SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW? “Keeping it simple helps to reduce the barrier to entry for people,” she explains.

“So, generally, plant more and pave less; by increasing your percentage of planting and decreasing your percentage of paving you’re likely to get your score closer to where you want it to be in meeting the challenge targets. So, that’s a really good starting point. Also, using cement substitutions. Concrete is probably our

biggest offender as a landscape industry.

We get involved in a lot of paving sometimes in more urban projects, so just changing your specification to make sure you’re using the most sustainable products possible.

“And make sure you’re using organic fertilisers. If you can get involved in the operations and maintenance and management plan developments, prescribe that they use electric maintenance equipment as opposed to gasoline powered. A typical, beautiful, high management lawn emits more carbon that it sequesters because of the typical use of gasoline powered equipment and fertilisers.

Shifting away from a high maintenance lawn or turf into a native meadow grass could see a really big shift in improvements.”

Pamela also recommends bringing those who will be maintaining the scheme on board before construction is completed, maybe even as early as the design stage, to ensure a smoother transition into maintenance.

The hope of this self-confessed “stubborn farm girl” is that, through Climate Positive Design, we are only just starting to demand that our landscapes are more performative, like the way that people look at buildings. “Buildings have to be certified in energy efficiency; they need to provide all sorts of performance requirements. We started doing that with stormwater management, but we’re behind and we need to get back up to speed. What can these landscapes do to help address some of the challenges that we have in the world right now?” The answer to this, surely, is ‘more’, and Pathfinder can help.

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SEND Schools Lincolnshire

INFLUENCE CREATES THE LANDSCAPE DESIGN FOR FOUR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES SCHOOLS IN LINCOLNSHIRE SET TO BE EXPANDED

A

cross the county of Lincolnshire there is an increasing demand for Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools, with only 20 schools currently operating in the area.

Historically, this has been one of the most serious financial challenges councils have to deal with, according to Local Government Association, but Lincolnshire City Council are investing £86m to improve and develop (SEND)

IT IS ESPECIALLY REWARDING TO SEE PLANS COME TO FRUITION THAT POSITIVELY IMPACT THE SERVICES AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION AVAILABLE WITHIN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES schools across the county. With one million disabled children living in the UK today – 8% of the country’s childhood population according to Scope – it’s crucial they receive the right support in order to thrive.

At four such schools – Willoughby School in Bourne, Eresby School in Spilsby, St Bernard’s School in Louth and The Priory School in Spalding – landscape architecture practice Influence is working alongside contractor Willmott Dixon to provide landscape design services.

The £6.5m expansion plan for Eresby School works is currently progressing. Here, school car parks will be enlarged, a canopy link will be installed, and new vehicle access points, fencing and landscaping will be introduced, as well as work on the interior spaces.

At Willoughby School, the £4.25m works will see 74 new car parking bays provided, along with capacity for 20 minibuses, a new drop-off and pick-up point, and safe segregated vehicle and pedestrian access routes. New fencing, lighting and CCTV security systems will also be installed.

St Bernard’s School will see two of its buildings demolished, making room for a new two-storey

PART OF AN

£86m

INVESTMENT PROGRAMME

FUTURE AIMS TO CREATE AN

EXTRA

500 SEND

SCHOOL SPACES

£6.5m EXPANSION

OF ERESBY SCHOOL

£4.25m DEVELOPMENT OF WILLOUGHBY SCHOOL

ONE MILLION

DISABLED CHILDREN

building and the creation of valuable additional parking and LIVING IN THE hard play areas.

The plan for The Priory School is nearing completion and are expected to be submitted for planning shortly.

ERESBY SCHOOL, SPILSBY VISUAL At each of the sites it’s important to Influence that it creates external individual classroom spaces to allow each class the opportunity to play and work in a safe outside space, as well as a secure area for pick-up and drop-off of students in a safe enclosed space.

These schools will offer: “more places and improved facilities to children who will benefit hugely from having safe, engaging and enjoyable spaces to learn and interact,” explains Shona Hatton, associate director at Influence. “It is especially rewarding to see plans come to fruition that positively impact the services and quality of education available Visual by Architectural Team of Kier Specialist Services/Design and Business Services within our local communities.”

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UK TODAY

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WILLOUGHBY SCHOOL VISUAL

P R OJ ECT D E TA I L S Landscape architect Influence Contractor Willmott Dixon

Visual by Architectural Team of Kier Specialist Services/Design and Business Services

One of the main considerations for Influence was the existing and proposed horticultural and sensory areas. These will include sensory planting, mixed textured footpaths, and raised planters for the school to develop.

When designing for these SEND schools, Influence followed the Lincolnshire County Council Special School Strategy External Areas Provision while understanding the complex needs of each individual school. Influence also needed to adhere to BB104 guidelines to ensure external areas were of adequate size and included specific elements in accordance with the guidelines.

BB104 is a Department of Education document. Within this are area guidelines for SEND including special schools, alternative provision, specially resourced provision, and units. In particular, Influence was focused on Part B. This sets out the area

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recommendations for categories of external space at special schools.

OUR AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME WILL MEAN MORE PUPILS WITH SEND CAN ATTEND A LOCAL SCHOOL RATHER THAN HAVING TO TRAVEL LARGE DISTANCES FOR THEIR EDUCATION Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, executive member for children’s services, said: “Our ambitious programme will mean more pupils with SEND can attend a local school rather than having to travel large distances for their

education, which will be of great benefit to both the children and their families.”

The development of the landscape design for these sites was not exempt from its challenges, these schools are active and some are located within residential areas. The developable footprint is contained to the existing operational space of the school whilst the reconfiguration needs to achieve a correct balance between the ancillary areas such as car parking and functional areas for the students such as play areas/ horticultural and sensory spaces; not to mention Influence was designing during a pandemic.

Influence took this in its stride though, “these challenges make you think, though. We had to think much more broadly,” explains Shona.

Construction is set to begin early this year, with completion expected by early 2022 and Lincolnshire City Council’s investment plan set to create 500 SEND school spaces across the county, just like these.

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©Battersea Power Station

Let ’s Hear it From

BENJAMIN WALKER BENJAMIN WALKER HAS WORKED FOR LDA DESIGN FOR OVER 10 YEARS, AND IN THAT TIME HE’S LED ON SOME GROUND-BREAKING PROJECTS. WE SPEAK TO HIM ABOUT HOW HE GOT INTO LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, DISCOVER SOME OF HIS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS, AND FIND OUT WHAT HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE IS ALL ABOUT

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t was a statistic on the vast number of architect students applying for jobs – more, indeed, than there were jobs – which led Benjamin to a career in landscape architecture. Instead of studying architecture for seven years to spend his life detailing bathrooms, Benjamin chose landscape architecture and has spent his career to date working on fantastic projects such as London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Battersea Power Station and Jubilee Square in Leicester.

From his first job working in mergers and acquisitions for Lloyds Bank, to years working for huge multi-disciplinary design firms, Benjamin learnt one thing; he needed to love the work he was doing. “Ten years ago, it was quite a radical concept that you enjoy your job. But we all do our best work when we’re happy.”

Today ‘good work-life balance’ is common vocabulary, but for Benjamin, this phrase isn’t necessarily helpful: “In design, in particular, it can actually be very hard to separate work and life. As a creative person, you take inspiration from everything around you.

“When I talk about work-life balance, what I’m encouraging the team to do is to find ways of dealing with the inevitable stresses work can bring. We all have different

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©LDA Design

JUBILEE SQUARE, LEICESTER

favourite moments was the first summer when the bars and restaurants in Circus West Village, the first phase of the development, opened up, and people stood and stared out across the Thames, and the mirror pools were filled with children playing. It was at that moment the project really came to life.”

Although leading on projects like Battersea Power Station is hugely fulfilling, Benjamin also gets enormous satisfaction from growing the team. “LDA Design is all about the collective, and we want our teams to be as diverse and as inclusive as possible.

“So, for example, when we recruit into the London studio, we put forward a balanced interview panel, mixing ages, gender and experience. We hope involving more junior members puts interviewees at ease, so that their strengths come to the fore.”

LDA Design has never shied away from the big issues, challenging not only itself but those it works CIRCUS WEST VILLAGE, BATTERSEA POWER STATION

CIRCUS WEST, BATTERSEA POWER STATION

©Richard Hanson/HansonImages

©John Sturrock/LDA Design

approaches and thresholds at different times.

We have to respect and support that.”

This concept was important to Benjamin as he worked his way up through LDA Design.

Joining as a graduate, he completed his chartership and moved on to several large-scale projects, progressing from project consultant to associate. He became a director four years ago.

For seven of his ten years with LDA, Benjamin has been designing the public realm for the iconic Battersea Power Station, an exciting new neighbourhood for London. For Battersea, LDA Design has created streets, squares, roof gardens – including London’s longest – and a new six-acre public park and over 400m of newly accessible waterfront.

2021 is an exciting year in the transformation of Battersea Power Station with the first residents moving into the Grade II* listed building this spring and the opening of the new Northern Line Extension tube station in the autumn, ahead of the Power Station opening to the public next year.

It was during his work at Battersea Power Station that Benjamin had one of his career highlights. “When a project lasts for so many years, you can watch it evolve. One of my

CIRCUS WEST VILLAGE, BATTERSEA POWER STATION

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©Ian Davis/LCQPB

INFORM

with. Topics such as climate change, air pollution, obesity and loneliness are faced creatively, using the landscape as a tool.

One of Benjamin’s first steps on a project is to unearth the bigger problems an area is dealing with. For a large masterplan in North London, for example, the team looked at the area’s issue of childhood obesity, and the reasons for an eight-year life expectancy gap between one side of a road and the other. “We

IN MY DESIGNS I TRY TO CREATE THESE SUBTLE MOMENTS WHERE PEOPLE CAN INTERACT, WHERE THEY CAN SHARE SOMETHING, EVEN IF THEY DON’T SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE know these are big issues that draw on many socio-economic factors. But our work can be the catalyst for change that will help people to live more active lives. Once you’ve understood the macro factors, you can develop the narrative of a space,” explains Benjamin. For him, this is one of the most important parts.

Like your favourite story will have a good hook, LDA Design’s projects will too.

Benjamin enjoys working with clients to arrive at the best solutions for the project, local people and the wider environment. “Together we can find more sustainable, longer-lasting products that are low carbon. Sometimes those conversations are challenging, but we have a duty of care to have them.”

Loneliness is one of the issues which LDA Design looks to tackle through its projects. “The statistics are awful,” Benjamin tells us. “They tell

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IT’S REALLY FULFILLING TO HELP GRADUATES TO GROW INTO FULLY-ROUNDED DESIGNERS AND TO SEE THEIR CONFIDENCE BUILD – as LDA Design moves towards employee ownership. After transition, as the owners, employees will be more involved in decisions, big and small, and will share in the profits.

In January of last year, Benjamin was

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NEW MASTERPLAN FOR KRASNOYARSK CENTRAL PARK IN SIBERIA, RUSSIA

PLAYGROUND

HELTER SKELTER

©LDA Design / MAP Architects /Sarner International

us loneliness increases your risk of death by 27%, is more harmful than obesity, and that disconnected communities could be costing the UK economy £32bn every year.

“If you’re walking your dog, people will normally say hello. Without a dog, that rarely happens,” Benjamin points out. “In my designs, I try to create these subtle moments where people can interact, where they can share an experience, even if they don’t speak the same language.” This could be as simple as placing two seats amongst an abundance of planting.

“It’s such a beautiful thing when it happens.

As designers it’s one of our main priorities.”

“We’re known in the UK, but what’s inspiring is how new markets are seeking to make the most of our expertise to make dramatic improvements to the lives of citizens around the world. Most recently this was shown in our international competition-winning entry for the Central Park in Krasnoyarsk – a Siberian city of over 1.5 million, where public space has never really been activated for the needs of everyone.”

Benjamin has led on outstanding projects, but what sticks in his mind the most is the people he’s mentored along the way. “I take mentoring very seriously,” Benjamin tells us.

“When I started my career, you’d get handed a load of designs with red lines or revisions over it, and you’d be told to just work through them on your own. I’ve been careful to never do that. Graduates join with amazing ideas but a lack of project experience.

It’s really fulfilling to help graduates to grow into fully-rounded designers and to see their confidence build.”

From employee satisfaction to climate change commitments and designing for the big issues, LDA Design demonstrates it’s not all talk. Recently, it made other changes which allow the needs of every employee to be clearly voiced – from graduates to directors

THE PARK’S NEW BRIDGE WITH MOUNTAIN VIEW

appointed London studio director. It was a tumultuous time to take up such a role, as three months in he was having to navigate the unnavigable – COVID-19. It was now, perhaps more than ever before, that his work ethos was needed to lead and support his team.

“It’s been hard for many. For some, those challenges have been about juggling home schooling with work commitments. And younger members have missed the camaraderie of the everyday – designing together, lunching together and having fun.

But we’ve worked hard to support each other – from teatime chats to quizzes on Teams, we have found a way through and grown closer.”

The future is looking good for LDA Design – with projects coming in at pace and recruitment levels high. Benjamin is now looking forward to the day when the team is back in the studio to share ideas face to face and enjoy each other’s company once more, “because that’s how we learn.”

C O N TA C T LDA Design Tel +44(0)20 7467 1470 Email info@lda-design.co.uk

www.lda-design.co.uk

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THE GARDEN COMPANY

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ou may have noticed that The Garden Company’s branding received a makeover earlier this year. It hasn’t undergone a complete overhaul, though – one of the most important aspects for managing director James Scott was that the branding be recognisable but with a modern update, like the logos of big brands such as Bovril or Lloyds Bank.

The new look is to celebrate the company’s 30th anniversary this year. “I came up with the branding 30 years ago and we’ve never changed it,” says James. “We’re really proud of our heritage and our 30 years, but we also wanted to show that we’re a contemporary, forwardlooking business. We have completely redesigned our website as well, which has been a labour of love – it took many more hours than I’d anticipated, but we’re really proud of it.”

The website needed to showcase the design and build company’s bespoke offering and its focus on plants. “What we do is very handcrafted. Every garden we do is designed

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and built around the individual client, the setting and the sense of place, as opposed to having a particular company style.”

This has been the case since the company was founded in 1991. James made the decision to set up his own company at the age of 23 with his business partner at the time, Kathie Coss.

He had worked as a designer and contracts manager for London-based Capital Garden Landscapes for just over a year, straight after

WE’RE REALLY PROUD OF OUR HERITAGE AND OUR 30 YEARS, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO SHOW THAT WE’RE A CONTEMPORARY, FORWARDLOOKING BUSINESS completing his landscape diploma at Merrist Wood, and was eager to run his own business.

James and Kathie bought a van and began dropping leaflets through people’s doors around Hampstead.

JAMES SCOTT

©Clive Nichols

IN ITS 30 TH YEAR, THE GARDEN COMPANY’S MANAGING DIRECTOR JAMES SCOTT TALKS ABOUT THE BUSINESS’S NEW BRANDING AND ITS GRADUAL GROWTH OVER THREE DECADES

“It was probably one of the best decisions I made but also one of the daftest. If I were advising someone now, I’d recommend going to work for a few well-regarded companies first to learn how they do things. Even though I had a reasonably good job – at the age of 21, I’d managed to get a job as a designer and manager, which gave me some great experience in London – I was still very inexperienced. The flip side is that, in your early 20s, you can get away with a few mistakes – you’re not trying to pay a mortgage or support a family. It worked out okay for me in the end, anyway.”

Since it was founded, the company has grown steadily and organically, starting to take on employees after a couple of years – and this is where James says he learned his biggest lessons.

“Every time the company grew, I always found getting to that next stage a challenge. What

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I quickly learnt was you can’t do it without the people that you employ, so they became absolutely key – looking after them, treating them well. The first time I employed team leaders to run projects instead of me it was really hard, and trying to employ my first managers was really difficult because it wasn’t something I had learnt how to do. There were always barriers to get through, which is probably the same for everybody trying to set up a business.”

It’s been worth the effort, though. The company’s longest-serving employee has just retired after 22 years with the business, and the other three landscape team leaders have been with The Garden Company for over a decade.

“One of the things I can’t state highly enough is the skill of the team leaders. They’re gold dust.”

Alongside the landscape team leaders, the company’s horticulture and gardening services are headed up by Joanna, and landscape architect Molly joined four years ago to develop the company’s use of CAD. James’ wife Helen joined the year before to focus on business development and marketing, following a background in management consultancy.

“We’re not a large company, but we employ 20 people now. and when I look at those people I’m really proud. Most are homegrown; they came to

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us with little experience with other companies and now they’re absolutely top industry people.”

Over the last three decades, as The Garden Company has developed, James and his business partner Kathie realised they had

WE’RE DOING AROUND DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF DESIGN WORK AS WE WERE A YEAR AGO, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL different ambitions, though, and decided it was time to go their separate ways. James bought out Kathie’s half of the company around six years ago, but the two remain good friends since. “It was a very amicable separation. I was probably more ambitious to drive the business forward at that point and Kathie left me to do that, she was happy to let me buy her out.

I think it’s worked out brilliantly for me and for Kathie, who is very happily semi-retired.”

James says he was ambitious to grow the business from the start, and he saw trade

associations as a great way of achieving this.

Merrist Wood College had instilled in him an admiration of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), and so he joined it as soon as he could to put the company’s projects in for BALI National Landscape Awards. Winning these helped boost The Garden Company’s exposure and it gradually started winning bigger and better projects.

An affiliation to trade associations and professional bodies has continued throughout James’ career – he has served on the Society of Garden Designers’ council and on the committee for BALI. “It was great to put something back in, but I got a lot out of it as well. In the early days of my business, I was quite involved in BALI and I met a lot of key industry figures through that. So, I discussed the challenges I was having in my business with other contractors and it would be reassuring if they were facing similar challenges or they would give me a different angle on how to approach these challenges. Without being

1 2 3 4 5

Rural retreat, Tring, Hertfordshire English oasis, London ©Rebecca Bernstein James at drawing board Wildlife pond, Bovingdon ©Rebecca Bernstein Modern family garden, Kings Langley, Herts

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involved in trade associations and having benchmarks against other business, I don’t think I would have been able to grow the business as I have. It’s a huge network to tap into. The late, great John O’Conner, for instance – although running a very different business – often gave me words of wisdom.”

The Garden Company is now one of the UK’s most well-known and respected design and build companies and providing both of these services has been hugely beneficial. “From a client point of view, it’s a very attractive offering.

Often, they don’t want to deal with lots of different people. It can also be more costeffective because it only needs one person managing the project, as opposed to having a designer and someone from a contracting company being paid to manage it.

“From our point of view, it makes it really seamless. We can design gardens right from the outset and design buildability into the gardens, we have a lot of experience in doing that. So, we create gardens that are more likely to happen and we consider client budgets from the start.

And we have complete control over the project.

So, for us, it’s about quality control. However, this is not the only way that we work – we also regularly collaborate with other professional designers, building to their designs.”

As well as design and build, The Garden Company also provides a gardening service.

“We don’t really like the term ‘maintenance’.

Gardening is a hugely underrated skill; the ability to nurture something as envisaged, and to tend and sculpt a garden as opposed to weeding it and cutting the lawn, is a real art.

It needs foresight and vision.”

Each service can be part of a package or as a standalone offering. “Our ideal scenario is that we would design, build and then look after it and nurture the garden. But we also look after gardens that other people have designed and

built, and gardens where no professional design and landscaping has been involved. ” Of all its services, it’s the design aspect of the business which has soared in popularity over the last year. Despite shutting down for a month at the start of the first lockdown in March, The Garden Company was able to reopen following advice and help from trade associations such as

ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN’T STATE HIGHLY ENOUGH IS THE SKILL OF THE TEAM LEADERS. THEY’RE GOLD DUST

JAMES WITH TEAM LEADER GLEN BALI. It cut back on subcontractors, such as bricklayers, to minimise the number of people on site at one time, but also because James says he was “quite protective of the work we had in the order book”.

“I wasn’t sure how things were going to pan out and, to be honest, I was quite pessimistic.

The reality, though, is that it has been incredibly buoyant and we have been as busy as ever.

We had a dip in turnover last year – but it was controlled, and we still had a good profitable year. I didn’t predict it at the start, but it makes sense now – everybody tuned into their gardens.

We’re doing around double the amount of design work as we were a year ago, which is phenomenal.

The amount going through the build hasn’t doubled, though.

“The only potential blot on the horizon is that, at some point, there’s likely to be an economic downturn because of the cost of COVID-19. I personally thought it was going to happen last year, but it didn’t materialise.”

This doesn’t stop James from being confident about the year ahead, though. The company is currently looking to recruit a new contracts manager, or a contracts manager with some design capabilities. And when we ask if The Garden Company will remain the same size going forward, James remains as ambitious as ever.

“It’s hard to say, ‘I’m happy and I’m going to stand still’. We are constantly looking to cement our position at the high end of the industry. It is important that we keep our profile high by delivering high quality projects and winning awards! And we have a constant drive to do things better, to win exciting projects. It’s always a case of pushing the business forward, but in a fairly controlled and organic way; we will be looking to gently grow the business.”

The new branding seems to be just the start of the next phase for The Garden Company, with quality set to remain at the heart of whatever comes next.

6 Walled garden, Sarratt, Herts 7 Bespoke pergola, London ©Rebecca Bernstein

C O N TA C T Chipperfield Garden Centre, Tower Hill, Chipperfield, Hertfordshire, WD4 9LH Tel 01442 832 666 Email hello@thegardenco.co.uk

www.thegardenco.co.uk

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ANDREW WILSON WHAT A COLLECTION?

ANDREW WILSON EXPLORES THE CONCEPT OF PLANTING DESIGN AS OPPOSED TO A GROWING COLLECTION

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t this time of year, our attention at London College turns to planting design. At two thirds of the way through the programme some might think that a little late but I don’t. There are so many other aspects of design, visual communication, survey and site analysis, soils, construction and the various supporting technologies to deal with enabling students to get a grip on the whole process. Planting design itself is such a complex and vast undertaking that it needs the right mindset and place in the development of a garden designer.

As a subject it is introduced gently and although there are obvious elements of horticulture and plant knowledge, all our teaching focuses firmly on planting design, what we do with plants and how we use them.

So, students have already deconstructed the planting design of others and created outline ideas as to how planting fits in to the garden design solutions they have already produced.

But in the spring comes the big leap into the ocean that is the plant kingdom.

It is easy to get lost in this vastness. By comparison the selection and combination of hard materials in a garden seems like a walk in the park as students are faced with the sheer numbers of alternatives. Even for the seasoned planting designer there is always the thought of that better alternative just when you feel you have the planting palette nailed. It’s not a process for the indecisive mind, it needs clear direction and focus. Without this clarity we are

28 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

Andrew Wilson-3.indd 28

simply producing a collection of plants.

What’s so wrong with that? I hear people cry.

Well, nothing if you have a fascination with a particular species. I am full of admiration for the national collections which have a specific intent – I am less enthusiastic about a collecting mentality that produces a wide range of species simply for the sake of owning them. The plantaholic reader will recognise this trait in themselves, unable to resist the sight of a plant they don’t currently own even if their borders are already crammed with other prize purchases.

PLANTING DESIGN ITSELF IS SUCH A COMPLEX AND VAST UNDERTAKING THAT IT NEEDS THE RIGHT MIND SET The designer must be more discerning.

The gardens they create are not their own but belong to a client with potentially very different priorities. More crucially the art of planting design must, by definition, produce something more than a simple collection; plant associations that sing, uplift, excite and intoxicate. The relationship between associated plants is not necessarily based in variety or rarity but in mutual interaction.

Behind this design approach is the development of a specification which may not sound like an exciting endeavour but will deliver results. The more practical aspects of planting design are relatively straight forward to achieve but need an understanding of soil type, pH, drainage and permeability, microclimate and orientation.

The design qualities can be grafted onto this list to deliver heights and spreads, vertical or horizontal interest, ground coverage, transparency, seasonal interest, colour, texture, maintenance or management input and so on. In early exercises I ask students to focus on concepts too as this can guide thinking into creating atmosphere, mood or landscape character.

Armed with the specification, selecting, associating and combining plants becomes much more efficient and coherent as a process, applying good design thinking to the world of plants. Drawings such as sketch elevations and sections reveal layers, focal points and the dynamic qualities of selected plant association, colour swatches help to focus the thinking.

The results are always exciting and, most importantly, visually uplifting.

1 A colour test for a Monet-inspired border: planting schematic from Enzo Michel 2 Sketches showing Amanda Hopkins’ planting scheme inspired by dance

ABOUT ANDREW WILSON Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden design consultant, director of the London College of Garden Design, and an author, writer and lecturer.

www.lcgd.org.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 15:04

THE AWARDS ARE OPEN FOR ENTRIES! Visit baliawards.co.uk to view the categories and entry criteria and submit online today.

Contractor/Designer/Group Early Bird Discount Deadline: 5th May 2021 Final Deadline: 2nd June 2021

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Affiliate/Employer Excellence/International Early Bird Discount Deadline: 2nd June 2021 Final Deadline: 7th July 2021

For sponsorship opportunities, contact Diane McCulloch via telephone at 024 7669 0333 or via email at diane.mcculloch@bali.org.uk

Awards ceremony: Friday 3rd December 2021 JW Marriott Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London

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18/03/2021 16:23

INFORM

C H R I STO P H E R M A RT I N REPROGRAMMING REGENERATIVE CITIES

CHANGE CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR SOME TO ACCEPT, BUT WE NEED TO EMBRACE IT IN OUR CITIES, SAYS CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

T

his series explores the design of cities – specifically their public realm – and how we need to be designing to prepare and protect cities from the negative effects of climate change.

A key message that I introduced in last month’s column was the idea that transport needs to be a servant to quality of life for all.

There is a point in all cities where transport proliferates to threaten human quality of life – negatively impacting air quality, safety, attractiveness, city life, access to opportunity, and the environment in which we live and grow up in.

COVID-19 is emerging as an urban accelerator, advancing programs aimed at improving quality of life akin to the urban response after Cholera tore through Paris and London, because this pandemic has shown us the connection between the design of our cities and our health. It is safe to say that in places these advances have been met with opposition, sometimes for sound reasons, but fundamentally we need to alter the way we view change in cities.

URBAN DESIGN IS A SCIENCE, AND THE ROOT OF SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE IS EXPERIMENTATION, INNOVATION, AND CHANGE We fear change, and this has a lot to do with nostalgia, and is especially true in cities. Where people have lived in places in which the space between buildings has been conformed to the commodity of the car for a long time, their behaviours are shaped accordingly with the

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Christopher Martin.indd 31

result that this way of life is now viewed by many as their culture. This makes the issue of changing behaviours more challenging, as people do not see improvements or urban design and transport projects as making cities better and trying to tackle crises – they see them, instead, as an attack on their culture.

We have to reprogram cities because of COVID-19 – to kickstart local centres and address the urban inequality that COVID-19 has shone a light on – and, of course, because of the looming environmental and climate crisis. In any other industry – let’s say medicine – we do not fight innovation; we accept it, we call for it, we hope for it. We need to start seeing the design of cities in such light. Urban design is a science, and the root of successful science is experimentation, innovation, and change.

Over the next year, and for the next decade I would argue, the battleground on which cities will compete globally for investment, jobs and people will be quality of life – people’s quality of lived experience in a place, the ease at which they can let their hair down, relax, be human, have fun, and connect to the people and the places they wish. This means cities have to evolve, and quickly, and they have to start laying the groundwork for this future usage framework now.

I think we have seen the early adopters vying for this future success: Paris has announced enormous investment in quality of life and climate regeneration; Milan, the same; and we have now had the repositioning framework from the City of Westminster giving us a glimpse of a future with MVRDV’s Marble Arch Hill providing new experiences for people, and new invitations for them to make the trip into town. These cities have been quick to recognise the new experiential qualities people want from cities, and the importance of this to their global competitiveness going forward.

These ‘optimism bombs’ are invaluable.

You could call them PR stunts but you’d be wrong; this is global positioning in the quality of life race, raising the bar in terms of what cities can be – should be, need to be – and inviting everyone to free themselves of the shackles of what have become accepted norms to imagine a certain future in which cities are drivers for quality of life.

Pictured: Reprogramming urban spaces and repositioning cities for future success. Glasgow Avenues Design by Urban Movement + Civic Engineers

A BOU T C H RISTOP HER MARTIN Christopher is an influential urban designer and planner working all over the globe to help communities improve their public spaces; as well as supporting cities and governments to develop strategy, change policies, and make great places possible. He is co-founder and director of Urban Strategy at Urban Movement; a trustee of the UK charity for everyday walking – Living Streets; vice chair of the UK Urban Design Group; and is a member of the United Nations Planning and Climate Action Group.

www.urbanmovement.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 31

18/03/2021 09:33

Seeking to reinvigorate key areas of the MAC to improve the visitor experience, the Woodscape bespoke panel planter and seating system has been used to great effect in the space surrounding the artists studio.

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18/03/2021 09:34

IQ

I

n this issue of the UK Landscape Barometer, we are focused on the trading month of January 2021. Finally, the end of 2020 – what a year it was! Let us not dwell too long on it, though, and instead look to 2021 and what the new year has in store for us.

To start, we can see that confidence has continued to rise possibly due to the continued excellence of the vaccine rollout, passing the peak of the third wave, and further time spent outside of the EU. Those that responded as more confident this month compared to last rose by another 14%.

This is the first month since the UK Landscape Barometer launched that there has been a majority that responded as more confident. Last month was almost there at 50%.

There is still some uncertainty about the impact of Brexit and COVID-19; however, generally speaking, it has been a busy start to the year and a good indication for strong performance in 2021.

If you would like the full report or would like to contribute to the UK Landscape Barometer moving forward, please send an email to Gemma Lloyd at gemma.lloyd@eljays44.com or call on 01903 777 570.

Please note that all statistics are based on those surveyed and compare January 2021 to January 2020 except confidence. Confidence is compared at the time of survey to the same time last year.

NATIONAL TURNOVER 6%

100%

Lower 31%

44%

90%

THOSE RESPONDING AS MORE CONFIDENT TO LAST MONTH HAS RISEN FOR A SECOND MONTH IN A ROW

80%

Equal

70%

Higher

60%

No response

19%

PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDANTS MORE CONFIDENT COMPARED TO LAST MONTH

50% 40% 30%

ENQUIRIES 6%

20% 10%

16%

Lower 9%

0%

No response

40%

Lower Equal

44%

34%

Higher

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UK Landscape Barometer-3.indd 35

20% 40%

PROJECTS

22%

Nov20

Dec20

Jan21

Feb21

Mar21

Apr21

May21

STAFF

Higher 69%

Oct20

Jun21

Jul21

Aug21

Sep21

Equal CONVERSION

Lower

19% 29%

Lower

Equal

Equal

Higher

Higher 52%

Enquiries have resumed to elevated levels seen prior to December with most (69%) respondents seeing this increase. 44% of respondents saw an increase in turnover and number of projects in January.

Over a quarter (31%) saw a decrease in turnover though. Responses to full-time staff numbers were similar to projects; 40% with equal staff numbers and another 40% had increased staff levels. 52% of respondents had an equal conversion rate – promising news given the gradual rise in enquiries.

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 35

18/03/2021 17:34

IQ

CONFIDENCE

TURNOVER

ENQUIRIES

THE SOUTH

THE SOUTH

THE SOUTH

THE MIDLANDS

THE MIDLANDS

THE MIDLANDS

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

GARDEN DESIGN

GARDEN DESIGN

GARDEN DESIGN

DESIGN AND BUILD

DESIGN AND BUILD

DESIGN AND BUILD

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

0%

20%

40%

More

60%

80% 100%

Equal

0%

Less

PROJECTS

20%

40%

60%

80% 100%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80% 100%

Higher

Equal

Higher

Equal

Lower

No response

Lower

No response

STAFF

CONVERSION

THE SOUTH

THE SOUTH

THE SOUTH

THE MIDLANDS

THE MIDLANDS

THE MIDLANDS

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

SCOTLAND AND THE NORTH

GARDEN DESIGN

DESIGN AND BUILD

GARDEN DESIGN

DESIGN AND BUILD

DESIGN AND BUILD COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

0%

20% More

40%

60%

80% 100%

Equal

36 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

UK Landscape Barometer-3.indd 36

Less

COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPING

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

0%

20% More

40%

60%

Equal

80% 100% Less

DOMESTIC LANDSCAPING

0%

20% More

40%

60%

Equal

80% 100% Less

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 17:34

IQ

NURSERIES Confidence levels for nurseries was quite split.

Only 25% stated being less confident to this time last year. This year we have both the effects from Brexit and COVID perhaps still waiting in the wings. One nursery commented: “The impact of Brexit and a ‘fading’ COVID-19 remains unknown.”

Turnover and quotes were both evenly split between higher (50%) and lower (50%). One

nursery stated: “The sunshine at the end of February has really kicked the trade into gear.”

Another commented that: “There has been a price increase across the board on plant material which is partly down to the increased costs involved in importing from the continent.

“However, there is also an element of stock shortages which has driven the prices up.

CONFIDENCE

25%

Forward orders are essential for clients to be guaranteed a price for their projects.”

Another said: “We had quite a number of projects pushed back in January, partly due to weather impacting sites, but also COVID and Brexit related, all slowing works down. It will all still happen which is going to make March in particular a very busy month! The summer is also shaping up to be a good one!”

TURNOVER

QUOTES

25% 50%

50%

50%

50%

50% Less

Equal

Lower

Higher

Lower

Higher

More

SOIL Most soil suppliers (75%) stated a higher number of quotes in January compared to January last year. Half of soil suppliers stated having sold a higher volume of soil in

CONFIDENCE

January compared to January last year, with only 25% said they sold less. It is perhaps unsurprising with such positive performance that all soil suppliers responded as more

VOLUME SOLD

25%

confident this year compared to last.

One commented: “Early indications are that projects will get the green light and quality over quantity is preferred, which suits our brand.”

CONFIDENCE

25%

50% 75%

25% 100% More

Lower

Equal

Higher

No response

Higher

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

UK Landscape Barometer-3.indd 37

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 37

18/03/2021 17:34

IQ

SALARY SPECIAL

W

ith the end of the financial year approaching, we asked participants in the UK Landscape Barometer whether they would increase staff salaries and, if so, by what percentage. As a frame of reference, let 23 and over

% change to last year

April 2021

£8.91

2.13%

April 2020

£8.72

April 2019

£8.21

us first look at the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage (NLW) rates in the UK. The hourly rate for the minimum wage depends on your age and whether you are an apprentice. You must be at least school leaving age to get the National Minimum Wage. You % change to last year

18 to 20

% change to last year

Under 18

% change to last year

Apprentice

% change to last year

Average change

£8.36

1.91%

£6.56

1.68%

£4.62

1.52%

£4.30

3.49%

2.15%

5.85%

£8.20

6.10%

£6.45

4.65%

£4.55

4.40%

£4.15

6.02%

5.40%

4.63%

£7.70

4.16%

£6.15

4.07%

£4.35

3.45%

£3.90

5.13%

4.29%

21 to 22

NLW vs UK and London Living Wage 23 and over

21 to 22

UK Living Wage

£9.50

London Living Wage

£10.85

Current NLW rate

£8.72

18 to 20

£8.20

£6.45

Difference to UKLW

-8.56%

-14.69%

-38.24%

Difference to LLW

-21.77%

-27.82%

-50.87

NLW rate after April 21

£8.91

£.36

£6.56

Difference to UKLW

-6.41%

-12.77%

-36.61%

Difference to LLW

-19.64%

-25.92%

-49.28%

We can see that the average increase in NLW is lower, at 2.15%, than quite a few previous years.

This seemingly makes sense with the current economic climate.

Bryan Sanderson, chair of the Low Pay Commission, said: “Recommending minimum wage rates in the midst of an economic crisis coupled with a pandemic is a formidable task.

The difficulty in looking forward even to next April is daunting. There are strong arguments concerning both low-paid workers – many performing critically important tasks – and the very real solvency risks to which small businesses are currently exposed. In these unprecedented conditions, stability and competence are prime requirements.”

He adds: “Our value as a social partnership is to use the imperfect economic evidence to produce a recommendation which is professionally researched and dispassionate.

Most importantly, after much debate, it has the support of the business, trade union and academic representatives who make up the Commission.

“We have opted for a prudent increase which consolidates the considerable progress of recent years and provides a base from which we

38 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

UK Landscape Barometer-3.indd 38

must be at least aged 25 to get the National Living Wage (the minimum wage will still apply for workers aged 24 and under).

From 1 April 2021 the NLW is changing from 25 and over to 23 and over. Here are the other changes:

can move towards the Government’s target over the next few years.”

The increase in the NLW will mean that low-paid workers’ incomes rise broadly in line with predicted wage growth, and modestly ahead of projected increases in prices. This means low-paid workers’ living standards should be protected.

So, this is the minimum wage levels that will be put into place by the government, but is there anything else to consider or benchmark against? Well, there is the UK Living Wage and London Living Wage calculated by the Living Wage Foundation. The difference is that the UK Living Wage and the London Living Wage are voluntary pay benchmarks that employers can sign up to and are not legally binding requirements.

The hourly rate of the UK Living Wage and London Living Wage is based on an attempt to measure need, whereas the National Living Wage is based on a target relationship between its level and average pay. The UK Living Wage and London Living Wage apply to workers aged 18 and over, the National Living Wage to workers aged 23 and over.

There are nearly 7,000 UK employers that are voluntarily meeting the living wage set by

the Living Wage Foundation. You can find more information on their website at livingwage.org.uk.

Now that we have a frame of reference from the NLW and the living wage set by the Living Wage Foundation, we can better understand the results from our wage research.

The question we asked was, “Will you increase staff salaries as of April? If so, by what percentage?” This yielded the results seen in this pie chart. 52% of employers said they would increase staff salaries with 26% stating they would not do so. The remainder were unsure as it was the discussion was still to be had.

Those that said they would increase staff wages also stated by what percentage. On average, wages will increase by 4%. The lowest stated increase was 2% while the highest was 10%. The vast majority of those that are planning on increasing staff wages would do so by the NLW average of 2.2% of more.

There was one company that commented becoming a living wage company (meeting the Living Wage Foundation rates) should be commended.

SALARY INCREASE 13% 9% 52% 26%

Yes

No

Maybe

Unsure

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 17:59

IQ

National turnover was up by

The number of quotes nurseries received went down an average of

5%

The NUMBER OF PROJECTS worked on in January 2021 INCREASED BY 26% compared to January 2020

23% -8% 12% 87% (1%) 58% 149% (-1%) on average

Turnover rose by

Enquiries rose by

for domestic landscapers

nationally

Garden designers worked on

more projects in January

There was an average turnover increase of

The only sector with a decreased conversion rate was garden designers at

Number of projects worked on for design and build companies.

INCREASED BY 23%

Enquiries in Scotland and the North rose by a massive

The average lead time for domestic landscapers and design and build companies nationally is

5 MONTHS 87%

Turnover was about static

Conversions from enquiry to contract remained about static

for commercial landscaping companies

ONLY DECREASE in projects was 4% for The

commercial landscapers. The

GREATEST INCREASE was for garden designers at 58% .

Number of for garden designers quotes fell by

5%

Enquiries increased by an average

111% INCREASE IN ENQUIRIES was seen by DESIGN AND BUILD COMPANIES .

143% for garden designers

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

UK Landscape Barometer-3.indd 39

on average Turnover for nurseries decreased by

3%

on average for nurseries

A

Commercial landscaper has

CONFIDENCE HAS INCREASED TWO 13% MORE MONTHS IN A ROW for the first time since ENQUIRIES

the start of the UK Landscape Barometer

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 39

18/03/2021 18:01

EVEN BEFORE THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER DELIVERED A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THE UK CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, THE SECTOR WAS IN RUDE HEALTH. AND IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, THAT HEALTH IMPROVED STILL FURTHER, SAYS NEIL EDWARDS

IQ

FORGING AHEAD

T

here was a time when the confidence of the UK construction sector was a timid creature that was easily startled and that fled at the smallest sign of alarm – but not any longer. The industry has met the triple threat of COVID-19, Brexit and wider economic jitters head on. In February, the sector continued to charge forwards, reporting more than £8bn in new contract awards in the shortest month of the year.

And that was before Chancellor Rishi Sunak took to his feet to announce plans to build eight new freeports and further boosts for housebuilding and infrastructure.

The landscaping sector stands to benefit from some of the largest projects secured in a month in which some 340 contractors shared the £8bn spoils.

THE SECTOR CONTINUED TO CHARGE FORWARDS, REPORTING MORE THAN £8BN IN NEW CONTRACT AWARDS Top of the BCLive league table for the month was project management company Avanton, which was credited with two notable contract wins in the month worth a combined £980m. The largest of these – valued at £730m – is a new-build housing development at Ruby Triangle in Lewisham, south London.

Designed by renowned architect Farrells, the project comprises 1,152 dwellings together with retail business and community spaces and a public sports hall and gym.

The work will be carried out in conjunction with A2 Dominion Group.

40 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

Neil Edwards.indd 40

In addition to winning the month’s largest single contract, Avanton also won the third largest; a £250m urban village development at the former Homebase site in Richmond upon Thames. That project will add a further 385 residential units to the UK housing stock, together with flexible business, retail and community space, and extensive landscaping.

Interestingly – like the number one position – third place on the BCLive league table was secured by a project management company.

Tenacity International Group won a £200m new

contract award for a mixed-use development at Gracechurch Street in East London. Split across 33 storeys, the development will include 72,000m2 of flexible office space, 1,800m2 of retail space and 1,500m2 of public access space.

A free-to-access public gallery at levels 29 and 30 will offer views across London.

While London still claimed the lion’s share of the new contract awards during the month, another notable project will provide a further boost for the landscaping sector in the Midlands region.

Sir Robert McAlpine won a £100m mixeduse development scheme at Hockley Mills in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. That will include 397 apartments across six blocks together with extensive commercial and retail units as well as a gym. In addition, the project will include a new entrance to the Jewellery Quarter train station and associated works including hard and soft landscaping.

Despite the resurgence of Scotland (£458m) and the exceptional performance of the Midlands (£774m) and Yorkshire

(£412m), the regional imbalance still favours London, which contributed an impressive £3.36bn to the monthly total.

THE SPECTRE OF A WORSENING SKILLS SHORTAGE CONTINUES TO HAUNT THE SECTOR A similar imbalance remains in the split of workload among the various industry categories. The housing sector contributed £5.52bn of known work and will have been a large part of a further £1.52bn of mixed use and miscellaneous work. Offices, with £478m, came a distant second.

Like an ever-present elephant in the room, the spectre of a worsening skills shortage continues to haunt the sector.

Quite how the industry will meet the demand of £26bn in new work in the space of just three months remains open to question.

But, for the time being, the construction sector looks set to retain its position as the saviour of the UK economy.

A B O U T N E I L E DWA R D S Neil Edwards is CEO of Builder’s Conference, the construction industry’s leading trade body. It provides its members to sales leads and market intelligence, as well as statistical data and networking opportunities. BCLive is a real-time league table of construction contract award activity. Operated by the Builders’ Conference, the BCLive league table monitors more than 6,000 new contract awards each year with a combined value of over £80bn. www.buildersconference.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 11:06

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IQ

LET THERE BE LIGHT EVA WOODE EXPLAINS WHY NATURAL LIGHT IS AN ESSENTIAL BUILDING MATERIAL

N

©Andrea Cavalera

atural light is crucial for survival.

Biology’s fuel and our primary locator in time and space, light has been a fundamental element in architectural design since the discipline’s birth. In fact, in recent years, historians have proposed that the Rome’s Pantheon – one of the world’s most influential buildings – may have originally been designed as a giant sundial.

Natural light in this instance is more than an element of design – it’s a ‘material’ necessary for the building to perform.

As the primary indicator of time passing, natural light plays a vital role in regulating the internal body clock, also known as the ‘circadian rhythm’. The term comes from ‘circa’ meaning ‘approximately’, and ‘dian’ meaning ‘day’, and it plays an important role in the activation of certain hormones, our metabolism and mental health. The most crucial role of the circadian rhythm relates to the sleep-wake cycle. During the day, exposure to natural light triggers the release of hormones that keep us alert. As the level of light dims as we head towards the evening, the sleep promoting hormone,

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melatonin, is produced, which helps us stay asleep throughout the night.

As we all know, a good night’s sleep is essential to our productivity, mood and overall wellbeing. When designing a space, minimising

MINIMISING THE DISRUPTION OF THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM

BY OPTIMISING OCCUPANTS’ CONNECTION TO NATURAL LIGHT, ENCOURAGES A HEALTHY, HAPPY AND PRODUCTIVE ATMOSPHERE the disruption of the circadian rhythm by optimising occupants’ connection to natural light, encourages a healthy, happy and productive atmosphere, both for adults in offices and children at school.

That said, it’s just as important that the natural light is engineered carefully into a building’s design.

The WELL Building Institute identifies that windows and glazing should be specified to ‘avoid excessive glare and heat gain’, as too much light can cause discomfort or become a distraction.

From a commercial standpoint, studies have

shown that ‘daylighting’ in shops can increase sales and create a relaxed atmosphere, leading to more increased repeat customers. Apple is famous for maximising daylight in retail environments and the Apple store on Fifth Avenue, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, is a prime example.

As we enter spring and days are getting longer, we’re reminded of that blissful feeling of having the warmth of the sun on our skin.

And it’s not just because the sensation can transport us somewhere tropical in our heads.

Exposure to sunlight is thought to increase the release of serotonin, a hormone associated with feeling calm, boosting our mood and being focused. On the flipside, a lack of sunlight can induce Seasonal Affective Disorder, draining energy and making us feel generally gloomy.

But perhaps the best-known benefit of sunlight is how it can boost the supply of vitamin D, an essential nutrient for the body to enable us to absorb calcium and maintain a functional immune system.

With human beings spending between 80% to 90% of their lives indoors, anything designers can do to maximise natural light through carefully considered schemes, will have great health benefits – both mental and physical – to those that use the building or home.

A B O U T E VA WO O D E Eva Woode is the director of Studio Woode, a curating studio with a focus on sustainability and wellbeing in the built environment. She is also the founder of Edify Content Studio Ltd, an agency specialised in thought-leadership content for the interiors, architecture and construction industry. www.studiowoode.com

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PROJECT D E TA I L S Project value Approx. £15k Build time 3 weeks Size of project 475m2 Awards Winner: Small Project, Big Impact Planting Design

S E A M L ESS

SCENERY W EST S C OT L A N D C O A S TA L G A R D E N RACHEL BAILEY G A R D E N D ES I G N LT D

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iews to the east of the Isle of Bute frame this sloping garden at the front of the property. A blank canvas, the space was bounded by an existing hedge, a stock fence and a stone wall.

The clients wanted an informal garden which was lower maintenance but still bursting full of planting to soften the hard surfaces and settle the house into the landscape. Foliage texture, colour and size was important – especially height, as they wanted to make the most of the garden’s location and views – and had more prominence than flowers. A pink, purple, blue and white colour scheme was preferred, with pastel shades desired over bright.

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A GARDEN IN WEST SCOTLAND NEEDED THE HELP OF PLANTING T O B L E N D I T I N T O I T S B R E AT H -TA K I N G S U R R O U N D I N G S Design and build From the outset, Rachel Bailey Garden Design and PD Landscapes decided to work with the existing soil/substrate for both cost and environmental considerations. This was especially relevant for the majority of the site (front garden), which was builder’s rubble. This afforded a low fertile medium that would result in a lower maintenance planting scheme and meet the client’s brief.

The soil to the side of the house was slightly acidic and rocky – large rocks were only removed where they coincided with a planting area. Where needed, onsite soil from the back garden or a combination of low fertility seed

compost with horticultural sand (front garden) was used as a medium to settle the plants in their planting holes. These media rather than compost were used so as to encourage the plants to extend beyond their planting holes and put down deep roots.

In the front garden, the ground was contoured and made more interesting using large boulders and rocks, either found onsite or acquired from a local quarry so as to match the natural stone, which was schist, found onsite. These rocks also offered a foil 1 Timber steps leading through the garden 2 Boulder of local rock in planting

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for the planting. The entire ground was then mulched in 50 to 100 mm of gravel (10 mm).

Offset generous sized timber steps with gravel tread aided the transition from the lower part of the front garden to join a meandering path that led from the drive through the garden to the south-side of the house. A flow was created around the garden amongst the planting to various seating places. The steps also offered a foil for planting and added interest.

Planting Rachel Bailey selected plants that would thrive in a low fertility, alkaline medium, would be happy in an exposed location, and would enjoy the sharp drainage afforded by the material.

Plants were also selected to be reminiscent of the coastal hills of the west of Scotland, where low-growing shrubs, ferns, grasses, and herbaceous perennials such as Achillea and Sedum (i.e., Sedum acre) are settled amongst rocks and are juxtaposed with coastal plants.

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Whilst Rachel could not draw upon the exact plant species of the local hills (Erica, Calluna and Molinia caerulea, which require acidic soil), she looked at their qualities, texture and colouring to influence the planting scheme.

A pared down list of plants was repeatedly used throughout the front garden, and planted so that one interweaved with another, mirroring plants in the hills. The main plants were repeated throughout the front garden and were anchored with the evergreen shrubs including Rosmarinus officinalis and Hebes. The front and side gardens, which had very different soil, were linked using plants that were similar in colour and/or form, but would thrive in the different soils. The plants were also planted deliberately small to allow them to acclimatise to the soil and environmental conditions.

Materials The main materials were boulders and rock, timber and gravel. After several phone calls to

local quarries to find Schist rock, Rachel finally settled on a relatively local quarry – Bonnar Sand and Gravel, Loch Fyne – that had rock of a similar ilk to that found onsite.

With the client, she ‘hand’ selected all of the large boulders from the quarry, numbering and photographing each one so she had a good idea where each would go when back onsite. All 18 tonnes were delivered by lorry and craned off into their rough position. A large machine that was onsite for drainage work at the back of the property was used to orientate and ‘plant’ the rocks in their final position.

Challenges For Rachel Bailey Garden Design, the main challenge for this garden was the general lack of soil in the front garden. An extension to the old stone house was demolished a few years before the garden was designed and it was ‘buried’ in the front garden. A layer – of no more than 50mm – of topsoil was spread over the building waste.

On testing the soil in the front garden, it was unsurprisingly alkaline in pH. The soil round the side of the house was very stony, and slightly acidic – more typical of the area.

To add to this challenge, the garden is coastal, exposed to south-westerly winds and being on the west coast of Scotland, the area is subjected to high rainfall. On a positive note, because the site is coastal and on the west coast of Scotland, the climate is relatively mild.

The site was also in a remote location at the tip of the Cowal Peninsula resulting in large amount of travel for the contractors and for deliveries of supplies.

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3 4 5 6 7

Summerhouse which has views to Loch Achillea ‘Anthea’ and Origanum Achillea ‘Anthea’ and Sesleria autumnalis Rocks & planting mimic local landscape Boulders & path softened by planting All photographs ©Rachel Bailey

A B O U T RAC H E L BA I L EY G A R D E N D ES I G N LT D Rachel Bailey runs an award-winning studio in the West of Scotland. Rachel is also a permaculture designer with a long-term interest in sustainable design. The studio creates anything from naturalistic wilds capes to more traditional sub-urban and town gardens, all with a strong focus on planting and the environmental impact of their designs.

www.rachelbaileydesign.co.uk

BLANK CANVAS

BOULDER PLACEMENT

REFERENCES Designer Rachel Bailey www.rachelbaileydesign.co.uk Contractor PD Landscapes Ltd

BOULDER DELIVERY

Planting Macplants in East Lothian www.macplants.co.uk Mclarens Nurseries Ltd www.mclarensnurseriesltd.co.uk

ROCKS, STEPS AND GRAVEL IN PLACE

Grasses Knoll Gardens www.knollgardens.co.uk Boulders, rock and gravel Bonnar Sand and Gravel Co. Ltd www.bonnar.com

PLANT DELIVERY

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SETTING OUT PLANTS

Summerhouse Logspan www.logspan.com

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F LOW I N G

VIEWS C E N T R A L LO N D O N ROOF GARDEN BOWLES & WYER DESIGNED BY LUCY WILLCOX & ANA SANCHEZ-MARTIN W I T H PA N O R A M I C V I E W S O F C E N T R A L L O N D O N , THIS ROOF GARDEN’S BLINDING WHITE LIMESTONE PAV I N G N E E D E D T O B E R E P L A C E D A N D T R A N S F O R M E D I N T O A N I N V I T I N G S PA C E S O T H E C L I E N T S C O U L D M A K E T H E M O S T O F T H E B R E AT H -TA K I N G S C E N E R Y

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his private roof garden forms part of a high-end residential development in central London. The client wanted the space to serve a dual purpose – acting as an attractive foreground viewed from the apartment, with the panoramic city views beyond, and serving as an outdoor haven where the client could relax and entertain guests.

The existing space was a blank canvas, with white limestone paving. This made the space difficult to use during sunny weather, as the paving caused a strong glare. Views of the city were also spoiled

PROJECT D E TA I L S Project value Undisclosed Build time 1 month Size of project 83m2 Awards BALI Principal Award for Roof Garden Installation under £250k

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by a lift overrun structure, situated beyond the client’s property boundary. Therefore, the main objective was to soften the space with planting, enhance the views over the city, and to make the space more usable and inviting.

Design Designers Lucy Willcox and Ana Sanchez-Martin created an innovative scheme, based around a structural ribbon which flows through the space – forming seating, a breakfast bar and a screen. One of the designers, Ana SanchezMartin comments: “The inspiration behind the ribbon was the flowing lines of the River Thames, which you can see from the terrace. It’s also a metaphor for the flow of life and the journey our clients have been on to get to this point where they can sit and smell the roses, so to speak.”

The ribbon also integrated planters and a green wall, and the space was finished with lighting and an artificial lawn.

produce a steel rail and feet system below, counterweighted by the paving and planters.

Installing the artificial lawn was another key element of the build. Bowles & Wyer had to install a combined deck drain and crush mat system to maintain drainage below the artificial lawn, whilst running all the services beneath the paving. It also undertook the installation of the planters, lighting and irrigation.

The final part of construction was planting, which was a mixture of shrubs, perennials and groundcover, providing a beautiful display for the client

whilst ensuring a pollen source for bees.

Designer Lucy Willcox comments: “Ana and I were both excited by the challenge of this project and a challenge it was. We had a huge amount of red tape to get through which took months to achieve. To ensure we had

1 Textural planting contrasts with the flowing ribbon structure ©Clive Nichols 2 Panoramic city views ©Clive Nichols 3 A zoned dining area makes the space perfect for entertaining ©Clive Nichols 4 Newly planted beds set to mature in later months

Build Before construction could commence, Bowles & Wyer first removed all the existing paving, putting it into storage for re-use. One of the key elements of construction was a freestanding green wall and screen, which involved considerable hidden works. Unable to fix the wall to the building structure, Bowles & Wyer instead worked with the engineer and fabricator to

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a smooth fabrication and installation process, we needed a top landscape company who could fulfil our vision for the space; Bowles & Wyer were the first choice to work with on this scheme, as their roof terrace experience is second to none.

“They were a great support to Ana and I from start to finish, we had many hurdles to get over and they were more than happy to provide that support when needed. The logistics planning from Bowles & Wyer for this build was outstanding and one to be admired.

But I guess that’s what makes them an award-winning company!”

Challenges The design stage in itself was challenging as the roof construction only allowed for very low-level loading and the building’s management also had strict criteria. This led to Bowles & Wyer working with the designers, engineers and suppliers to rework the original design to meet all the requirements. The finalised scheme effectively left no tolerances, and therefore the pre-installation planning, detail checking, detail integration and off-site construction had to be exceptionally thorough.

The next major challenge was access.

Access through the building was for pedestrians only, and the narrow space around the building made a normal boom crane impossible. Bowles & Wyer instead had to use a mobile tower crane in a narrow street, leaving just 300mm of space between other residential buildings and glass balconies.

Due to restrictions from the council and building managers, the use of only one lift was allowed, so Bowles & Wyer had to ensure it had all of the elements and exact quantities needed.

LIFTING MATERIALS ONTO THE ROOF

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MOBILE TOWER CRANE

DURING CONSTRUCTION

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Stuart Wallace, director of special projects at Bowles & Wyer, comments on the BALI Award win: “We’re delighted to have won this award – especially as this project, although challenging and complicated to build, was an exemplar of how teamwork can surmount almost any challenge. Without the complete commitment from all at Bowles & Wyer, the clients, designers, engineers and suppliers, this roof garden would have remained just a great idea.”

5 The lighting is spectacular at dusk ©Clive Nichols 6 An early view across the terrace 7 Artificial grass for easy maintenance and better wear 8 Integrated planters and breakfast bar ©Clive Nichols

ABOUT BOWLES & WYER Bowles & Wyer design, build and tend landscapes for private individuals, businesses and organisations across the UK and beyond. With a reputation for creating award-winning gardens and landscapes with an imaginative approach and high-quality service, Bowles & Wyer believe landscapes have the power to enhance lives, and work hard to make that happen every day.

www.bowleswyer.co.uk

REFERENCES Garden design Ana Sanchez-Martin www.germinatedesign.com Garden design Lucy Willcox www.lucywillcoxgardendesign.com Integrated seating and planting structure Outdoor Design www.outdoordesign.co.uk Green wall Tree Box www.treebox.co.uk Lightweight growing medium Bourne Amenity www.bourneamenity.co.uk Plants Palmstead Nurseries www.palmstead.co.uk

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THE QUAY TO SUCCESS G R E E N F O R D Q U AY M AY L I M LOCATED ALONGSIDE THE BANKS OF THE GRAND UNION CANAL, THE GREENFORD QUAY DEVELOPMENT HAS REDEFINED THE AREA FOR THE COMMUNITY AND VISITORS

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he Greenford Quay development is a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood located alongside the banks of the historic and picturesque Grand Union canal. Greystar Europe Holdings Ltd. (Greystar) acquired the former GlaxoSmithKline and Sunblest Bakery sites in January 2016. Since then, it has consulted extensively with Ealing Council, the Greater London Authority, local businesses, residents, and other stakeholders to develop proposals for modern canal-side living in the heart of Greenford, West London.

The vision? To a bring the previously derelict 20.3-acre site back to life; reviving the area and helping to create a brand-new lease of new life and creating a lasting community for residents and visitors alike.

In winter 2018, Maylim was appointed as principal contractor to deliver the first phase of external works surrounding the Tillerman’s Building – a modular built mixed-use development.

The scheme was developed and is operated by Greystar, a global real estate developer headquartered in the USA. As Greystar’s largest European project to date, the Greenford

PROJECT D E TA I L S Project value £8,101,204 Build time Jan 2019 – April 2020 Size of project 12,500m2 Awards BALI National Landscape Awards 2020 – Principal Award Winner – Hard Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic) – Over £500k

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Quay development is based on the innovative build to rent model. Being an accelerated off-site modular build programme means the main block and associated public realm were delivered in under 20 months (from breaking ground to first occupation).

Greenford Quay Phase 1B is the first phase of the overall scheme. Crucially, it is the integral part of the Greenford Quay masterplan. It not only consists of the central square, which is at the heart of the development, but also includes the canal side amphitheatre which has already become a key attraction to both residents and the public.

Maylim worked diligently to design, supply and install the ambitious design to the highest quality, sourcing a huge range of bespoke materials with its supply chain partners and working very closely with the client and architect to fully realise joint ambitions for the scheme.

Brief The client’s brief was to design, supply and install all works to the public realm. Maylim appointed a design team from HTA Design LLP., Fountains Direct, PTA and Arup to take the tender scheme to full construction. Key elements of the project included extensive civil and structural design and installation, water features, external lighting, CCTV and data

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systems, linear and below ground drainage, paving and cladding detailing, masonry design and sampling, soft landscaping with mature and semi-mature trees, herbaceous planting, turf and wildflower meadows, and road and footpaths for adoption by the London Borough of Ealing.

soft landscaping, irrigation, surfacing and resin bound gravel.

The scope of this project for Maylim was extensive and varied, including assuming all the duties of principal contractor to manage, design, procure and install a wholly new public realm

Build Maylim delivered the majority of these works in-house with its own teams, whilst also fulfilling its duties as principal contractor. Specialist subcontractors were used for the water features,

1 Bespoke granite canal-side amphitheatre 2 Corten flue screens and reclaimed timber benches 3 At dusk with bespoke programmed lighting scheme 4 Aerial view of the completed project Image 3 ©HTA Design, all other photographs ©Maylim

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CANALSIDE TREE INSTALL

A B O U T M AY L I M

BIRDS’ EYE VIEW OF CENTRAL SQUARE

scheme, from surface finishes right through to underground structures. This included highly complex mechanical and electrical installation, waterproofing and utilities.

The scope includes all surface finishes; from granite paving, to setts, resin bound gravel, kerbing and tarmac surfacing. It incorporates all brickwork and retaining walls, as well as railings and street furniture.

Materials Granite setts reclaimed from the original site were reintroduced to the area adjacent to the canal. This worked to integrate the scheme to the wider canal network. The reclaimed setts were also used within the amphitheatre areas. The scheme comprised of 2500m2 of flamed granite paving sourced from China.

As well as this, Maylim’s team used 1200m2 of tumbled granite setts, comprising of five complementary granite colours.

WATER FEATURE PIPEWORK

In order to complete the scheme, Maylim imported 2,250m3 of variant soils. These were selected to suit podium, street planting, wildflower turf and high-use lawn areas. The different soils allowed for a mixture of 82 mature and semi mature trees and specimens with girths of up to 70cm. These notably enhanced a previously neglected bat feeding corridor which runs alongside the Grand Union Canal. 400m2 of wildflower turf was contractgrown especially for the project, allowing for the reintroduction of bee orchids.

Collaboration The Maylim project team worked in close conjunction with the principal contractor that was delivering the residential block in order to maintain a seamless delivery. Maylim also kept close communication and engagement with the Canal and Rivers Trust, adjacent stakeholders and the wider community.

Maylim’s team worked with the London Borough of Ealing THE FINISHED QUAYSIDE for 278 adoptable works to discharge planning conditions, all whilst managing and supervising up to 100 on-site personnel. Oliver Rock, senior associate, HTA Design LLP comments: “Maylim strove for ‘right first time’ every time and the results speak for themselves; a spectacular delivery of a complex public realm design that creates a distinct sense of place.”

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Maylim is a specialist in commercial external works, hard and soft landscaping, civil engineering and highways projects. Working across both public and private sectors, it works to improve outdoor space; helping to build new neighbourhoods as well as bringing together existing communities. Maylim’s integrated approach enables the team to adapt and deliver anything from small-scale developments to multi-million-pound projects.

www.maylim.co.uk

REFERENCES Designer HTA Design LLP www.hta.co.uk Principal contractor Maylim www.maylim.co.uk Water features Fountains Direct www.fountains-direct.co.uk Temple Setts and Amphitheatre Granite CED Stone Group www.cedstone.co.uk Metal work Outdoor Design www.outdoordesign.co.uk Soft landscaping Willerby Landscapes www.willerby-landscapes.co.uk Footway paving and steps Marshalls www.marshalls.co.uk/commercial

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his month, it’s not just about following our ideas for developing into your client’s designs but also about encouraging you to take a breath and look at the outdoor spaces we in the profession have ourselves. If you live outdoors yourself, then passing on tips and tricks to your client becomes second nature and is discussed with ease and practical suggestions.

Possibly the easiest way to get back control is in our outdoor spaces, no matter how big or small, private or shared, public or private.

Recent announcements mean April may see us able to socialise and share spaces with loved ones, but there will still be a transition to adjust to, so we’ll need time to retrain ourselves and our clients into a good work-life balance.

Dine with a difference We may have had access to takeaways, but what we are missing is the feeling of going out to enjoy the dining experience. So, takeaway and take out – literally. Wash down garden tables and chairs, throw on a beautiful tablecloth, set with your favourite china and glasses and eat outside. Whilst we wait for it to heat up, do a casual ski resort dress code – all snuggly with fingerless gloves and a bobble hat. After all, if we were on holiday, we’d dress accordingly for any weather just to dine outside.

Top tip: warm your plates in the oven first whilst the take-away is on its way.

DINING OUT AT HOME

If you love to home cook, create simple sharing platters or bowls. Unplug the soup maker, slow cooker, or take an oven to tabletop dish outdoors to keep your meals hotter as you serve. Warm your bread rolls and pack in a basket covered with a tea towel, serve with herb teas – heat the soul as well as the space!

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RECLAIM YOUR

WEEKEND

WE MAY STILL BE IN LOCKDOWN, BUT DEBS WINROW SHOWS US HOW THIS DOESN’ T HAVE TO ME AN AN END TO THE SIMPLE TRADITIONS WHICH USED TO BE ENJOYED OUTSIDE THE HOME ON THE WEEKEND

Follow the stars Look closely at the best places to stargaze from within the garden – it might be from the warmth of a hot tub, under a canopy or from a deck chair carefully pre-prepared with layers of blankets and snuggly sheepskins.

Clear tree canopies or overhanging branches to get a lovely clear view (don’t panic if your client sees you laying on your back staring up to the sky, it’s all part of the plan).

Consider following weather reports and stargazing sites so you can plan ahead as best you can to ensure that magical and dry evenings don’t pass you by.

The great escape Encourage putting away devices – yes us adults too! We are becoming just as addicted with checking notifications constantly for emails, business texts, and company social media platforms.

Create cosy spots in the garden to relax with books, newspapers, and magazines.

Do a crossword, read your horoscopes, cut out a recipe to make later. Provide small nests of tables perfect for cups and reading glasses.

Consider the lighting in these areas either within the main garden lighting scheme or by introducing rechargeable LED lamps. Make the area as self sufficient as possible so once out there you can lose an hour without the need to retreat back indoors.

Snuggle with a small screen Whilst I just encouraged you to put devices away, we don’t count watching movies, right?

Load up an iPad or phone and take your movie night outdoors. Light candles, grab blankets, even a hot water bottle. Make some popcorn and create takeaway drinks. If hot, use your re-useable coffee cups or thermos, if cold, make drink bottles with re-useable straws.

Anything to reclaim your weekend away from the sofa and series watching we are doing all week will be amazing. Also, when the time comes, we can offer to share these

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FRESH FLOWERS

'CAFÉ' CROISSANTS

Decorate with nature The hardest brief as a garden stylist is that clients often want everything to stay outdoors permanently. Encourage yourself and clients to take special pieces into the garden just for the moment or that special occasion. Have a cupboard or shelf indoors or in the garage where accessories can be easily picked up and then packed away. Or, utilise outdoor kitchen cupboards or drawers, or look at outdoor storage boxes, which often also double up as seating.

Tiny vases with fresh flowers, especially those you can’t grow, look amazing against a garden setting. A twist of willow in a bottle with fairy lights, or hanging decorations makes the area look special. Gather pinecones or large beach pebbles and place in wicker baskets or add tiny potted plants onto outdoor tables for the day and night.

Get competitive Invest in some garden games – betya swing-ball is sold out constantly online. Allow space in the

OUTDOOR KITCHENS

garden for play: hide and seek, dart boards, and making huts and camps.

GAME ON!

CREATING COSY SPACES FOR READING

movie nights with friends – nobody is going to mind if our cinema screen isn’t quite as big as normal.

Make your own café Transform your outdoor space into the best café in town. Design outdoors kitchens not to be all about the BBQ, with plenty of clear worktop surfaces ready to pile up with fruit, freshly baked croissants (major supermarkets do amazing frozen ones, just dust HOME CAFÉ with icing sugar) or grill crispy bacon to make sandwiches and fry-ups.

As the day starts to race towards the end, reclaim another slice of the day by visiting the

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Debs Winrow-2.indd 59

café again, this time with coffee and cake. Most of our favourite cafés are doing their own coffees ready for our own cafeterias, and bakeries have never stopped being accessible.

Weather still good? Our outdoor kitchen can be prepped in minutes as a stylist cocktail bar or local pub.

Consider kitchens with good under counter storage so that everything is ready at a moment’s notice. You might want to turn on some lighting in this area now so you can jazz up the space.

Bringing people, family and friends together around a table, or over a drink is one of the greatest joys of life.

We need to feel that we’ve been on an adventure even if that means not leaving the house.

Wouldn’t it be nice when you rock up at work on Monday – even if that’s by Zoom – to have a lot of things to say you did over the weekend! We have lunch outside, watched a movie under the stars, made a den under the table and then wrote a letter to my best friend from my garden chair…

Let us know how you get on!

ABOUT DEBS WINROW Debs Winrow, creative director of award-winning landscape company Garden House Design, is an avid trend spotter, responsible for seeking out the latest and best outdoor living products, and developing an expansive portfolio to offer to both consumers and fellow landscapers and designers.

www.gardenhousedesign.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 59

18/03/2021 09:46

Majestic Trees is honoured to have been supplying trees to many Jo Thompson projects as well as her RHS main avenue show gardens for the past 7 years.

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Chelsea Barracks Garden, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016 Gold Medal Jo Thompson Landscape & Garden Design

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18/03/2021 09:37

NURTURE

F E AT U R E GARDEN KENILWORTH CASTLE AND ELIZABETHAN GARDENS

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LOST FOR OVER 400 YEARS, KENILWORTH CASTLE’S ELIZABETHAN GARDEN WAS RECREATED TO BE AS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE. WE FIND OUT FROM HEAD GARDENER PHILLIP CORRALL IF THERE ARE ANY CHALLENGES TO MAINTAINING A GARDEN LIKE THIS, AND DISCOVER KENILWORTH’S LESSER-KNOWN EDWARDIAN GARDEN

T

he Kenilworth Castle Elizabethan PHILLIP CORRALL Garden was created to romance, charm and seduce. In 1575, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, created the masterpiece for Queen Elizabeth I’s visit in a bid for her hand. Though this may not have been successful, the garden certainly was.

But, after civil wars and changes in ownership, the garden was dismantled and lost for over 400 years. After a failed historic restoration in the 70’s with criticism from many scientists for its inaccuracies, in the 90’s work began on more in-depth archaeological digs to find out what would have actually been in the garden all those centuries ago. This was accompanied by an eye witness account written by Robert Langham, who snuck into the garden one day while the Queen was out hunting. This, alongside the archaeological evidence, meant that in 2009 the Elizabethan Garden was re-created accurately for visitors to enjoy once more.

Within Robert Langham’s account he writes: “By great cast and cost, the sweetness of savour on all sides, made so respirant from the redolent plants and fragrant herbs and flowers, in form, colour, and quantity so deliciously variant; and fruittrees bedecked with apples, pears, and ripe cherries.”

Today’s garden is no far cry. Classed as what’s called a gillyflower garden, filled with perfumed perennials, photos cannot do justice to the space. Divided into quarters, planting makes up intricate geometrical patterns with paths

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NURTURE

leading visitors through the sensory sensation.

Beds lined with strawberries or sea thrift are brimming with fragrant flowers such as Dianthus caryophyllus, Matthiola incana and Erysimum.

THE MAIN AIM IS THAT EVERY PLANT SHOULD BE PERFECT, I DON’T NECESSARILY USE HUNDREDS OF BEDDING PLANTS, RATHER 20 EXTREMELY HIGH-QUALITY ONES The garden’s collection of Dianthus is a particular standout with varieties such as ‘Mrs McBride’, ‘Old Velvet’ and ‘Murray Douglas’ on offer. These, of course, would have been widely

64 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

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available back in 1575 and today provide a whimsical flair, very reminiscent of the Tudor period. It’s the unfamiliarity of the garden’s Lychnis chalcedonica which stands out to most visitors which shines brightest in the height of summer. It’s the roses within the garden, though, that visitors will first learn of, as their scent drifts all the way up to the castle and beyond.

The intricate planted bedding is contrasted by a solid marble fountain in its centre, hand carved with imagery from Greek myths, and towering obelisks designed to look like porphyry marble – though in reality they are painted wood.

In each corner of the garden stands Pyrus communis 'Black Worcester'. Synonymous with the city of Worcester, it is believed Queen Elizabeth remarked on their beauty, enjoyed the pears, and decided to place the pears onto the city’s coat of arms – which still bears this pear to this day.

Keeping the garden historically accurate comes with its challenges. Mostly, due to the

variety of plants that are on offer to Phillip, being restricted to plants available in 1575.

Occasionally, a plant might flower earlier than expected or later, leaving the garden with a period where there’s little colour. Despite this challenge, Phillip works hard to ensure there is always a feature, all year round, for as long as possible.

Despite the strict plant list, Phillip does allow for some historical concessions when it comes to layout: “The original recreation is more of a guideline. If we kept the same plants in the same spot year after year, the soil would get weaker and weaker. We don’t want it to stagnate, so we have to deviate to some extent. We're keeping within the original framework of the original design, though.” This exception is hugely necessary, as it’s safe to say the original garden would have been purely a summer garden.

Extending the season is crucial to Kenilworth with year-round visitors. Evergreens in the garden help to extend the interest with plants such as Juniperus communis, Ilex aquifolium, Helleborus foetidus, Daphne mezereum and Laurus nobilis.

Though its only one acre, the garden is designed and maintained to be ready for a visit from the Queen at any given moment. This means nothing can look out of place, creating quite the large task when it comes to dead heading in the summer. “The main aim is that every plant should be perfect,” explains Phillip.

“I don’t necessarily use hundreds of bedding plants, rather 20 extremely high-quality ones.”

With only head gardener Phillip and one other part-time gardener, Kenilworth Castle relies heavily on its dedicated team of volunteers to upkeep this immensely high standard. Usually, these volunteers work for four hours a day, with some working two days a week and others varying. But recent times have made this challenging, as COVID-19 has created health, work and childcare issues. Even so, Kenilworth Castle’s Elizabethan Garden “will be in full flower and ready to receive visitors in the summer as per usual,” Phillip tells us.

The Elizabethan Garden isn’t the only garden Kenilworth has to offer, either. Beside the gatehouse that would've been originally used as a grand entrance, the Edwardian Garden sits in complete contrast. Here, Phillip can play around with planting more: “It’s an area of freedom.

Where the Elizabethan Garden is strict, uniform, symmetrical, exact, this is far freer flowing,” says Phillip. As an Edwardian garden, Phillip has access to almost every plant and in turn, the opportunity to create almost any garden – be it a tropical garden or, as it is today, a cottage garden – as long as it fits with the Edwardian style.

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18/03/2021 14:03

NURTURE

IT’S AN AREA OF FREEDOM. WHERE THE ELIZABETHAN GARDEN IS STRICT, UNIFORM, SYMMETRICAL, EXACT, THIS IS FAR FREER FLOWING In this Gertrude Jekyll inspired space, tulips erupt in the spring, box hedging and knot gardens provide structure, annual bedding plants add bursts of colour, and a large herbaceous border dominates the terrace. Phillip is currently

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replanting this border with a whole host of plants including beautifully blooming geraniums.

Kenilworth Castle has in total 30 acres in its guardianship. Nearest to the castle lies lawns and trees, but beyond this woodland areas, brooks, pond areas and wildflower meadows wait to be explored. Though local visitors have found these grounds life-saving throughout the lockdowns we’ve experienced for the past year, the grounds beyond the castle go largely unused and underutilised. But Phillip plans to change this.

“It’s a fair bit of land,” explains Phillip, “The locals and visitors have really loved it as a place to walk and as something to do during these times. We’re currently deciding whether to enhance the biodiversity and attraction for

wildlife with things like bat boxes and enhancing wildflower areas, or whether to go all out and create a nature trail for our visitors.”

Sustainability and biodiversity, though already something the garden consciously thinks about, is certainly going to be a huge focus over the next few years – both for the wildlife but also to ensure the gardens are available for many years to come.

We’ll certainly be watching this space.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 4

Elizabethan gardens, 2019, 10-year anniversary Lychnis chalcedonica and Lavandula angustifolia Lilium candidum, known for its fragrance Volunteer guide, Paul Earl, gives tour of gardens Rosa x damascene var. semperflorens Many aspects are the same as described in 1575 Lychnis chalcedonica, popular among its visitors Rosa gallica ‘officinalis’ (the apothecary Rose)

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NURTURE

HU M BL E HED GE TREES ARE OFTEN HAILED FOR SEQUESTERING CARBON, BUT ARE HEDGES THE UNSUNG HEROES? NICK COSLETT EXPLAINS HOW CERTAIN HEDGING SHOULD BE USED FOR ROADSIDE PLANTING

I

t is said that trees are ‘the lungs’ of a city.

There has been much research on how trees planted along major traffic routes can help to disperse and dilute the particulate pollution PM2.5. However, planting too densely (e.g. closely spaced avenues of trees) can exacerbate or concentrate the pollution, keeping it within the street scene.

To avoid this there needs to be space between trees to allow for air movement. This air movement will distribute/dilute the pollution

SHRUBBY LONICERA HEDGE GIVEN THE MOW AND BLOW TREATMENT

and the trees will entrap some of the particulates with their leaves and bark. There are many benefits of trees especially in the urban environment and the more forward thinking authorities such as the London Borough of Hackney are pushing forward on a mass tree establishment campaign.

The RHS has recently reported its research on the effect hedges and shrubs have on cleaning up urban pollution. Urban air pollution and in particular the tiny particulates PM2.5 are hazardous to human health and contribute to approximately 40,000 accelerated deaths per year. The government’s 25-year plan targets cleaner air and the move to electric vehicles and away from fossil fuel burning will all help to reduce this death toll. However, hedges at the front of homes can help to filter out the air pollution too.

What matters is the type of leaf, its size, smoothness or hairiness and the density of foliage. Shrubs and hedges will slow the air flow

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through them and allow particles to deposit out.

RHS research has trumpeted Cotoneaster franchetii, which scored well in trapping and filtering pollutants in roadside plantings. It performed better than Crataegus (hawthorn) and larger leaved shrubs such as Aucuba (spotted laurel) which has large smooth leaves.

Rainfall on these roadside plants causes some of the pollution particles to be washed off and

SHRUB PLANTING AND THE HUMBLE HEDGE HAVE MUCH TO OFFER US, ESPECIALLY IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT deposited in the soil surfaces, so the research measurements were limited by the number of rain-free days to collect their samples for testing.

In simple terms, any roadside plantings will have a filtering effect; the taller and wider they are, the better. Those like the Cotoneaster with small, rough, hairy leaves will trap more; other plants may need to be planted in double or triple rows (i.e. wider hedges) to achieve the same effect.

THE COTONEASTER PREDICAMENT Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, has Cotoneaster listed as a plant which is prohibited from being planted or allowed to escape into the wild. It details Cotoneaster horizontalis, C. integrifolius, C. simonsii, C. bullatus and C. microphyllus, but not C. franchetii. These are all good shrubs and many commonly planted in parks and gardens. So, do they escape in to the wild? Do they have an ‘escape committee’? Their berries are much preferred by the thrush family and viability of seed is reasonably high. They have a preference for calcareous soil types and are well established on embankments alongside major roads, the M20 through the North Downs and A27 in the South Downs between Lewes and Brighton. Were these planted or are they escapees? What is the wild anyway? Do we have any true wild left in the UK? This is something for future discussion. plantings with perennials. The decline in resourcing soft landscape management has deskilled it to the mow and blow technique which eliminates flowering and fruiting potential.

Too many of our newly created urban landscapes are hard paving with a few large trees. Shrub planting and the humble hedge have much to offer us, especially in the urban environment.

ABOUT NICK COSLETT COTONEASTER PLANTING IN A RETAIL PARK TRIMMED FOR FORECOURT VISIBILITY AND LOSS OF FLOWER AND FRUITS

Is there hope for the maligned Cotoneaster, the star of supermarket and 1970s plantings?

Sales of all Cotoneasters have dropped in the last 20 years as part of a general decline in soft landscaping and a preference for more mixed

Nick is now retired but has worked in landscape offices, parks management and horticultural nurseries. For the past 20 years, he has also run soft landscape workshops at Coblands and Palmstead. He has been involved in BALI at a regional and national level, and is a trustee of the BALI Chalk Fund, as well as an awards judge.

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18/03/2021 12:32

NURTURE LARGE TREES DELIVER MAXIMUM BENEFITS

DOES MONEY G R OW O N T R E E S ?

KEITH SACRE EXPLAINS THE VALUE OF TREES, INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS

T

he first of this series focused on carbon storage and the initiative of Barcham Trees and Treeconomics in producing a carbon calculator. It is a salutary thought that many of the most significant, large trees in our towns and cities and those which store most carbon were planted more than a century ago. But carbon storage is just one of those benefits and public goods which trees provide.

The list of benefits and public goods trees provide – in addition to the purely aesthetic, which is a real benefit in itself – are well documented, but it is worth revisiting them here and to refer again to the ongoing work of Treeconomics.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide and in doing so absorb one of the principal greenhouse gases.

Trees provide shelter and shade, and it has been estimated that they can save up to 10% of the energy needed to heat or cool nearby buildings.

Trees slow down the rate at which rainwater hits the ground which helps to reduce the likelihood of flash flooding.

Health is something each and every one of us strives for. Trees filter out atmospheric pollutants. Trees shade out harmful solar radiation. Trees can have a positive effect on the incidence of asthma, skin cancer and many stress related incidences. Trees can reduce the bed occupancy time of recuperating patients in hospitals.

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Property owners share a common interest in the value of their assets. Trees, it has been estimated, can increase property values by as much as 18%, with houses and homes in tree-lined avenues much desired and sought after. Ask any estate agent. Trees also mask the intrusive nature of many developments where space is at a premium.

horticultural mulch. Trees yield timber.

Renewable fossil fuel, high value chemicals and pharmaceuticals may be the wood products of the future.

Ecosystems and ecological niches have become buzz words of our times. Trees provide valuable environmental habitats for a myriad of creatures both large and small. Trees bring the countryside to the town.

TREES, IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED, CAN INCREASE PROPERTY VALUES BY AS MUCH AS 18%, WITH HOUSES AND HOMES IN TREE-LINED AVENUES MUCH DESIRED AND SOUGHT AFTER With the emphasis on land reclamation and brownfield site development, trees can help bind soils together and prevent erosion.

Some trees can also assist in the cleaning up of contaminated land. Trees can assist in the binding and stabilisation of embankments.

Trees are used widely in the creation of woodlands on landfill and other reclamation sites such as old, disused quarries.

Many of the everyday products we buy from supermarkets and garden centres originate from trees. Trees yield fruit. Trees provide

AVENUE OF LIQUIDAMBER STYRACIFLUA IN AN URBAN SETTING DISPLAYING AUTUMN COLOUR

Passive leisure time is probably the largest of the leisure industries. Trees enhance the character of local areas. Trees soften the landscape of hard-edged towns, making them greener and more attractive.

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LARGE STYPHNOLOBIUM JAPONICUM USED AS A STREET TREE IN DRESDEN GERMANY

NURTURE

Many government advisory notes emphasise the importance of sustainable communities.

Trees contribute to the landscape where people meet. Community involvement in woodland creation and maintenance is on the increase with people increasingly aware and involved in their local environment.

With the benefits so many and patently obvious to those of us who cherish trees, the message doesn’t always get through to the budget holders and finances are always a problem when it comes to investing in trees, particularly in the urban environment where conditions are hostile and difficult. Perhaps it is the fact that the predominant argument for trees is still made in terms of aesthetics.

This is where the work of Treeconomics begins, quantifying the benefits of trees and the value of tree populations in monetary terms and building the case that trees are assets which have a value which accrues over time.

In 2012, a ground- breaking report in the UK was published by Torbay Council following a study using i-tree Eco. Many reports are very successful within their own terms of reference and own spheres of influence, but few have the potential to cause a major paradigm shift. The report from Torbay, for the first time in the UK, expressed the benefits of the urban forest in economic terms as well as providing a comprehensive analysis of Torbay’s urban forest.

It is worth considering that information again.

The report began with an introduction by Sir Harry Studholme and presented valuable data.

At the time Torbay’s urban forest was made up of some 818,000 trees which would cost some £280m to replace. The carbon stored in the trees was reported to be worth £5.1m. Every year additional carbon is stored, and pollutants are filtered, a combined service worth £1.5m every year. Torbay’s urban forest stores around 98,000t of carbon per year and sequesters around 3,320t of carbon each year. Carbon

WITH THE BENEFITS SO MANY AND PATENTLY OBVIOUS TO THOSE OF US WHO CHERISH TREES, THE MESSAGE DOESN’T ALWAYS GET THROUGH TO THE BUDGET HOLDERS

storage is valued at £5.1m annually and the sequestered carbon at £172,640 annually.

There was also a detailed analysis, as part of the report, of the Borough’s tree population.

From the total figure of 818,000 trees, it was calculated that the population has on average approximately 128 trees per hectare and that tree cover represents a total of 11.8% of the total area. Of this, 71% of the tree cover is on private land and 28% is on publicly owned land. The most common tree species found in Torbay were Leyland cypress (118,306 trees, 14.5%), ash (94,776 trees, 11.6%) and sycamore (81.703 trees, 10%). These account for 36.1% of the total population. It was also revealed that the ten most common species in Torbay account for 67% of the total population.

Since the publication of the Torbay report several other projects have been completed. London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Wexham, Oldham, Southampton, Oxford, Sheffield. and several other local authorities have completed similar studies AMBITIOUS RIVERSIDE with similar levels of P L A N T I N G I N C H I CAG O information produced. Full

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details of all the i-tree studies carried out in the UK can be found at: www.treeconomics.co.uk.

Canopy studies have been carried out with detail down to ward level. This allows comparisons to be made with other social indicators such as prescription use, educational attainment and social deprivation. This allows associations between low tree cover and other societal elements to be explored.

Modifications to the i-tree system have meant that now detailed information of the same quality can be achieved by converting existing tree inventories into studies. This is a desktop exercise and is therefore relatively inexpensive to achieve. It is open not only to public authorities but any landowner who has a tree population which has been inventoried. The information provides not only an accurate picture of the value of and ecosystem services provided by the current tree population, but provides a sound and accurate basis for the productions of detailed and specific management plans.

The urban forest is ever changing. If the benefits it now provides are to be managed sustainably and enhanced into the future, then understanding what is there now and the value it provides is essential. Therefore, the work of Treeconomics is so important and relevant.

ABOUT KEITH SACRE Keith has more than 20 years’ experience in local government as nursery, parks and operations manager. He is currently arboricultural and urban forest director at Barcham Trees – the largest container tree nursery in Europe – past chair of the Arboricultural Association and trustee of the Trees and Design Action Group. Keith is a member of the Chartered Institute of Foresters and a chartered arborist. He has an MSc Arb, BSc in Social Science and BSc Arboriculture.

www.barcham.co.uk

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18/03/2021 12:23

NURTURE

THE VALUE OF A PLANT WHERE DOES THE PRESSURE TO KEEP PLANT PRICES LOW COME FROM? LEWIS NORMAND CONSIDERS HOW SUPERMARKET PRICE WARS ARE TAKING THEIR TOLL ON OUR INDUSTRY

R

© Matthew Ashmore/Shutterstock.com

ecently, due to several factors, including shortage of supply, market demand, the cost of Brexit for import and export, reduced labour during the pandemic and other increased costs, the average price of a wholesale plant has risen noticeably.

Over the years, the wholesale market has been under constant pressure to maintain certain price points, largely for the benefit of retail sellers. That pressure has finally become untenable and where some suppliers have been producing product lines at a loss in order to sell other products for profit, few – if any – growers can afford to do this any longer. Nor should they!

In early February this year, UK daffodil grower Matthew Naylor was interviewed by the BBC and highlighted the impossibility of continuing to produce the £1 bunch of daffodils we are used to seeing in UK supermarkets each spring.

Hardly a surprise; you would think that maintaining this price in the supermarkets couldn’t last forever. But I am left wondering, where does this pressure originate?

Surely the consumer cannot be driving a £1 price. Yes, they may be used to seeing this price, but everything else is either sold in smaller

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quantities to retain the price of the last decade or is more expensive than before. It must then be the supermarket demanding that they sell for this. As a consumer, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t mind if they were £1.25 a bunch. I’d actually expect the price to rise over time and

THE DAYS OF GROWERS GOING TO SUPERMARKET AND LARGE CHAIN BUYERS CAP IN HAND AND LOOKING FOR SALES AT ANY COST MUST NOW BE ENDING I would be happy to be supporting a British grower. Is it just supermarkets price-checking against one another and then forcing a price to remain in place in order to not be the more expensive brand? I worry that this kind of logic is what will kill off our growers in the UK. It is easy for me as a sales person to say ‘this is my price’ and stick to it. It is easy because I work for a company that knows both the cost and value of the product and is focused not on being the cheapest, but instead offering great service and a top-quality product.

We don’t waste our time relentlessly price checking to see where we are in the market.

Like everyone else selling plants in the UK, we are at the mercy of consumer choice; where our customers can choose to buy from cheaper or more expensive suppliers than myself. That prerogative is important and while it prevents price points from rising unabated, it encourages wholesale plant producers to maintain a fair

price and hopefully one that doesn’t see them make a loss. Far greater pressures are applied to those producing for sale to giant corporations and there seems to be an increasing need for each corporation to take a responsible look at the costs a nursery sees in producing products for them.

The days of growers going to supermarket and large chain buyers cap in hand and looking for sales at any cost must now be ending. We can’t be busy fools and need to open up better dialogue with horticultural buyers. The boon to the UK horticultural marketplace that Brexit could be in time should see cheap continental imports as things of the past and the UK grower be able to produce much of what the market needs.

We must recognise that we can all make money without it being at the expense of one another. The consumer seems to play a very small part in this process and I would argue that if a bunch of roses for Valentine’s Day grown in Africa or South America and selling in supermarkets upwards of £10 (and often over £40), then a bunch of UK-grown daffodils from a farm that has produced them since the 1940s could see a necessary price rise to make the model sustainable.

ABOUT LEWIS NORMAND Lewis has worked in a wide variety of roles within horticulture over a 20-year career. He has lectured on garden design and horticulture, and designed gardens in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

Since 2011, Lewis has focused on nursery sales, now working as sales manager at Bernhard’s Nurseries, and has helped to launch a number of new plants into the UK plant market. He is a specialist supplier to show gardens, supplying more than 100 gardens at major shows.

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DARE TO BE DIFFERENT STEVE MCCURDY HIGHLIGHTS SOME TREES WHICH YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THOUGHT TO USE – UNTIL NOW

A

s you know, I spend a lot time on the road tagging trees, primarily due to Majestic Trees’ commitment to biosecurity and quality, but also to ensure we have the best tree stock to grow on. I walk up to 12 miles in a day, trudging through fields of trees across Europe sometimes in knee high mud and in miserable conditions, looking for not only great trees, but also the unusual.

Every spring, we have a number of customers who make an annual pilgrimage to our nursery, looking to find those hidden gems we have found to add to their collection. Although we may only have a

BETULA ‘ROYAL FROST’ (RED-LEAVED BIRCH)

few, these ‘limited edition’ pieces make Majestic Trees different from other nurseries who might have more depth, but nothing unusual. As a result, we grow 550 varieties of tree as well as a small selection of rare specimens, some of which are mentioned below.

I’ve also included trees we grow that I don’t think get planted enough as they are somewhat unknown, or it may be difficult to find good specimens of, such as one of my favourites: Acer griseum. Others worthy of mention are Aesculus flava or parviflora, Betula costata, Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana and Quercus palustris ‘Green Pillar’ to name a few of which I ran out of room to feature, but are worth taking a look at when you visit us.

ACER GRISEUM

A striking cultivar that I first discovered some years ago that is slowly becoming more available is a cross of Betula

DAVIDIA INVOLUCRATA

(HANDKERCHIEF TREE)

populifolia 'Whitespire' and Betula 'Crimson Frost'. Its burgundy-red leaves contrast beautifully against the white bark and it is simply a stunning tree that I believe will gain in popularity. Very attractive and showy yellow-orange to red autumn colour.

Best in full sun with afternoon shade in hotter areas. Requires consistently moist soils to thrive. H7

One of my favourite trees, it takes its common name from the unusual handkerchief-like blooms, which appear in May. Although often referred to as flowers, the structures are in fact bracts – a showy reconstruction of

Introduced from Japan in 1879, this tree offers many exciting characteristics. The crown is

CARPINUS JAPONICA (JAPANESE HORNBEAM)

a leaf. A tree well worth investing

elegantly spreading, making

in as a mature

it perfect for training, with

specimen as

distinctly veined leaves.

blooming can be

These unfold in an attractive

unreliable in young

burgundy before turning

trees. Fully hardy

darker green. The bark is also

and amenable to

noteworthy, and I cannot forget

a wide range of

to mention the stunning green

site conditions,

and pale brown, hop-like

will take moist

catkins. Will grow in any soil

but must be well

type, can be moist but needs

drained. A shallow

good drainage. H6

rooting tree. H5

70 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

Steve McCurdy.indd 70

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 12:45

NURTURE

This magnolia is easiest to grow as

ILEX KOEHNEANA ‘CHESTNUT LEAF’ (CHESTNUT LEAF HOLLY)

a multi-stem tree with spreading branches, but we also grow it as a standard. Valued for its large, gardenia-type flowers, which have a gorgeous crimson and yellow centre, they’re nothing short of spectacular. The flowers are

I first saw this holly in France some years ago, and we now grow

fragrant and produced intermittently from

standard trees of up to five metres tall. This soft-leafed, female

May to August, making this a delightful tree

cultivar with a rich emerald green, chestnut-like foliage on downward

for summer interest. Could potentially attain

sweeping branches has likely become my favourite holly. It will

a height and spread of eight metres after

produce lots of small white flowers in spring followed by masses of red berries in autumn (if male plant nearby). Responds well to pruning. Best in free-draining, humus-rich soil in full sun or part

MAGNOLIA SIEBOLDII (CHINESE MAGNOLIA)

shade. Non-invasive roots. H5

many years, though typically considered a small tree of around four meters tall.

Will tolerate moist, alkaline soil. H6

Unheard of in the UK, this Swedish selection

MALUS ‘STENSTRÖM’ (CRAB APPLE)

bears deep pink flowers en masse in spring which are beautifully accompanied by the emerging red

STYRAX JAPONICUS (JAPANESE SNOWBELL)

leaves. Whilst the petioles remain red, the foliage matures to a deep green. In autumn, clusters of small dark red fruits decorate the tree, remaining well after leaf fall. One of its best attributes, unlike so many other lovely crab apples, is that it’s free from scab and overall disease resistant. H6

We grow quite a number of Styrax varieties, but this lovely compact, deciduous flowering tree will look great in any garden with its horizontal branches and a rounded crown. Pure white, fragrant, pendent flowers appear in late spring A spectacular find some years ago, this handsome rowan has an

and summer followed by greenish-brown olive-

SORBUS ULLEUNGENSIS ‘OLYMPIC FLAME’ (ULLEUNG ISLAND ROWAN)

upright, columnar habit with lush, dark-green, pinnate leaves.

shaped drupes (fruit). Additionally, the grey bark fissures on older branches to reveal orange inner bark which can be attractive in winter. Will grow in sun or partial shade. Treat as ericaceous for best performance. H5

Creamy-white flowers open in late spring followed by lustrous red berries in autumn. The fruit is accompanied by a stunning canopy of vibrant reds and oranges. Does well on all soils except chalk, in sun or partial shade.

Can be planted on an exposed site. H6

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Steve McCurdy.indd 71

A B O U T ST E V E M C C U R DY Steve is managing director of Majestic Trees, which he formed almost 20 years ago. He, often with another team member, spends weeks walking the fields of nurseries all over Europe, tagging tree stock he buys to grow on. Last season, he made 12 trips in his search to ensure the best quality and the UK’s highest biosecurity at Majestic Trees.

www.majestictrees.co.uk

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NURTURE

B

rexit and COVID-19 have dominated the headlines over the last few months, and understandably so.

But that doesn’t mean other threats, have dissipated. Pests and diseases including Xylella, oak processionary moth, phytophthora and the Asian longhorn beetle remain on the watchlist, and nurseries – whilst surviving a pandemic and the impact of leaving the EU single market – have had to be vigilant.

Keen to measure itself against other nurseries when it comes to its pest and disease management, English Woodlands spent 2020 working its ways towards a Plant Healthy certification; and in December, it became one of the first nurseries to achieve the endorsement.

Plant Healthy certification is awarded to nurseries which can demonstrate that their plant health management systems and practices comply with the Plant Healthy Standard.

Managing director Simon Johnson says the nursery had all the knowledge across the team – some with 30 years’ experience – but just needed to bring it all into one place for the certification and to formulate a Pest Risk Analysis, which nursery manager Jess McCombie dedicated her time to.

N U R S E RY

FO C U S

SUSSE X-BASED NURSERY ENGLISH WOODL ANDS WAS RECENTLY AWARDED PL ANT HE ALTHY CERTIFICATION

“We deal with some very good EU growers, just as good as the British, but there is a demand from councils and landscapers for UK grown stock only,” says Simon. “We explained that some stock was just not in the UK and therefore the stock would have to come from the EU. “We felt the Plant Healthy certification scheme would ensure that we are adhering to and exceeding plant health standards – we have had a long-term relationship with all our EU growers, and we go out and hand pick our plants before we bring them into the UK.” English Woodlands has started to source more in the UK, though, from growers including Barcham Trees and Coles Nurseries. Simon says the nursery has become known for “great quality, choice, and service” – its site is now more SIMON JOHNSON AND JESS MCCOMBIE than 12 acres, though it doesn’t

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Nursery Focus English Woodlands.indd 72

grow anything onsite. The range of stock available is vast, covering small trees, hedging plants, shrubs, specimen trees and bareroot.

Despite taking a hit at the start of the pandemic, Simon says English Woodlands has fared well and he’s expecting 2021 to be a busy year for the nursery. “We see the market growing, and not just over the next year. We’re putting plans in place to grow with the market; we’re going to invest in stock and people, and make sure we’re part of that growth.”

However, he is concerned about stock shortages across the industry this year. “It was a very hot summer last year, so there was poor growth in some places, and some

WE SEE THE MARKET GROWING, AND NOT JUST OVER THE NEXT YEAR. WE’RE PUTTING PLANS IN PLACE TO GROW WITH THE MARKET nurseries couldn’t plant because of COVID-19.

The demand from September to December was then massive.

“We’re getting demand from further afield across the UK, which we wouldn’t normally see and which tells us there are shortages out there.“ Jess McCombie says, to tackle this, the nursery will look for good alternatives to appease customers until availability improves.

Quality customer service is at the heart of the nursery, and it will do everything to ensure this remains the case, its Plant Healthy certificate being a reminder of its dedication to going above and beyond.

Tel: 01435 862 992 www.ewburrownursery.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 16:55

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GOING G REEN ON TOP

Z I N C O WA S I N VO LV E D I N A N AW E- I N S P I R I N G P R OJ EC T I N D E N M A R K W H I C H T R A N S FO R M E D A P I TC H E D R O O F A R E A I N TO A M U LT I - F U N C T I O N A L G R E E N S K I M O U N TA I N

A

nything is possible on a roof” – in line with this ZinCo motto, a green urban space has been created in THE ENORMOUS ROOF OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART WASTE-TO-ENERGY INCINERATOR Copenhagen that is a role model AMAGER RESOURCE CENTRE IN COPENHAGEN PROVIDES VALUABLE SPACE FOR for the future. The waste-to-energy incinerator LEISURE AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. ©EHRHORN HUMMERSTON Amager Resource Centre is a project that combines technology, ecology and sport in through the final layer of 30cm x 30cm synthetic basis for the 5,000t of ZinCo system substrate, a futuristic way bravely turning the taboo of mats for skiing. All these layers are held in place partly blown onto the roof and partly hoisted an incineration plant into something positive by a sophisticated fixing system. The only onto the roof in big bags using a crane. The for the local population. Sustainability at its maintenance requirement is that the genuine substrate depth ranges from 20cm to 100cm best, 16,000m2 of pitched roof area were grass that is growing through the mats is mowed transformed into a green mountain landscape in the areas with shrubs and large root balls. regularly so that downhill skiers won’t be slowed in a unique manner, providing skiing and hiking Plant types that are typical for Denmark down. Button lifts and conveyor belts are provided fun in the middle of an urban centre. But every were chosen – robust enough to thrive in the as climbing aids, or recreation enthusiasts and architectural vision needs secure and proven special microclimate on the roof. In very steep visitors can use a lift directly to the viewing technology, and the expertise in installation to areas, specially pre-cultivated vegetation mats platform and café at a height of almost 90m. turn it into reality. were installed. Another 3,000m2 were designed The demanding challenges posed by One fundamental issue with a roof that has as a meandering network of pathways for hikers this unprecedented, multi-functional facility a pitch of up to 30° is the matter of stability using ZinCo Elastrodrain® EL202 as a basis for were successfully met thanks to the close and protection against erosion, and both severe the build-up system. collaboration of everyone involved in the project rain events and sea wind were key factors to be The major attraction of Amager Bakke right from the start. This included the visionary considered with a building of this height. The (mountain) or Copenhill, as the 87m-high architects in the Bjarke Ingels Group as well as concrete roof with a bitumen seal has, for this “new local mountain” is called, is of course the the architects and nature designers from SLA reason, diagonal barriers guiding the water artificial ski slope, which makes up 8,000m2 of and the landscape contractor Malmos A/S. coming off the slope the mountain landscape. A special For more information about this towards the roof build-up with ZinCo drainage award-winning project, please visit: outlets, as well as elements and substrate, which zinco-greenroof.co.uk numerous abutments is sandwiched between two – particularly in the synthetic nets for growing grass area where trees ABOUT ZINCO were to be planted THE ZINCO SYSTEM SUBSTRATE WAS later. Depending on HOISTED ONTO THE ROOF USING ZinCo designs, manufactures and A CRANE AND DISTRIBUTED FROM the required use in distributes state-of-the art green roof THE BIG BAGS ©MALMOS A/S / ZINCO the individual areas, systems for the landscaping of roofs and the highly durable podiums. With experience of more than 40 ZinCo anti-slip drainage years in the green roof sector, ZinCo offers mats Elastodrain® and a wide range of build-ups for different sorts Protectodrain® were installed of roof structures and design requirements on top of this foundation. including blue roofs and biosolar roofs.

An area of 3,000m2 of the Apart from material supply, ZinCo provides roof was planted as a robust technical support and consultancy at all THE PEOPLE OF COPENHAGEN CAN NOW SKI THE WHOLE YEAR ROUND ON THEIR DOORSTEP – WITHOUT A LONG JOURNEY AND, natural mountain landscape. project stages from design to handover.

ABOVE ALL, MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY THAN WITH THE www.zinco-greenroof.co.uk Protectodrain® PD 250 with a ENERGY-INTENSIVE INDOOR SKIING ©EHRHORN HUMMERSTON system filter on top formed the

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Pro Landscaper / April 2021

Zinco Green roof systems.indd 74

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19/03/2021 08:23

TOP TIPS

NURTURE

GREEN ROOF DRAINAGE SUPPLIERS GIVE THEIR TOP TIPS – AS WELL AS THEIR TOP PRODUCT – FOR DRAINAGE ON GREEN ROOFS

ZinCo Green Roof Systems

CORE Landscape Products

TOP TIP: To ensure a successful green roof installation and one that thrives over time, it is essential to select the correct multilayer system which perfectly suits the design and structure of the roof to be greened. The drainage layer must be selected in accordance with the roof pitch and the landscaping design, and a mat below the drainage element should be used to protect the waterproofing during construction and in service. A filter sheet over the drainage board prevents the substrate from washing out into the drainage system. Finally, a special green roof substrate should be used instead of topsoil. This allows the substrate depth to be minimized and avoids future clogging of the filter fleece and waterlogging of the installation.

TOP TIP: Plants do not like wet feet – so the drainage layer is vital to ensure the longevity of the green roof, and it is a fine balance to get this right. Regular checking of the drainage system including gutters and downpipes is often overlooked; this will prevent the substrate of the roof becoming waterlogged and in turn the planting failing. The most common cause of blocked gutters, gulleys and the downpipes of green roofs is the build-up of fallen leaves from nearby trees.

ZINCO “ROOF GARDEN” BUILD-UP WITH FLORADRAIN FD 60 NEO The ZinCo “Roof Garden” build-up with Floradrain FD 60 neo is a multifunctional green roof system with a high water storage capacity. Depending on the substrate depth it is suitable for lawns, perennials, shrubs and even trees. It can also be used to create walkways, patios, playgrounds and water features. www.zinco-greenroof.co.uk

CORE DRAINAGE CELLS CORE DRAINAGE Cells are ideal for green roofs as the interlocking cells form a raft under the permeable membrane, allowing the excess water through whilst preventing the cells from clogging up with silt over time. www.corelp.co.uk

ACO TOP TIP: Arguably, [designing a rainwater attenuation system for a blue/ green roof] is a major challenge faced by architects, civil engineers, designers, and most notably MEP engineers. Blue/green roofs are flat and, as a result, are required to be designed to the British Standard for gravity drainage on flat roofs, BS EN 12056-3:2000.

However, the reality is that the primary drainage function of a flat roof and a blue/green roof are not the same. One requires the roof to drain very quickly in an extreme event (a conventional flat roof) and the other slowly. As a result, the design of a blue roof attenuation system is at odds with the British Standard, unlike conventional flat roofs, blue roof attenuation systems are designed to retain water for up to 24 hours or longer. This creates a dilemma for the designer of any blue/green roof attenuation system. Put simply, do they design to BS EN 12056-3:2000 or to meet planning conditions and performance requirements?

With standard blue/green roof systems it is very difficult to do both!

Engineers and manufacturers have tried to offer a single solution that aims to accommodate both extremes, but this approach requires an acceptance of increased risk – a failed blue/green roof will not create a leak but a flood. The solution is to separate the competing requirements into distinct issues.

ACO ROOFBLOXX By creating a separate, but linked, attenuation system that sits above the standard roof waterproofing and flat roof drainage, the ACO RoofBloxx system enables engineers to design to BS EN 12056-3:2000 and to meet planning conditions without compromising either requirement. www.aco.co.uk ©R. de Bruijn_Photography / Shutterstock.com

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18/03/2021 16:58

GROUND WORK MADE EASIER. KX027-4: Compact versatility for everyday challenges.

The KX027-4 is built to easily take on tough landscaping or ground maintenance tasks. Quiet and powerful, its compact lightweight design is perfect for tackling jobs in tight spaces, offering excellent stability, superior digging force and lifting ability – all from the comfort of the largest cab in its class.

Demand the Best. Talk to your dealer or visit www.kubota.co.uk

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16/01/2020 16:57 18/03/2021 09:40

EDUCATE

T

here are four key principles to remember when recruiting: 1. Attract a large pool of applicants and you’re more likely to get the right person.

2. Implement multiple levels of screening and you’ll waste less time in lengthy interviews with under-qualified candidates.

3. Observe a shortlist of applicants performing the essentials of the position in real time and you’re less likely to be surprised on their first day.

4. Assess your shortlist of applicants to make sure that you’re making an appropriate match – e.g. DISC behavioural profiling.

6 STEPS TO

RECRUITING A

DREAM TEAM N I C K R U D D L E G U I D E S YO U T H R O U G H T H E I D E A L R E C R U I T M E N T P R O C E S S

HERE’S A PROVEN 6 STEP RECRUITMENT PROCESS STEP 1: Develop a clear job description • Get total clarity on the values/character traits of your ideal candidate along with the key responsibilities, tasks and skills required.

• Hours required.

• Pay range.

STEP 2: Write advert for position • Follow the AIDA formula – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.

• Include a good headline that’s easy to understand (longer ones work better than short ones).

• The headline should be a question.

• Focus on the benefits of the job.

• Be specific and exciting.

• Qualify the reader.

• Get to the point as soon as possible.

• Include a call to action.

• Watch out for government regulations on discriminatory language.

STEP 3: Generate leads for position • Look within your organisation first.

• Place advert online – indeed.com works very well these days.

• You could contact landscape related colleges and send them your advert.

• Create a financial reward for existing team members for successful introductions of a new team member.

• If absolutely necessary, you could use a specialist recruitment agency.

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Nick Ruddle-2.indd 79

• Rate candidates A-D by comparing CVs to job description.  A – has necessary qualifications plus other qualities.  B – has the necessary qualifications.  C – missing some elements but interesting candidate (maybe of interest for a different job or another time).  D – not even close.

STEP 6: Making the job offer • Initially by phone or face-to-face.

• Do this quickly and tell them why you think they would fit in. You are selling to them. Do it warmly, sincerely and as fast as possible!

• General principle is to recruit slowly but hire fast when great candidates show up!

STEP 4: Phone screening of leads • A dedicated voicemail for phone screening.

• Write a script and record a voicemail greeting, including three qualifying questions.

• Instruct qualifying candidates to phone the number.

• Listen to responses and de-select unsuitable candidates.

• Phone interesting candidates for a 10-minute screening call.

• Develop a short list of candidates – A ratings or A and B ratings.

STEP 5: Arrange individual interviews from shortlist • Prepare your company history/story and its vision/values/purpose.

• Develop questions to uncover actual past experience pertaining to skill set and tasks required for position.

• Use same set of questions for all interviewees.

• Open-ended vs. closed: “What have you...?” and “How have you...?”

• DISC profile preferred candidates.

• Negotiate salary and make offer, subject to references!

ABOUT NICK RUDDLE Since 2007, Nick Ruddle has coached many landscape contractors, horticulturists, nurseries, garden centres and garden designers to success and works closely with the main industry associations, suppliers and leaders.

With more than 5,000 hours of one-to-one coaching and delivering hundreds of workshops and seminars over the years, Nick can help implement specific strategies, methods, processes and systems that will produce exceptional results for your landscape business. www.nickruddle.com

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©Gary Barnes

EDUCATE

INVESTING IN F PEOPLE POWER THE TRADES’ COACH ALISON WARNER GIVES HER TOP TIPS ON HOW TO FIND AND HIRE GRE AT PEOPLE

inding and hiring great people is always the hardest thing to get right I think, in any business. But it is possible to achieve with the right process.

Create an employer brand Think about what is different about working for you, and what you offer. Ask your long serving employees what they like about their job and your company, and why they have stayed loyal.

It might be different to what you think!

This is about identifying and articulating what is unique about what you offer as an employer – this may be flexibility, the fact that you pay on time, or the fact that you dedicate time to develop your people. In the same way we need our company to stand out in the marketplace to potential customers, the same applies to potential employees.

IN THE SAME WAY WE NEED OUR COMPANY TO STAND OUT IN THE MARKETPLACE TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS, THE SAME APPLIES TO POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES

©Tima Miroshnichenko

Widen the net Too many business owners just ask around to see who is available, rather than put together a good advert. Your advert should go on all the job boards and social media channels, as well

as spreading the word with people you know.

This way, the advert gets maximum exposure, and you will have a better selection of candidates to choose from.

We work closely with Hiring People, who provide a package that includes four weeks on all the major job boards, with access to an applicant tracking system to help you manage them, for £195 (exc. VAT): www.hiringpeople.co.uk.

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Look for tenure in role and gaps in employment Short spells in a job can indicate that a person job hops, whereas gaps in employment could be a sign they have been let go and it has taken them a while to find a new job.

Look out for patterns that ring alarm bells and go with your instinct.

Carry out a telephone interview Carrying out a structured telephone interview can save you valuable time. It gives you a good snapshot of someone, whether or not they meet the criteria and what their expectations are.

You can then invite them to meet you for a further in-depth interview.

At this stage it is important to ask candidates for examples of how they have dealt with and learned from certain situations, e.g. a customer complaint, a problem that they overcame, or a challenging situation that they handled. Past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour!

Recruitment is not an exact science, but I promise that if you follow these tips, you will be far more likely to hire great people!

To measure the health of your business, take our free BUILD system scorecard, available on our website www.evolveandgrowcoaching.com

A B O U T A L I S O N WA R N E R Alison Warner is Founder of Evolve and Grow, a business coaching firm that specialises in the trades and construction industry. She is also the author of bestselling book ‘How to go from Tradesperson to Managing Director in the Construction and Trade Industries’ https://amzn.to/2QIb467 and founder of the UK’s first Business Growth Academy for trades. www.evolveandgrowcoaching.com

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 09:05

EDUCATE

H A LT I N G B

ullying at work can take many forms and is sometimes classed as ‘harassment’, which is against the law. The definition of ‘harassment’ in the Equality Act 2010 can be broken down as: • engaging in unwanted conduct; • relating to a relevant protected characteristic; • that has the purpose or effect either violating the alleged victim’s (AV) dignity; or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.

The relevant protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Marriage/civil partnership, and pregnancy/maternity, while protected characteristics for other types of claims, are not relevant characteristics for harassment; however, unwanted conduct related to those could fall under sex or sexual orientation harassment.

‘Conduct’ can be a one-off incident as well as a series of incidents. Conduct can include (but is not limited to): ‘banter’ or ‘pranks’, written words, and posts or contact on social media.

The AV need not actually possess the protected characteristic nor does the alleged harasser need to know that the AV has the protected characteristic. An example is a worker subjected to homophobic ‘banter’ and name calling, even though his colleagues know he is not gay. As the form of the abuse relates to sexual orientation, this could still amount to harassment related to that characteristic. Alternatively, a group of men at work keep making offensive comments about a team member's age. This makes them feel humiliated and anxious about coming to work.

This is likely to be harassment

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Oracle Solicitors-2.indd 81

HARASSMENT ILAN BRAHA AND JASON MCKENZIE OF ORACLE SOLICITORS TALKS US THROUGH WHAT QUALIFIES AS HARASSMENT IN THE WORK PLACE AND WHAT YOU, AS AN EMPLOYER, CAN DO TO PREVENT IT

relating to the protected characteristic of age.

The AV is not required to ask for it to stop to make it illegal.

Overall, the AV’s perspective and the other circumstances of the incident(s) are taken into account in considering whether it is reasonable to conclude that the conduct has had the unlawful purpose or effect.

BY TAKING THE COMPLAINT SERIOUSLY, YOU SHOW THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE YOUR WORKPLACE FAIR As well as creating obvious negative consequences for individuals and the wider workplace environment, bullying/harassment can lead to employment tribunal claims (as well as court claims under different legislation).

So, what can/should an employer do? As an employer, you should do all you can to try to prevent bullying and harassment happening in the first place. There are obviously limits to how much can be done, but it is important to be aware that although the alleged harasser is responsible for their own actions, you may also be held responsible in respect of any legal claims through what is called ‘vicarious liability.’

Firstly, it is important to ensure that there is relevant information and training for employees to help inform and provide awareness on this topic.

Secondly, it is also recommended that you have a clear anti-

discrimination/harassment policy and processes that allow employees to raise such issues (even if they are incidents that were not directed at them) and deal with complaints fairly and appropriately.

Thirdly, if you receive a complaint about harassment, take it seriously and investigate.

By taking the complaint seriously, you show that you are trying to make your workplace fair, encourage employees to raise any issues, prevent or stop unacceptable behaviour and prevent legal action.

If a legal claim is brought, following the steps above can make the difference between: 1) an employer being held vicariously liable, or not, for the acts of an employee (who has not followed the information/ training given); and/or 2) an employer being found guilty, or not, of unlawful harassment, or failure to deal with a complaint of harassment.

Prevention is better than the cure. But, if a cure must be applied, it is best done as soon and as effectively as possible – and be seen to be done.

A B O U T O R AC L E S O L I C I TO R S Oracle Solicitors is an award-winning law firm with a deep understanding of the landscape industry and expertise in employment, commercial, litigation, property and contract law. Oracle Solicitors, founded in 2002 has since grown to include offices in London, Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Frankfurt, and Addis Ababa – please visit:

www.oraclesolicitors.co.uk

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THE RIVIAN R1T

EDUCATE

A TRUSTY WORKHORSE S

THE ORIGINAL PICK-UP: NOT A LOT HAS CHANGED REALLY

©Richard P Long/Shutterstock.com

ince 1925 when Henry Ford decided to further the mass market appeal of his Model T by customising his saloon car, the pick-up has been part of our daily lives and used in every country across the world for everything from polar expeditions to political coups. It truly has become the workhorse of choice for many in our industry, and is the preferred option for builders, machinery suppliers, landscapers, engineers, garden centres – the list goes on.

For others, the pick-up has become a lifestyle accessory, even though the only off-roading it will see is climbing onto the kerb, and the tow-bar is something you bang your knee on. Why these vehicles need oversized,

all-terrain tyres, side-steps and trailblazer light bars is beyond me. It certainly does nothing for their fuel economy. Far be it from me to criticise an individual’s choice of vehicle, but I think the days of the pick-up as we know it are numbered.

Some manufacturers have already pulled out of the market to concentrate on other technology,

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ANGUS LINDSAY CONTEMPLATES THE USE AND FUTURE OF THE LONG-RUNNING PICK-UP TRUCK IN THE INDUSTRY

with others deciding to limit the countries into which they sell this type of vehicle.

In its basic commercial specification, the pick-up is the ideal workhorse for a multitude of tasks: 3,500kg towing capacity, 1,000kg

FAR BE IT FROM ME TO CRITICISE AN INDIVIDUAL’S CHOICE OF VEHICLE, BUT I THINK THE DAYS OF THE PICK-UP AS WE KNOW IT ARE NUMBERED payload and off-road ability tick many boxes, and all in a more compact package than the equivalent 3,500kg LCV, and considerably cheaper than a Land Rover or equivalent.

Taking it to the other extreme, utility companies go even further by fitting bespoke workshop bodies and winches to their vehicles so that technicians can become fully self-sufficient in the field. I do chuckle when I see the latest L200 Warrior trundling along the road on black alloys with low-profile road tyres and an Airfix™ canopy on the back. I don’t really see the point myself, but I’m sure there’s a reason for it.

Back in the real world, what does the future hold for this beast of burden as it approaches its centenary? Pick-ups are not the most environmentally friendly vehicles on the road, with the average 4x4 double-cab pick-up covering 12,000 miles per annum emitting over 5,000kg of CO2 – around twice as much as a VW Golf diesel covering the same distance.

I shudder to think what the V8 gas-guzzlers roaming the freeways of the US emit. Whilst I accept we are not comparing like for like,

it does put things in context, and maybe for some applications the days of the pick-up as the transport of choice are numbered, especially where businesses are looking towards a more sustainable future.

So, is the pick-up as we know it destined to follow the path of the dinosaur? Not at all!

Its powertrain may change, but I think its use is too-much ingrained into our society for it to be consigned to the scrap heap. Tesla has so-far led the way in EV technology and I’m sure we’ve all seen its Cybertruck with its impact-resistant glass which exploded during the launch event.

There are companies out there transplanting Tesla technology into Land Rovers to give them a revived greener future.

Currently, one of the most practical options also comes from across the water in the form of the Rivian R1T (pictured above), which to all intents and purposes is a pick-up – albeit a fully electric one costing a cool £50k – about the same as a fully loaded Ford Raptor but with a claimed 300-mile range, capable of towing up to 5,000kg and with a terrifying 0-60mph of three seconds. Bright sparks these Americans. I’m sure the Japanese are not far behind!

A B O U T A N G U S L I N D S AY Angus spent several years working on arable farms in Scotland before joining VSO in Egypt, implementing a mechanisation programme, managing field operations for a commercial cotton plantation in Nigeria and working as a contract instructor for Massey Ferguson in Yemen. He has an Agricultural Engineering and Mechanisation Management MSc from Silsoe, and joined Glendale as machinery manager in 1994, then idverde UK in 2009.

angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 09:24

Suppliers of Green Roof Systems to Landscapers Nationwide

The Water Gardens, London

ZinCo Green Roof Systems Ltd.

office@zinco-greenroof.co.uk . T: 01993 229700 www.zinco-greenroof.co.uk

Advert Template PL.indd 22

18/03/2021 09:41

EDUCATE

MAINTAINING THE ENVIRONMENT S O M E O F T H E L E A D I N G R I D E- O N M OW E R M A N U FAC T U R E R S T E L L U S W H AT T H E Y ’ R E D O I N G TO LO W E R T H E I R C A R B O N FO OT P R I N T A N D R E V E A L S O M E O F T H E I R L AT E S T L A U N C H E S W H I C H A R E PA R T O F T H E S E P L A N S

GROUNDSMASTER 3000 • Choice of two engine sizes in the range: 24.7hp or 37.4hp • Transport speed of 22km/h and 19.8cm ground clearance • Large 45.4L fuel capacity maximises mowing time between refuelling

TORO

The Groundsmaster 3000 series is the first wave of new Stage V emissions compliant machines from Toro. With these machines customers don’t need to consider how the addition of a Diesel Particulate Filter or a reduction in horsepower will affect the machine’s performance, because the design process considered it for them. Toro looked at whether a product can meet customers’ needs with less horsepower or migrate to alternative fuels and the Groundsmaster series is the perfect out-front rotary choice in the new Stage V world. They are clean, considered and compliant.

HUSQVARNA HUSQVARNA P 535HX HYBRID COMMERCIAL FRONT MOWER • Ergonomic driver interface with high-resolution touchscreen • The electric AWD propulsion system is electronically controlled via ntegrated sensors • Three-cylinder 1123cc Kubota diesel engine, electric generator and electric drive motors

Husqvarna is launching its P 535HX Hybrid Commercial Front Mower in May 2021, which aims to lower emissions, fuel consumption and CO2 footprint. Featuring a hybrid power train, the machine can be operated in an energy efficient electric drive mode during transportation from task to task, perfect for noise sensitive areas. This reduces the P 535HX’s overall CO2 footprint and fuel consumption by up to 30%, when compared to a 19kW conventional diesel front mower.

Outstanding performance.

Whatever the task.

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EDUCATE

KUBOTA

RANSOMES

KUBOTA F251

RANSOMES MT383

SCAG TURF TIGER

• 24.5hp Kubota three-cylinder engine • Highly efficient two-range HST transmission • Newly-designed 1.52m (60in) side and rear discharge mowing decks with optional mulch kit

• Powerful but clean Stage V 37.5 HP Kubota Engine • Ultra-comfort operator platform reduces fatigue • Cooling reversing fan for all-day productivity

• Petrol engines from 31–37 HP (including EFI and DFI) • 52”–72” Cutting decks (mulch option and flail version available) • Twin pumps and motors for the drive wheels

Kubota has seen engine emissions legislation as an opportunity to review its engine strategy and consider whether models with less kilowatts but more low down torque would be appropriate for particular ranges, suggests Kubota UK product and key account manager Phil Catley.

“Engines below 25hp are already Stage V-compliant as they do not require a DPF. On our new F251 front mower, we’ve opted for a three-cylinder long stroke 18.5kW (24.5hp) Kubota engine which has the low down torque to power a 1.52m deck.”

STM

The MT383 has been developed as a direct replacement for the highly popular Parkway triplex. Cylinder mowing remains the more efficient way to cut grass and maximise work done with the available power.

Ransomes knows a lot of commercial and municipal operators have a high environmental consideration when choosing machinery. That made it very important to provide the MT383 with a Stage V 37.5 HP Kubota cleanrunning engine.

STM CO supplies the SCAG range of ride-on mowers. In regards to engine choice, there has been a huge change over the last five years. The introduction of the much higher fuel efficiency Efi engines from Vanguard and Kawasaki has meant that low running-cost diesel engines is no longer as significant a part of selection criteria. Diesel engines over 25hp now have to have additional equipment to satisfy the tier system. STM is experiencing a huge demand for bigger-engine petrol machines that give like-for-like fuel efficiency, with the saving in purchase price bridging the gap against diesel.

ST Series: The compact powerful performer Extremely quick, impressively powerful.

Compact, lightweight tractors delivering outstanding performance.

■ Choose from 34, 37 and 40HP engines.

In a compact tractor, that’s powerful!

■ Up to 1150kg lift capacity.

■ Unique Bi-Speed turn feature for smoother, tighter turns.

■ Power steering and cruise control as standard.

■ Independent mid and rear PTO. ■ Optional air conditioned, quiet, factory-fitted cab for class-leading comfort.

Contact your local dealer or visit our website for more details. www.kubota.co.uk *Conditions apply. See your Kubota dealer for details.

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19/03/2021 16/03/2021 08:45 16:37

ADVERTORIAL

P R O D U C T TORO LT-F3000

DNA

E XPLORING WHAT MAKES THE TORO LT-F3000 SUCH AN EFFECTIVE, APPE ALING CHOICE FOR END USERS

KEY ASPECTS AND USER BENEFITS INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY Offering a completely new cutting concept to triple mowing, the innovative three flail cutting system in the LT-F3000 gives operators a chance to cut long or short, wet or dry, and coarser grass, in one sweep. Plus, you can make real savings by mowing less often, making it the perfect choice for those working to tight budgets and timeframes.

MULTIPLE CUTTING OPTIONS Interchangeable cylinder attachment gives the front-facing triple mower the capability to cut two ways and deliver a superior after-cut appearance. Having a mower that can, with the easy attachment of a cylinder unit, tackle the longer grass and then leave a premium finish on playing fields and sports grounds is a really cost-effective solution for grounds customers.

INCREDIBLE DURABILITY The three-flail cutting system has been built to withstand the rigors of all heavy-duty applications. They’re much more durable than cylinders and even rotary systems. In fact, the intelligent blade design ensures that if an object is hit, the blades simply swing out of the way to avoid damage. They’re also easy to sharpen and cost-effective to replace, for added peace of mind.

CLEAN CUTTING, MINIMAL CLEAR-UP Toro’s exclusive Tempest blade design results in a significant reduction of grass clipping ‘clumping’ and, as very little debris blow-out is produced, post-cut clean-up operations with strimmers and blowers is reduced which is surely music to any groundsperson’s ears.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS • Engine Stage V compliant, Yanmar 3TNV86T liquid-cooled turbo diesel, 3-cylinder 32.4 kW (43.4 HP) @ 3050 rpm • Width of cut From 76cm (30ins) up to 212cm (83.5ins) • Height of cut With ROPS: 2160mm (85.0), with cab: 2090mm (82.3”) • Transport width 1575mm (62ins) • Weight 1392kg (with ROPS) • Ground speed Forward: 0-15.5mph.

Reverse: 0-7mph • Steering Hydraulic rear-wheel steering with shockload protection • Fuel capacity 60ltrs • Tyres Front: 26x12-12, 4-ply turf trac / Rear: 20x10-8 4-ply turf trac • Drive system CrossTrax® 4WD hydraulic closed loop transmission system, provides 4-wheel drive by diagonally linking each front wheel to the opposing rear wheel. Hydrostatic traction pump provides infinitely variable speed in forward and reverse. Optional Differential Lock and 4WD In Reverse kits available • Warranty Two-year limited warranty

UNRIVALLED VERSATILITY The independent, dedicated flail cutter units of the LT-F3000 are complex with numerous benefits. They have 48 unique blades to enable a variable cutting width to be as productive in wide open areas as on narrow verges or in tight spaces. With greater ground contour control, this versatile and easy to use mower makes light work of parklands, roadside verges, housing estate green spaces and other grassed areas.

C O N TA C T Distributor contact: Alastair Rowell Tel 01480 226800 Email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk Twitter @ReesinkTurfcare www.reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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18/03/2021 13:56

EARNSHAW YORK STONE

ADVERTORIAL STONEWORLD LOOKS AHEAD TO A B U O YA N T S P R I N G T H I S Y E A R . H E R E , IT SHOWCASES ITS STONE SELECTION

A

t Stoneworld, we have expanded our Great British Stone Selection as more customers are thinking about the environment in all their buying choices.

The range, launched last year, has been well received, and in response to demand, we are continually adding variations to the range.

Currently we have seven different York stones, each offering subtle differences in tone and finish to suit many styles of landscaping.

The range also includes other stone paving and setts from around the British Isles, including Purbeck and Portland limestones, Pennant sandstones, traditional Northumberland gritstones, and Cumbrian slates.

PEMBERLEY PENNANT STONE

Our British paving range features a variety of colours; traditional and classic formats; and, of course, British stone will sit extremely comfortably in any landscape design.

Pemberley, Stoneworld’s Pennant Sandstone Paving, is supplied in a mix of sandy and greyish blue tones. Pemberley Sandstone is supplied at a standard robust thickness of 50mm.

Sanditon, a Purbeck Limestone Paving, is a classic pale limestone paving that has graced our architecture in the SANDITON PURBECK British Isles for many centuries. Grey and buff tones characterise this paving stone. This classic British stone is available in several formats of paving and setts. The subtle colour will give elegance to any garden design.

The range also features dramatic dark Cumbrian slates, such as Brantwood, a Westmoreland Green Slate Paving. It has a pale green colour with characteristic markings, that will add dramatic background to any planting scheme.

These high-quality BRANTWOOD SLATE PAVING British stones

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Stoneworld.indd 87

SUPERB STONE offer a more sustainable choice for homeowners wishing to reduce the carbon footprint on landscaping projects, whilst also supporting British quarries.

Alongside the Great British Stone Selection, Stoneworld continues to supply high quality stone from around the globe that the company has become known for. The products available are extremely durable and include beautiful examples of Indian sandstone and limestone.

The sale of these stones supports the economic development of these emerging countries, and there is pride at Stoneworld at continuing to do this. These imported stone products represent the best quality available, and Stoneworld continue to develop the products they offer with their highly trusted suppliers overseas.

There are also high-quality porcelain paving choices in a wide variety of colours and formats.

We also offer digital templating and precision masonry cutting services alongside all our paving ranges which removes installation obstacles and enables our customers to fulfil their creativity. The use of our stone consultancy and cutting services has benefitted the outcome of the design and build on many beautiful projects we have collaborated on.

TUMBLED RAJ SANDSTONE WITH PURBECK WALLING

templating services, wall coping stones and step treads, pool coping stones and paving pieces, have all been precision cut to the digital template data taken onsite by Stoneworld.

Pre-cut and finished pieces were delivered onsite where the landscaping team followed a numbered plan making installation far simpler and quicker than if they had tried to achieve the cuts themselves onsite.

HAND CUT RAJ SANDSTONE WITH PURBECK WALLING AND MOLEANOS LIMESTONE COPINGS

Stoneworld aims to empower the customer by giving plenty of quality stone options to choose from, and offering innovative solutions to achieving their design spec.

We are well stocked across our entire range in anticipation of another busy year with the emphasis on private customers creating stylish outdoor spaces to enjoy family time together.

The team at Stoneworld is always available to give advice on any stone purchase.

A B O U T STO N E WO R L D

In the above design, the Purbeck walling, sandstone paving, and steps needed to hug the hillside following the natural contours, to enable the planting scheme to be overlaid. Using our

Stoneworld is an innovative company supplying high quality stone and porcelain products for landscape design. The product range includes a wide range of paving, pool copings, setts, ornamental gravels, walling and rockery stone from around the world. www.stoneworld.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 87

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Pro Landscaper Advert.pdf

1

08/03/2021

15:48

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

PATENT APPLIED FOR

www.excavatorfor klift.com

K

Advert Template PL.indd 23

NEW TYPE OF LIFTING ATTACHMENT

EXCAVATOR FORKLIFT

FITTED IN LESS THAN 1 MINUTE YOUR 1 TONNE MINI DIGGER LIFTS 1 TONNE PALLETS

FOR EXCAVATORS WEIGHING 1.0-3.5 TONNES

18/03/2021 09:42

EDUCATE

PANELLISTS

D E BAT I N G PORCELAIN PAV I N G P

orcelain paving has been hailed for its sleek and contemporary look, as well as its durability and low maintenance. But how much do we as an industry know about porcelain paving?

The best installation method is hotly debated, as is the carbon footprint of using such a product. So, we gathered a selection of installers and one of the leading porcelain paving manufacturers to provide some insight.

The product Is porcelain paving now a commodity product?

It’s moving into the commodity market as it becomes more popular, says Clare Morgan of CASATUA, which is part of the ABK Group, an Italian producer of ceramic floor and wall tiles. The price has dropped, partly thanks to technological advances over the last few years which have seen significant cost savings in its production.

Mark Youde, who runs his own training academy, has been laying porcelain for around seven years. “When it first came out…it was an unknown product. People picked up on the fact that it was trendy, it was new, it looked contemporary, and that’s why people started specifying porcelain. We learnt from our mistakes in the early days, like I’m sure a lot of people have done. And I’m still sure a lot of people are learning as they go along now in the install and actually in the quality of the product. A lot of it comes down to

understanding the product and knowing the origin.”

Where is it produced?

The main players are still in Europe – in Italy, Germany and Spain, explains Clare. But China has also been manufacturing porcelain for a while and now products from India are becoming more prevalent in the marketplace.

Is there a difference in quality?

Yes, says Brian Herbert. “You certainly know when you’ve picked up a poor quality one,

YOU CERTAINLY KNOW WHEN YOU’VE PICKED UP A POOR QUALITY ONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GO TO CUT IT

The entire webinar is available to view on our website. www.prolandscapermagazine.com/catch-up-porcelain-paving

Porcelain debate.indd 89

CLARE MORGAN

PRODUCT EXPERT, CASATUA

MARK YOUDE

MANAGING DIRECTOR, URBAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

especially when you go to cut it.” Jake Catling agrees. “Italian porcelain is deemed to be the best. That doesn’t mean all Italian porcelain is the best; it’s not created equal across the board there. But in general, they do supply the best porcelain.” He adds that Indian and Turkish porcelain tends to not be as good quality because it hasn’t been baked for long enough or at a high enough temperature.

Watch ‘Debating… porcelain paving’

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

BRIAN HERBERT

MANAGING DIRECTOR, OUTDOOR OPTIONS

JAKE CATLING

MANAGING DIRECTOR, THE LANDSCAPING CONSULTANTS

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EDUCATE

notes from the class “[The main thing to consider before installation] is, how are you going to manage the moisture? Where you do exclude it and where do you allow it to pass?”

– Jake Catling “Every garden is different because the circumstances are different. So, you have to be guided by the environment you’re working in. There is a lot of information available from all the reputable suppliers.”

– Clare Morgan “You have to put an adhesive on the back, whatever you’re going to lay it on.”

– Brian Herbert “Knowing the product is the all-important thing – knowing the product itself, but also knowing the ground conditions and the aspects of where it’s going to be laid...and then decide which is the best [installation method] which works for that.”

– Mark Youde

What’s the next development? Slimmer tiles?

“We do make thinner tiles as well,” says Clare.

“You can use thinner tiles outside, there’s not an issue if you’ve got the R11 slip rating on it…but in terms of laying it, you need to think about that in a different way because you would need to be laying that on a solid bed, so you’ve got some additional strength below the material.”

The installation What is the best installation method?

There are various methods used – the decision often comes down to ground conditions, says Mark. “The majority of the people that I talk to and work with are still laying porcelain in the traditional way – they’re still using a form of flexible subbase, which is potentially an MOT Type 1 subbase or Type 3, if you can find it. And they’re looking to lay it on a conventional sand and cement type mortar bed with a primer.”

But there’s more than one way, Mark reminds us. “Most of the tiling industry will talk

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about it being laid on a concrete slab with a form of matting that helps with the penetration of water coming up through the concrete. It comes down to individuals, but it also most certainly comes down to ground conditions and choice.”

Jakes says on a concrete raft with an impermeable membrane – he uses GreenPro

by Kerakoll – is the gold standard for laying porcelain externally, whether 20mm or 10mm tiles. The membrane stops water from becoming trapped underneath the tile. “But I think we should be looking at the next way of laying it, which is to lay it on a permeable bedding mortar...the crucial thing is keeping the moisture away from the underneath of the tile.”

Brian agrees with the ‘belt and braces’ approach of Mark and Jake but says sometimes it comes down to affordability – the client needs to sign it off, and some won’t agree to the amount of concrete due to environmental reasons too.

Can pedestals be used?

“Pedestals are not as popular as you’d think they would be,” says Mark. They can be used though, he adds, for a quick and efficient method. “The consideration needs to be in relation to DPC and where you are in relation to that on the house.”

There are issues, though. “You can’t joint between them, so the slabs are held up off the pedestals at about 5mm to allow for the water to penetrate through them. There are systems now where you can buy rubberised gaskets which go in between to eliminate that…but if you don’t have that system and you allow the water to run through, then you’ve got to consider the ground conditions beneath.

What type of adhesives should be used?

“It needs to be a C2 classed adhesive,” says Jake. “It has to be polymer modified. A normal C1 tile adhesive will delaminate, and you will end up with a clean tile.”

The environmental impact Is there information available about the environmental impact of porcelain?

Yes, says Clare. It’s a significant industry in Italy and manufacturers have invested a lot of time

and effort into this area. Their processes are robust, materials are sourced locally, and there is 100% water recycling.

But there are numerous aspects to consider – electricity used in the process, for instance, and then how much is being used as a result of the product being in the marketplace. “We’re now looking to a more holistic approach of taking it right back to where you source your raw materials, how those raw materials are

MANUFACTURERS HAVE INVESTED A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO THIS AREA. THEIR PROCESSES ARE ROBUST, MATERIALS ARE SOURCED LOCALLY, AND THERE IS 100% WATER RECYCLING managed, where they come from, what impact taking those materials has,” says Clare. “Even down to how you transport those materials to your factory...Down to how you produce the material, how much materials can be recycled within the process, putting in technology like heat exchangers, recycling, and the actual lifecycle of your product – the longevity of it, how it can then be recycled and reused at the end of its life.”

What raw materials are used?

It’s a combination of natural materials – clays, sand, kaolin – which get mixed together and baked, says Clare.

Can the tiles be recycled or reused once lifted?

“Not at the moment, I don’t think it’s widely recycled,” says Jake. But in three to five years, wear will appear, and it won’t be long until people start replacing it, he adds. The adhesive can’t be stripped off, says Brian, which means the porcelain tiles cannot be reused.

Porcelain itself can be recycled, though, explains Clare. “The Italian manufacturers recycle all their waste back into the production cycle, so they have no waste materials coming out of their factories. There’s nothing nonnatural in the porcelain so it would be classed as non-hazardous waste; it can be crushed, repurposed and used again.”

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 17:26

VESTRE

EDUCATE

URBAN BOLL ARD

A simple and understated cylindrical bollard, available in two diameters: 76mm and 127mm. The steel body has a lifetime warranty against corrosion and Vestre’s powder coating (C5-M class) carries a 15-year adhesion warranty in normal use.

Recommended installation method Available in three installation options; Surface mounted with a base plate, requiring minimal groundwork; Root fixed for maximum strength and the cleanest surface finish; Demountable, where an area needs to be cleared completely on occasion or for vehicular and emergency access.

Height(s) available 900m standard (alternatives available) Materials Hot dip galvanised steel, optional powder coated finish Application Urban bollards delineate pedestrian areas from vehicular access, providing a visual and light physical deterrent to drivers. Optional tonal contrast or reflective bands are available for improved visibility.

WWW.VESTRE.COM/UK

B E ST O F B O L L A R D S STREET FURNITURE SUPPLIERS SHOWCASE ONE OF THEIR POPULAR BOLLARD OPTIONS

FURNITUBES

ZENITH® BOLL ARD

Hardwearing and low maintenance, Zenith bollards are manufactured from 100% recycled steel. This range also comprises three styles: plain, sloped top and banded, all available with a bright or satin polished finish. These bollards can also be customised with reflective tape, base plated, security or removable versions. It is also available in steel with a galvanised or powder coated finish.

Recommended installation method Furnitubes recommend Zenith bollards are root-fixed and the minimum recommended foundation is the root diameter plus 200mm. Base plates also have 4 fixing holes to take M16 bolts (maximum).

Height available Above ground: 900mm or 1000mm. Below ground: 300mm Material(s) Steel – galvanised finish; polyester powder coated finish.

Stainless steel – G304 bright or satin polished; G316 bright or satin polished.

Application The Zenith bollard is suited to almost all environments including public spaces, shopping centres, car parks, highways and residential developments. It provides anti-ram and pedestrian protection as well as traffic management for busy car parks and public spaces. The Zenith Service bollard is also designed to house electricity or water supply points.

WWW.FURNITUBES.COM

ARTFORM URBAN FURNITURE

(PART OF THE BAILEY STREET FURNITURE GROUP) GUARDIA CYCLE STAND BOLL ARD

The Guardia is a multifunctional cycle stand and bollard.

It is constructed from flat steel plate with a brushed and electropolished stainless steel movable anti-theft rod/ locking point to secure the bicycle. Available in powder coated, stainless steel or Corten finish which can be treated with Artform’s anti-washout coating to significantly reduce the staining associated with Corten steel.

Recommended installation method For security and maximum strength, Artform recommends sub surface fixing with its two anchors installed beneath the ground, but it can also be fixed directly to a surface with steel ground anchors.

Height(s) available 958mm Materials Corten steel, powder coated steel, stainless steel Application Guardia can be used in a multitude of situations including outside retail and leisure facilities to offer protection to pedestrians and infrastructure with the added benefit of cycle parking spaces.

WWW.ARTFORMURBAN.CO.UK

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EDUCATE

Arbordeck

Common installation mistakes

N E W P R O D U CT:

ARBORJOIST

1. Not end trimming the boards For the best aesthetic effect, Trex composite

ArborJoist, a recycled plastic subframe, is a high-quality decking joist solution with several pack-size options, suitable for jobs of any size. The joist system is strong and durable and made from recycled plastic meaning its maintenance free and will last for years. In fact, the product comes with a 20-year guarantee when installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Unlike timber joists, ArborJoist is weatherproof and decayresistant, and has a smooth, splinter-free finish that makes handling and installing it easy.

What’s more, ArborJoist is environmentally friendly and fully recyclable.

DECK IT OUT

decking boards should be end cut before installation.

2. Not using the correct gapping As Trex boards are capped on three sides, the boards will expand and contract slightly. If an installer uses the correct gapping between boards, air will circulate freely. Side to side gapping of 6mm is automatically achieved when using Trex Universal Fixings, but installers should also ensure they achieve end-to-end gapping of 3.5mm, and allow 6 to 13mm when the deck butts onto a solid object.

3. Incorrectly joining boards Where there’s a need to join two boards in a line, this shouldn’t be done on a single joist. Instead, there must always be a double joist, with the correct gapping between the boards of 3 to 5mm. It is also important not to bridge the cap with a universal fixings, but to use one fixing on either side of the joint.

WE SPEAK TO THREE COMPOSITE DECKING SUPPLIERS ABOUT ONE OF ITS LATEST PRODUCTS, AND ASK FOR THREE COMMON INSTALLATION MISTAKES

Dura Composites NEW PRODUCT: Dura Deck Flip is a new co-extruded

DURA DEC K FLIP

MILLBOARD N E W P R O D U CT:

DUOFI X

Millboard’s new DuoFix tool is designed to enable installers to achieve a ‘lost-head’ finish, where no evidence of fixings appears on the deck’s surface. Sitting over the board, fixings are steered through guide holes on each side of the tool using the specially designed driver bit (supplied with the DuoFix) through the sides of the board and into the subframe. The process is then repeated, ensuring the same accurate result is achieved, and speeding up the process of installation.

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Common installation mistakes 1. The wrong grade of timber is used for the subframe Only treated timber should be used, but not all treated timber is suitable for decking subframes.

2. Inadequate construction of subframe

composite decking product in the ‘Resist’ family. It features two colours on each board so you can create stunning zoned decking areas for lounging and dining, or day and night, and fun modern deck designs.

A clever 360° outer armoured skin protects the core of the board from the elements and offers anti-slip protection. The decking is also fire resistant to Class C, stain resistant and has a 15-year warranty.

There are three colour pairings in the range, which can be easily combined with Dura’s aluminium pedestals and bearers for a truly futureproof solution.

Airflow must be allowed for with a timber subframe, which should therefore not be packed with bits of rubble or timber.

Common installation mistakes 1. Not considering the impact of the garden’s position on the choice of colour

A poorly constructed subframe

It’s critical to think about the way the sunlight hits areas of the garden and

will reduce a deck’s longevity.

how that might affect the style of decking, its position and colour. Avoid

3. Leaving large screw holes in

darker colours if you are working with a south-facing garden with no shade.

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www.prolandscapermagazine.com

19/03/2021 08:48

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R E S I N T HE BA R

EDUCATE

THREE SUPPLIERS OF RESIN BOND/BOUND PRODUCTS TALK US THROUGH A PL AYGROUND PROJECT WHERE THEIR PRODUCT MADE FOR THE PERFECT SURFACING

CONICA

PROJECT NORMANBY HALL COUNTRY PARK PRODUCT WET POUR RUBBER, CONIPAVE RA AND COLOUR COATED RUBBER MULCH

Using CONICA-supplied products, RTC Safety Surfaces installed 800m2 of surfacing within the play area at Normanby Hall Country Park. Along with differing depths to meet the fall height requirements of the play equipment, RTC utilised wet pour rubber, colour coated rubber mulch and SuDS-compliant CONIPAVE RA. This mix of products delivered tailored performance, with the wet pour and rubber mulch offering outstanding safety and great aesthetics for the main play areas, and the CONIPAVE RA providing durable, slip-resistant pathways.

James Wright, commercial director at Conica Ltd says: “One of the key considerations in the development of safe, engaging areas is the surfacing. The Rolls Royce of play and leisure area surfacing has always been wet pour rubber. This highly durable solution offers unrivalled performance and long-term value, albeit at the high end of initial cost. However, other solutions, such as rubber mulch etc, have been developed to provide lower upfront costs.

“Regardless of the surfacing chosen, it is essential that the supplier can demonstrate full compliance, by supplying independent test results, with all NORMANBY HALL COUNTRY relevant safety PARK PLAYGROUND and performance standards, especially EN1177:2018. By working together, the designer, supplier, installer and client can deliver fabulous spaces.” www.conica.co.uk

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Sherwood Park is a school for 3 to 19 year olds that have Severe, Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. The brief was to design a environment that would be safe and well-maintained while stimulating and meeting the needs of the school’s pupils.

Main contractor Warwick Landscaping Ltd was appointed for this design and build scheme, working closely with Jennie Picton, designer at JP Designs to create a fun, safe, low maintenance environment.

Resin bound surfacing was selected for the pathways to create smooth surfaces that are comfortable underfoot, with good slip resistance and suitable for wheelchair access. The chosen products are porous ensuring excellent drainage of the play areas, with no loose gravel and using natural aggregates to complement the woodland setting.

Addagrip approved contractor True Grip Ltd was invited to install 18m2 of BBA approved Terrabound Resin Bound porous surfacing to the wheelchair ramp and a further 75m2 of minimum dig Terrabase Rustic in an Oak blend to the woodland paths. The result is a welcoming outdoor area which invites exploration and play to aid learning within a safe, visually pleasing environment. www.addagrip.co.uk

DECRA®SET UVR IN AUTUMN GOLD

P R OJ E C T W E ST LO D G E R U R A L C E N T R E P R O D U C T D E C R A® S E T R E S I N B O U N D PAV I N G SYST E M West Lodge Rural Centre approached HMS Decorative Surfacing to obtain indoor flooring ideas intended for its Heated Indoor Adventure Barn, seating area and café. With its farm location and rustic setting, the clients were looking for flooring that took on the natural appearance of outdoor surfacing that was suitable for internal use, safe for children’s play areas and would stand up to regular cleaning.

HMS Decorative Surfacing’s Decra®Set resin bound paving system was the perfect choice. Its use of naturally occurring gravel completely encapsulated in composition lends itself to a user-friendly, safe option for internal flooring while taking on the appearance of outdoor surfacing.

With its completely smooth finish it creates a fantastic level base to position furniture and leisure equipment, but still offers exceptional

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

Resin bond bound.indd 95

slip-resistance that is non-abrasive. Trip hazards caused by the build-up of gravel are non-existent, which also allows easy access for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Traditionally applied to outdoor playgrounds because of its porous qualities, HMS Decorative Surfacing simply applied a sealant to allow for regular cleaning. “We used Decra®Set UVR in Autumn Gold mixed and hand-laid the normal way. One week later we applied a sealer coat, which adjusted the composition to fit the brief without compromising on the visual finish”, commented managing director Simon Green. www.hmslimited.co.uk

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 95

18/03/2021 15:52

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18/03/2021 09:44

PEOPLE

3 0 U N D E R 3 0 U P DAT E

OLIVER RUTMAN GARDEN DESIGNER OLIVER RUTMAN TURNED THE CHALLENGES OF 2020 INTO NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2021

L

ast year was undoubtedly a challenging one, and some of those hit hardest were the self-employed. For garden designers, mass uncertainty in the first lockdown led to projects being put on pause. And as lockdown continued through spring and summer, events such as flower shows were forced to cancel, postpone or move online.

Whilst the RHS turned its show at Tatton Park into a virtual event, its annual RHS Young Designer of the Year competition – a highlight of the show – was unfortunately postponed to 2021. Twenty-two-year-old Oliver Rutman was one of the finalists due to exhibit, with a design focused heavily on planting, combining UK coastal varieties with Mediterranean plants.

He was then scheduled to feature a woodland garden for Macmillan at the Harrogate Flower Show, which was unfortunately then also scrapped from last year’s calendar.

Needless to say, Oliver had to overcome a few setbacks in 2020. But rather than dwelling on the negatives, he decided to see the opportunities instead. Towards the start of the first lockdown, Oliver was asked by Great Dixter House and Gardens in East Sussex to work in the nursery four days a week to help handle the

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30 Under 30 Oliver Rutman.indd 99

influx of mail order requests. “Everyone went manic at the beginning of lockdown, trying to get plants and seeds,” says Oliver, who happily accepted the offer.

I COULDN’T DECIDE WHETHER I WANTED TO WORK IN THE GARDEN OR ON THE NURSERY SIDE, SO I CHOSE DESIGN. I ALWAYS SAW IT AS THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS The request from Great Dixter wasn’t out of the blue. Oliver had worked in the gardens in some form or another for around three years, after gaining work experience there in the summer holidays. A year into working in the gardens, Oliver was spurned on to enrol on a one-year course at the London College of Garden Design. “I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to work in the garden or on the nursery side, so I chose design. I always saw it as the best of both worlds – I’m still out there in the garden but also handling plants.”

After completing the course, Oliver set up his own design business whilst staying on at Dixter two days a week. “I found it really difficult to find work in someone else’s studio. So, I thought that, whilst I was looking, I would set up on my own. Then I started to get projects through the door and stopped looking for work with other people because I had enough work on my own.”

In October last year, though, Oliver decided it was time to take a chance and concentrate

entirely on his own business. “It’s been an incredibly beneficial three years at Dixter, but I needed to force myself to go and really push my business."

Oliver will also be working on a significant project this year with the three other RHS Young Designer finalists – Emilie Bausager, Freddie Strickland (both also 30 Under 30 winners) and Max Parker-Smith. On a Zoom call after the competition was postponed, Emilie put forward the idea of doing a project together.

They chose to design a garden for a hospital, and after contacting a few, Royal Free in Hampstead came back to them to design a new space for visitors and staff on its roof terrace.

“This is us doing our bit for hospital staff who have given so much over the last 12 months,” says Oliver.

Young Designer mentors Mark Gregory and Catherine MacDonald have been assisting the team, and Landform Consultants will be building the garden. But whilst the RHS is planning for Tatton to go ahead this year, Oliver says he has decided not to take part in the show this year – though this doesn’t mean he’s dropping the idea entirely. This year, it would seem, is a year for Oliver to focus his attention on building his design business instead, and it’s certainly one to watch.

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 99

18/03/2021 08:43

PEOPLE

WHY I...

# LOV E H O RT I C U LT U R E Andy Kirman KIRMAN DESIGN

M

y first memories of horticulture were of collecting seeds, berries and other delights then planting them in pots just to see what happened. Both my parents loved nature, and they were enlightened enough to let me plant everything from Lego bricks to orange pips and everything in between just so I could experiment. Why did some sprout and grow whilst others withered and died?

For every question answered there were a handful more that needed answering and so my love affair and curiosity with plants had begun at the tender age of eight. I was lucky. My father worked for the Forestry Commission and brought a wide range of animals, minerals and vegetables back for us to pore over and dissect. Generally, everything was dead and in various states of decomposition but whether it be a Curlew skeleton that needed boiling up to scrutinise its skull or a gnarled bog oak stump hauled back to clean up and carve, it was all just fodder to add to my enthusiasm for the natural world around me.

I tend to be most fascinated by oddities and extremes and my Darlingtonia californica and other carnivorous flora have been a great source of wonder over the years, but trees have been my passion from way back. I am in awe at their time scales being on a different planet to that of humans. If only they could talk. Perhaps the fact that they do not, or gossip, lie, argue or judge is why my zeal for them is so strong.

Now, I get as much pleasure and fascination, maybe more, from sharing this passion with my twins so they too can experiment and be entranced by the natural world around them. If only more adults could be as respectful, curious and passionate as my eight-year-olds.

I TEND TO BE MOST FASCINATED BY ODDITIES AND EXTREMES AND MY DARLINGTONIA CALIFORNICA AND OTHER CARNIVOROUS FLORA HAVE BEEN A GREAT SOURCE OF WONDER OVER THE YEARS

T W E E T U S @ P R O L A N D S C A P E R U K A N D T E L L U S W H Y Y O U L O V E H O R T I C U LT U R E U S I N G T H E H A S H TA G # L O V E H O R T I C U LT U R E

100 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

Love Horticulture Andy Kirman.indd 100

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 11:59

EDUCATE

KIM MORRISH

DIRECTOR, GROUND CONTROL

TESSA JOHNSTONE

DIVERSITY DIRECTOR, BALI

Representation is important; research shows that women seek out companies that have a broad range of diversity so being inclusive in both how we advertise and recruit is critical.

Once women are in the business, we directly approach and encourage them to take part in training and secondment opportunities, as women are much less likely to put themselves forward. We sponsored a fantastic virtual event with an inspirational speaker for all of the women at Ground Control to celebrate International Women’s Day. It was interesting and exciting to hear the ideas of the 110 female employees who attended on how we can do more to improve female participation in our industry.

We are committed to do even more in the future.

BALI has long believed in the need for diversity in our industry, and in particular that there are real and present opportunities to bring more women into landscaping and horticulture work. We also hear this from the landscapers we work with. While these spaces may have been historically male-dominated, we are working hard to change perceptions. To make sure we are working in ways that reflect our values, we have appointed two board directors, myself and Adrian Wickham, to challenge and shape our own working practices around diversity and inclusion, as well as to look to what we can do for the wider industry. We believe that encouraging women to consider the sector needs to begin early in education, before GCSE choices.

GoLandscape, our Association’s education initiative, has been working to promote landscape career opportunities in schools. Website visitors between February 2020 and February 2021 were 44.4% female, so we’re working hard to encourage more women and are starting to see the results.

CLOSING THE SOME OF THE BIG NAMES WITHIN THE INDUSTRY SPEAK TO US ABOUT WHAT THEY’VE BEEN DOING TO CLOSE THE GENDER GAP AND CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

GENDER GAP

BELDERBOS LANDSCAPES Belderbos Landscapes is a husband-and-wife partnership and as such naturally builds a diverse and talented team. Two fifths of the management team are women, one third of the maintenance team are women and the entire finance team is run by women. We are not bias or prejudice but evaluate on the value the person will bring to the business. We believe in a holistic view around diversity; it is not just about gender. Our industry should challenge the status quo every day, not just once a year, to ensure we operate in a fair and equal world, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute.

KATE HUMES

MARKETING DIRECTOR, GREEN-TECH

HELEN ASH

DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE, LUC We are addressing gender-related inequalities through our EDI Strategy, using an intersectional approach to understand specific challenges or barriers faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community, women of ethnicities under-represented in the workforce, women of different ages, etc. We are reviewing and changing policies and systems, for example by extending our pay-gap reporting and increasing pay transparency. We are consulting colleagues on future working options, building on the progress achieved in flexible working this year and mindful of the disproportionate impact on women as well as the potential physical and mental health legacy of the pandemic.

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International Womens Day.indd 101

Green-tech employs 26 women which accounts for 33% of our team. We have two women on our Senior Leadership team who have been influential in making positive changes and empowering other women within the business. As Green-tech has grown and developed, we have created roles which include part-time working, job sharing, and flexible working which recognises the value women bring to the business and seeks to help them achieve the ideal work/life balance. We are also driving Apprenticeship Degree Programmes to appeal to a broader market of job hunters. When we recruit, we employ the best person for the job but we encourage our team to speak to female contacts, past colleagues and friends about working at Green-tech.

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 101

18/03/2021 17:10

EDUCATE

CHLOE HAMPTON

HR AND ADMIN MANAGER, GARDEN CLUB LONDON To encourage more women into the sector, we champion those already here. This year we marked International Women’s Day with a visit to Kew Gardens to celebrate all the amazingly talented females we have at Garden Club London. To achieve workplace gender equality, we have a formal Career Progression Plan in place so that every employee is able to access the same opportunities regardless of gender.

We have policy initiatives in place such as access to parental leave and flexible working. Perhaps most crucially, we recognise gender diversity as an area we need to improve on. We believe that making it a focus gives us a bigger opportunity to make inroads to close the gender gap.

EMMA COLVIN

HR BUSINESS PARTNER, ARBOR FOREST PRODUCTS Our senior management team is working with the HR department to introduce a new Respect and Dignity at Work workshop, which aims to promote not just gender equality but a positive working environment by raising awareness of inclusion, diversity, and equality. This is a requirement for all new starters and we’re encouraging existing colleagues to get involved by making sure they have access to the workshops too. We’re also looking closely at our male-to-female colleague ratios over the past decade so we can understand the progress we have made and see where we need to focus our efforts next.

LYNNE MARCUS MSGD CHAIR OF THE SOCIETY OF GARDEN DESIGNERS, SGD

The SGD is committed to being inclusive and regular member surveys ask questions on equality and diversity to monitor and track the Society’s progress. It would appear from our own membership, that the balance is tipped toward more females. A majority of our members are also sole practitioners and none of our female members have complained at being discriminated against by clients.

This does not necessarily reflect the wider position of those designing in the industry though, as many garden designers are not members of associations. The SGD appears to have equal numbers of males and females who take on leadership roles and participate in the work of the Society. Our fantastic support services – WMS who help us run the Society, AMS, who run our prestigious Awards and Hind + Osen, who manage our PR – are almost entirely run and managed by women.

PLANTS@WORK MEMBERS GREEN TEAM INTERIORS We see gender equality as an important part of a wider commitment to fairness and equality throughout our entire b usiness. Built on ‘A Better Way’, we aim to treat everyone with respect and appreciation.

102 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

International Womens Day.indd 102

IAN DRUMMOND

THOMAS PALFREYMAN

We created the Group women@ indoor at last years’ International Women’s Day as a platform to support our female employees.

Our mission is to support them all to achieve their full potential, encourage, enable and facilitate their active involvement within the company.

In certain parts of our business, such as National Accounts, there are double the number of women to men, but as a total percentage, women are still underrepresented. Our main aim is to continue to keep ensuring all positions within the business are open to all, and encouraging women to join us. We are all equals at Urban Planters and can work together to ensure everyone has a voice, irrespective of gender or race.

INDOOR GARDEN DESIGN

URBAN PLANTERS

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 17:09

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Made from solid brass, these Water Spouts are available in a copper or bronze colour finish. Plus, with a built-in drip edge, they help create a smooth water pattern and prevent any water backflow.

Speak to us about your next project: enquiries@oase.com or 01256 896886

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19/03/2021 00:20

JOBS

For full details on all jobs, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk Call 01903 777 570 or email daniel.riley@eljays44.com with your vacancy

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS MANAGER ANNA’S GARDENS LTD Location: Surrey, London

LANDSCAPE CONTRACTS MANAGER GARDEN CLUB LONDON LTD Location: London

Anna’s Gardens Ltd is looking to take its organic garden maintenance and landscape company to the next level with the appointment of a business development and operations manager. The successful applicant will continue the company’s growth and strategic development. They will manage garden maintenance schedules and teams, and visit customer sites to ensure operations are carried out to the appropriate quality, frequency and timescales. Applicants should have a commercial and financial aptitude to ensure targets are achieved and strong organisation skills.

Garden Club London is a multi-award winning garden design and build company based in Vauxhall. It is looking for a motivated and committed landscape contracts manager to oversee its growing portfolio of luxury commercial and high-end residential landscaping contracts. This is an opportunity to excel in your career and reap the rewards of being part of a quality and trust led business. Flexible working arrangements are available and the role is not affected by furlough with guaranteed salary. Most importantly, you must be open and honest in your communication, reliable and driven to deliver exceptional results as part of a fun and ambitious team.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

SKILLED LANDSCAPE GARDENER

GARDEN DESIGNER

Andres Garcia Landscapes is looking for an experienced and skilled landscape gardener to join its busy and expanding landscaping team working in and around Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. Candidates will need to be well presented and self-motivated. They will be working as part of a team but there will also be occasions when they will be working on their own initiative. The right candidate should have experience as a landscaper and be proficient in: paving and slab laying; timber framework and decking; block paving; groundwork; fencing; and soft landscaping and ground maintenance. A full driving licence is essential.

Jonathan Mark Garden Design is looking to recruit a garden designer. The multi-award-winning company is looking for an experienced, motivated and enthusiastic individual who can work as part of a team and would be available to start ASAP. The applicant must be able to work from home. They must have competent design works using CAD, have a good understanding of the industry and the technical language associated with it, and be able to draw out surveys onto a plan.

Applicants should also have a good knowledge of plants and the ability to produce planting plans.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

PROJECT MANAGER

GARDEN MAINTENANCE OPERATIVE

London-based Jonathan Mark Garden Design installs and designs high-end bespoke gardens. The multi-award-winning garden design company is looking for a manager to join its friendly small team. The successful applicant will have a wide range of duties, including managing installations and teams, ordering materials, quoting for extras, visiting sites, recruitment and project reporting. Candidates should have a good telephone manner, experience in managing landscape installations, and be quick thinking with the ability to problem solve. They should have experience with Microsoft Office and be very computer savvy.

A position is available at organic garden services company Anna’s Gardens Ltd for a person who is positive minded active, enthusiastic, environmentally aware, and ready to learn, to work hard and to get satisfaction from the completed job. They will be part of a team that works in private gardens, looking after lawns, shrubs, trees and flowerbeds. By joining Anna’s Gardens Ltd, you will have an input in our planet and people’s health by protecting them from harmful chemicals and giving them a healthy environment. Applicants must love being outdoors, with a responsibility and commitment to perform at your best.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

LANDSCAPER (HARD AND SOFT)

HEAD OF PARK OPERATIONS

Culverhouse Gardens is a BALI-registered, growing family business which offers quality landscaping and garden maintenance services to both domestic and commercial clients. It is currently seeking a full-time, experienced landscaper to join its expanding team. The ideal candidate will have exceptional skills and experience in all aspects of landscape construction both hard and soft. They will have the ability to work on their own and as part of a team to carry out work to a specified standard and within a specified time frame. They will also be required to organise a team and delegate tasks. A driving license is essential.

The Royal Parks is a charity that supports and manages 5,000 acres of historic parkland across London. It is eager to enhance its levels of expertise as an organisation and grow the scale and scope of works that it is undertaking across its parks. As such, it is looking for a head of park operations to help it deliver the highest standards in park management. If you have a strong background in environmental or landscape services, this is an incredible opportunity to drive the success of London’s iconic green spaces. As the head of park operations, you will identify opportunities to enhance park and landscape management across the Royal Parks.

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

For more details, please go to www.horticulturecareers.co.uk

ANDRES GARCIA LANDSCAPES Location: Buckinghamshire

JM GARDEN DESIGN Location: London

CULVERHOUSE GARDENS Location: Hertfordshire

104 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

Hort Careers-2.indd 104

JM GARDEN DESIGN Location: London

ANNA’S GARDENS LTD Location: Surrey, London

FRESH HORTICULTURAL CAREERS Location: London

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 13:49

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Design, Installation & Maintenance of Landscape Irrigation Systems and Water Features

For all your golf, sportsturf and landscape irrigation needs.

Buy online at www.lws.uk.com

@waterscapesltd

Tel 0345 230 9697 • www.lws.uk.com

01963 824166 info@waterscapeslimited.com

For the Best Turf on Earth call 01759321000 or email us info@inturf.co.uk www.inturf.com

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PEOPLE

T H E L I T T L E I N T E RV I E W

PRO LANDSCAPER ASKS QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS TO GAIN A SMALL INSIGHT INTO THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP OUR INDUSTRY. TO TAKE PART, EMAIL CONTENT@ EL JAYS44.COM

106 Pro Landscaper / April 2021

Little Interviews-2.indd 106

ANN ROWLAND

LEWIS NORMAND

Director, Landscape Perspective

Sales manager, Bernhard’s Nurseries

www.landscapeperspective.co.uk

www.bernhardsnurseries.co.uk

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

Yes, I always take a notebook and write down plant combinations.

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

I was very nearly a scientist! Laser engineering and optoelectronics – I can’t see myself doing it anymore though.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Andrew Grant of Grant Associates; the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore are inspirational and I want to know how he came up with the idea.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

Being able to put a ‘value’ on landscape.

Newest gardening trend in your opinion Balcony gardening, biophilic design, wildlife gardening, permaculture.

Role model as a child?

Anita Roddick.

Couldn’t get through the week without...

Pro Landscaper!

Best invention in recent years?

Face ID so you don’t need to remember all your passwords.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Emma Thompson.

What three things would you take to a desert island?

Sleeping bag, solar powered torch, nail clippers.

Favourite tipple?

Caipirinha (Brazilian cocktail, just delicious).

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

Inspirational. At the very least I find planting partnerships that I haven’t thought of. Shows are important to drive public interest in horticulture.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

New Zealand. Hebes and other great plants in an amazing setting.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

Greater value put on the industry.

It would drive up pay and see increased public demand for quality works.

Role model as a child?

Well, He-Man, obviously, but my grandad in the real world.

Couldn’t get through the week without...

My family. I can live without anything other than them.

Best invention in recent years?

COVID-19 vaccine and graphene.

Both will change the world.

Your favourite joke?

Never criticise someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

That way, when you do criticise them, you’ll be a mile away and you’ll have their shoes!

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

18/03/2021 11:42

PEOPLE

DUG MACLEOD

NICOLA BALDWIN

M A R K TAV E R N E R

Owner, Stone Wood Water Light

Garden designer, PLOT Garden Design

Contracts manager, idverde UK

www.stonewoodwaterlight.co.uk

www.plotgardendesign.co.uk

www.idverde.co.uk

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

I would still be travelling although not sure where or how well, especially just now!

Garden shows/show gardens – inspirational or not?

Inspirational, although they often need translating to practical solutions for clients’ gardens, but that’s part of my job!

If you weren’t in the horticulture industry, what would you be doing?

Running an entertainment business, DJ.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Majorcan/Menorcan – love the rugged landscape trees and sea.

What would you blow your budget on?

A VR headset for the client so they think works are further on than they are.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Dan Pearson because he has led the way, from quite far ahead. I still use ‘The Essential Garden Book’ as my base guide/sense of direction.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

Proper soil management (construction compaction) at new build construction sites; it would resolve so many issues.

Newest gardening trend in your opinion Gardening – my clients are switching from having a garden to gardening.

Best invention in recent years?

E-PRANCE coffee filter.

Your most used saying or cliché “I should be able to…”

Karaoke song of choice?

‘I Built This Garden For Us’ by Lenny Kravitz – like to play it for the client at the end of each project, never comes across as weird!

www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

At different extremes but the Highlands of Scotland and Tuscany.

What would you blow your budget on?

An orchard and a walled garden.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Does Jo Whiley count? Otherwise, Nicholas Culpeper to discuss his herbal remedies.

One thing that you think would make the industry better?

A workable, environmentally friendly solution to reusing and recycling black plastic plant pots.

Favourite tipple?

Weakness for whisky but also red and white wine - but not all together!

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Well, the last online lookalike match I did came up with Jay-Z! Yes, I am a middleaged white woman!

What three things would you take to a desert island?

Boat, Ben Fogle, matches.

Your favourite joke?

What do you call a magic dog?

A labracadabrador.

Other than the UK, which country’s landscape inspires you the most?

Japan.

What would you blow your budget on?

Trees and wildflower schemes.

The one person in the industry you’d love to meet?

Alan Titchmarsh.

Newest gardening trend in your opinion?

Wildflower habitats, insect hotels and the like.

Role model as a child?

My grandfather, who grew all his own plants and vegetables.

Couldn’t get through the week without...

The support of my teams at work.

Your most used saying or cliché You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Favourite tipple?

Cider.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

Michael Caine.

What three things would you take to a desert island?

My reclining armchair, my family and my music collection.

Pro Landscaper / April 2021 107

18/03/2021 11:47

Sun. Shade.

Shelter.

★★★★★

Winner BEST GARDEN BUY

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