Pro Landscaper recently met Chris Harrington and James Porter, owners of Harrington Porter Landscapes based in Fulham, south west London, to talk about how the business started, their partnership and the work they undertake
James, when did you set up the business? We started the business in October 2002. We met through mutual friends who were renovating a restaurant and we were both doing decorating work there. We were moaning about ‘bosses’ and working for other people and Chris discussed wanting to set up his own business. I was at a crossroads, we met for a drink and the rest is history. We started a few weeks later, both young lads really, with little other than a few quid, some basic tools and our hands, we bought a beaten up old pick-up for £1,000 and set to work. Chris, was your background in landscaping? It was a combination of art and horticulture. I started a graphic design course at university, but it was coursework based and I wasn’t one for the classroom back then. I’d worked on building sites through school holidays and by coincidence fell in with a garden designer while on the look out for some cash work, before I knew anything about the London landscaping scene. She was an old-school ‘gardener’ and I had my eyes opened to plants and horticulture which was a lovely change from a cement mixer and a broom. I enjoyed the combination of hard graft, the variety of working outdoors in different types of garden, the artistic element and the satisfaction
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Let's Hear it From NEW.indd 25
James Porter (left) and Chris Harrington
Let’s Hear it From
HARRINGTON PORTER of seeing an end product on a daily basis. Before too long a friend of a friend was looking to have a redesign of their garden in Notting Hill. I went to see it and somehow they were convinced by what I was talking about. The budget was £8,000, which at that time seemed like millions. I roped James in to help (I like reminding him he used to work for me!), we did the best job we knew how, and our good working relationship was the basis for starting up our business a few months later.
James, what about you? My dad had a big garden when I was growing up. I loved helping him so I was used to doing gardening work and lots of it. I also enjoyed being outside, working with my hands and seeing an end product. When did the business start to be successful? Chris: It depends on how you define success but there have been a few landmark moments. Getting work through word of mouth would be one. We started on the tools ourselves and we must have been fairly decent at it because we landed repeat work without any advertising. Then as jobs became larger, more frequent and more skilled we needed extra pairs of hands. One of the turning points was when we hired a couple of Polish lads. We soon realised they were significantly better than our ‘out of work’ mates – skilled, hardworking and keen. So the standard of our work improving would, for me, be a sign of success. Thereafter design and building any garden on budget, on time and with a happy client is a mark of success in my book. James: It took a while to get into a position where we made money. We started in our twenties Pro Landscaper / August 2016 25
20/07/2016 10:50