Issuu

THE

LONDON SUPPLEMENT 2022

The Olympic Park: CELEBRATING

10 YEARS

Cover.indd 8

14/07/2022 15:06

PROVENDER Plant Healthy

London supplement adverts.indd 10

making London

green

Provender Nurseries, The Landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS T: 01322 662315 E: sales@provendernurseries.co.uk W: www.provendernurseries.co.uk

14/07/2022 13:51

WELCOME

THE

LONDON SUPPLEMENT 2022

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

CONTACT

t’s hard to believe that it has been an entire decade since the 2012 Olympic Games. Those who simply ventured near Stratford at the time will remember the buzz before and during the Games, as Team GB had its most successful Olympics in more than 100 years. And better yet, there was to be a legacy once the Games came to a close. Having spent a sizeable sum transforming that part of East London into a park fit to host such a prolific event, those who ploughed money into the various facilities wanted something to show for it long after the closing ceremony. So, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was created. There are some who say that the legacy promised by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which acts as the planning authority for the area, has failed to deliver on its promises, though. And perhaps from a housing point of view, they’d be right. A scathing article published recently in The Guardian said that of the 30-40,000 new homes promised, only 13,000 have been since created on and around the site, with just 11% of these being “genuinely affordable to people on average local incomes”.

Eljays44 Ltd 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA Tel: 01903 777 570

ADVERTISING

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION

Sales manager – Millie Genner millie.genner@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 582

Subscription enquiries – Joe Wilkinson joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 587

EDITORIAL

Senior sales executive – Daniel Riley daniel.riley@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 583

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

Head of content – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 393 Features writer – Coren Farley coren.farley@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 398 Editorial assistant – Jessa Dean-Hill jessica.dean-hill@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Senior 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 kara.thomas@eljays44.com

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Introduction.indd 3

The Guardian’s headline – ‘A massive betrayal’: how London’s Olympic legacy was sold out – is unlikely to have been what the LLDC was hoping for on its 10th anniversary. But is it fair to only look at the legacy from a housing perspective? For me personally, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was a green respite during the first lockdown more than two years ago. And when I visit the park now, there are people of all ages, backgrounds and interests using its facilities, whether that be playing table tennis, enjoying a picnic on one of the many greens, or sipping a cup of coffee outside one of its cafes. For the landscaping industry, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has been hugely influential, acting as an exemplar of urban greening and how a brownfield site can be transformed into a brilliantly biodiverse habitat. If we’re looking at where the Park perhaps failed on its promises – and I’m not saying these should be ignored – it’s also important to look at where it succeeded, and its legacy as a walking or running route, as a green space for families to gather, as a place for pollinators, or as a space for solitude and reflection. It was to be a new urban park for the residents of East London and beyond, and it has become exactly that.

Horticulture Careers – Mark Wellman mark.wellman@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 574 Director of development – Jessica McCabe jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 588 Chairman – Jim Wilkinson jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 589 Editorial director – Lisa Wilkinson lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 579 Managing Director – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 585

Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2022 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.

Nina 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 Chairman Jim Wilkinson Director Lisa Wilkinson Managing Director Jamie Wilkinson

Cover photograph: ©Paul Scott/Front Elevation

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 13:59

CONTENTS

CONTENTS 6

On the Drawing Board

©Glenn Howells Architects

The vital projects taking London to new heights

The Summer of Superbloom The Tower of London's moat transformed

Interview: Garden Club London With managing director, Tony Woods

Interview: The Gardenists

6 12

With managing director, Simon Kitchin

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park An in-depth look at its legacy 10 years on

Portfolio: Historic Heights Bowles & Wyer's rejuvenation of 78 St James' Street

Portfolio: Tropical Paradise Gillespies designed pure tranquility at this panoramic sky garden

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Contents.indd 4

©Paul Scott

Portfolio: Under the Olive Trees Mike Harvey Gardens maximised on planting at this Richmond residence

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 16:37

CONTENTS

Company Profile: Everedge Peter Hughes explains how the company has grown since the 2012 Olympic Games

©Historical Royal Palaces

How GreenBlue Urban’s products were integral to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Company Profile: Hillier Nurseries Ltd A look at the successes and challenges of delivering a plant contract on the scale required for the QEOP

51 45 ©Paul Upward

Company Profile: GreenBlue Urban

Company Profile: mmcité mmcité shares highlights from producing street furniture that can now be spotted all across London

Company Profile: Palmstead Learn how Palmstead’s plants were integral to the Olympic Park

Operating in London with more than 25 years of experience

43 51

39 PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Contents.indd 5

Company Profile: Van den Berk Trees

Company Profile: Woodscape Exploring the Olympic Park's lasting impact on Woodscape

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 16:38

ROUNDUP CLITTERHOUSE PLAYING FIELDS

KGX1 ©Google/Hayes Davidson

In the pipeline for a few years now, Google’s headquarter building in King’s Cross is now set for completion in 2024. The £1bn “groundscraper”, known as KGX1, will be the first wholly owned and designed building for the tech giant outside of the US. Updated plans were unveiled this year, giving the public a glimpse of what the ground floor will look like – and it’s impressive. The detailed designs show how the 250m of store front and the community, education and event space could look, with both established and growing brands to feature as well as a market hall for small businesses.

BARNET

Argent Related and Barnet Council, who are jointly delivering the new £7bn, 180-acre north London neighbourhood at Brent Cross Town, have selected landscape architecture practice Gustafson Porter + Bowman to design the 44-acre Clitterhouse Playing Fields. The reimagined playing fields will be home to a wide variety of new sport and play facilities, a new pedestrian and cycle network as well as designated spots for picnics and gatherings.

OLD OAK COMMON

CAMDEN

HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM

©HS2 Ltd

Since 2017, preparations have been ongoing for construction of Old Oak Common, a 14-platform station set to become a super-hub for transport. Being built as part of the controversial wider HS2 project, Old Oak Common could drive regeneration around it in West London, and a new public square will be created outside the station entrance.

ON THE

EXPLORING THE DEVELOPMENTS HOPING TO TAKE LONDON TO THE NEXT LEVEL

DRAWING BOARD 6

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Roundup.indd 6

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 11:14

ROUNDUP FINSBURY CIRCUS GARDEN

CITY OF LONDON

©Roberto La Rosa/Shutterstock.com

Plans to turn London’s oldest public park into a “haven for people and wildlife” have been given the green light. The two-acre Grade II listed Finsbury Circus Gardens, which dates back to 1606, is the Square Mile’s largest park. Designs for an ‘urban forest’ in the west of the park, skirted by a new oval-shaped pathway, were backed by the City of London Corporation’s Planning and Transportation Committee. The design team – Hackney-based Architecture 00 + Studio Weave (00SW), are partnering with ReardonSmith Landscape to support with delivering the scheme.

MILLENNIUM MILLS NEWHAM

Not too long ago, London’s historic Royal Docks became home to City Hall. Now, work is due to get underway on a £3.5bn neighbourhood in West Silvertown, which is set to become a vibrant town centre for the Royal Docks. Led by The Silvertown Partnership, the joint venture between Lendlease and Starwood Capital will include seven million square feet of residential and commercial space, public parks and improved access to the water.

BIODIVERSITY BOOST IN CANARY WHARF TOWER HAMLETS

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Roundup.indd 7

©Glenn Howells Architects

The Eden Project and Canary Wharf Group have together launched a unique partnership to tackle the lack of biodiversity in urban environments. Canary Wharf will be the Eden Project’s “London base”, with the first project between the two being to introduce a green spine through the centre of Canary Wharf. Award-winning architects, Glenn Howells Architects, will assist in developing an overall masterplan vision for the existing public realm and waterways at Canary Wharf.

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 11:14

FEATURE

THE

SUMMER SUPERBLOOM OF

WE VISITED SUPERBLOOM JUST BEFORE IT OPENED, AND WHILST THE WILDFLOWERS WERE STRUGGLING TO BLOOM, IT’S THE LEGACY OF THE INSTALLATION WHICH IS SET TO INSPIRE

hen the eagerly anticipated transformation of the Tower of London’s moat opened to the public at the start of June, it faced widespread criticism. Promised a swathe of wildflowers spreading across the moat, visitors were disappointed to see a lack of colour. A dry and windy few months leading up

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Superbloom.indd 8

to the grand opening had delayed the millions of wildflower seeds sown coming into flower. The site had certainly faced adversity; even when it first opened on a supposedly summer day, the weather was dreary with the threat of rain. But Superbloom, as the installation is called, remains an impressive feat, and could have a lasting impact beyond this summer.

Transforming the Tower of London Created to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Superbloom is not the first time the moat has been used for an impressive display. It was transformed into a sea of poppies in 2014, for instance, to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. But this is the first time the moat has been open to the public

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

13/07/2022 16:18

FEATURE

is the biggest change to the moat since the 1840s, when the Duke of Wellington had the moat drained. Despite Superbloom being installed this year to mark 70 years of Her Majesty being on the throne, it’s the start of a long-term transformation of the moat by the charity that runs the Tower, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP). The site is archaeologically sensitive, though, with remains beneath the soil dating back to Roman times. The principal contractor for the installation, Landform Consultants, was unable to dig down as a result. Instead, 10,800 metric tonnes of soil were transported into the moat, after which 20 million seeds supplied by Pictorial Meadows were sewn at the end of March, with a planting scheme designed to attract pollinators. Designing the journey Andrew Grant of Grant Associates, which was brought on board to design the scheme, wanted to create different areas of interest as visitors move around the moat. Their journey starts in the expansive west moat before they move into the more intimate north moat, ending their journey in the east moat where the focus is on the view of Tower Bridge. “Every part of the journey is different, and every part has a different microclimate which has influenced how some of the seeds have performed so far,” says Andrew, going

As you can imagine, creating a whole landscape from seeds isn’t without its own risks, and it has been stressful with the spring that we’ve had some way to explaining why Superbloom was arguably less than ‘super’ at the start. When we visited the day before the official opening, there were signs of colour coming through and bees were starting to buzz around the flowers. And today, as we write this amidst a scorching heatwave, Superbloom is living up to its name. It was also always the plan that the flowers would grow at different rates. Unpredictable weather conditions might have delayed this somewhat, but planting designer Nigel Dunnett chose species that would provide varying layers throughout the opening months. Sowing the seeds The moat was divided into 350 rectangles into which went 15 different seed mixes comprised of 29 varieties of plants including Gypsophila elegans, Shirley poppies, Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Daydream’, and two varieties of chrysanthemums. Nigel Dunnett, Professor of Planting Design and Urban Horticulture at the University of Sheffield, says: “As you can imagine, creating a whole landscape from seeds isn’t without its own risks, and it has been stressful with the spring that we’ve had… “This is going to change dramatically, not just in terms of colour but in terms of height

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Superbloom.indd 9

and that really is what we’re trying to achieve as you walk through these meandering paths. You’ll not only be surrounded by the spectre of the flowers, but you’ll be engulfed by them, and you’ll be walking through an incredible experience. So yes, it’s been challenging but it’s hugely exciting to just start to see the first glimpses of what it’s going to be like throughout the whole of the summer.” Entering to moat There are a couple of options for starting the journey around Superbloom, the first being via the ramp, created for long-term accessibility. Visitors enter alongside The Queen’s Garden,

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 16:21

FEATURE

which sits above the moat at ground level. As well as the creating the carpet of wildflowers, HRP asked Grant Associates to design a more formal garden on the Tower’s bowling green that would speak more directly to the Queen. The multi-award-winning firm’s design was inspired by the Queen’s coronation gown, created by Normal Hartnell. “The key thing for us was, how do we get a flower connection to the coronation? And the gown was the perfect

reference for that because Norman Hartnell threaded a whole load of flowers which were quite symbolic for different parts of the Home Nations and the dominions that were linked to the British world at that time,” explains Andrew Grant. Silver foliage and soft flowers represent colours on the original gown, and for the dominions, Grant Associates commissioned Kent-based glass sculpture artist Max Jacquard to create a standout piece of 12 stained-glass forms representing the national emblems, including the thistle of Scotland, the Australian wattle and Canadian maple leaf. A glass crown sits at the centre, representing the Tower’s role as home of the Crown Jewels.

Sliding into Superbloom As visitors walk down the ramp from the Queen’s Garden, they’ll come across the second option for entering the moat – on a hessian mat down a four-lane slide gifted to Superbloom by the National Trust. The area at the bottom of the slide was used for storing materials and machinery up until three weeks before the site opened, so no wildflowers could be planted here. Instead, Grant Associates linked the slide with planting either side. Moving from the west moat to the north moat, the path features ‘pods’, or areas where the path curves inwards slightly to give visitors the impression of stepping into the installation and being amongst the wildflowers. As they edge closer to the north moat, they will start

Whilst Superbloom itself might only be open until mid-September, the Tower of London’s moat will continue to be a biodiverse haven for wildlife in the heart of the city to hear ‘Music for Growing Flowers’, a score written by Scottish composer Erland Copper which is designed to blend in with the sounds of the city rather than hide them and depicts the lifecycle of a plant, from seed to pollination.

At the start of the east moat, there is a willow structure designed by Warwickshire artist Spencer Jenkins called ‘The Nest’ which frames Tower Bridge and looks out upon the final part of the Superbloom installation, a handcrafted copper and brass sculpture of dragonflies, bees and butterflies created by sculptor Mehrdad Tafreshi. Lasting legacy It’s a carefully curated journey, and its influence goes beyond the Tower of London – beyond London, in fact. Superbloom was to be an educational project as well as inspirational, so schools across the UK were asked to grow along with it. HRP sent out 17,112 packets of seeds to the 1,500 schools which signed up, from the Shetlands down to the Channel Islands, so pupils could plant their own Superbloom gardens. Superbloom’s lead sponsor Burberry, a British luxury fashion brand headquartered in London, took its partnership with HRP beyond the Tower of London with a series of installations, including a floating meadow on the River Thames. And whilst Superbloom might only be open until mid-September, the Tower of London’s moat will continue to be a biodiverse haven for wildlife in the heart of the city. It might have failed to impress on its first day, but long-term thinking is needed to appreciate just how impactful it could be for future urban greening. It showcases not just how any green space, no matter how central, can thrive, but also how unpredictable nature can be and could be a key learning tool in managing the public’s expectations of how a landscape needs time to nurture and to have long-term benefits in the capital. Photographs ©Historical Royal Palaces

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Superbloom.indd 10

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

13/07/2022 16:27

Gold and Be st Constructio n Award (Show Gard en) at the RHS Chelsea Flow er Show 2022

MEDITE SMARTPLY ®

Building the Future

MEDITE® SMARTPLY® showcased its sustainable and innovative product range in the ‘Building the Future’ garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2022. Partnering with acclaimed garden designer Sarah Eberle, the garden won two prestigious awards: Gold and Best Construction Award (Show Garden). The garden was themed around sustainability and the multiple applications and versatility of MEDITE® SMARTPLY® products. MEDITE® SMARTPLY® is committed to manufacturing products that contribute to sustainable building.

The revolutionary MEDITE® TRICOYA® EXTREME (MTX) was the centrepiece of the garden structure. MTX is an innovative panel that has taken the construction, landscaping and design world by storm. Guaranteed for up to 50 years in the face of the elements and 25 years below ground, this high performance wood-based panel is incredibly versatile and can be used for planters, garden rooms, sculptures, playgrounds, building façades, furniture; your imagination is the only limit!

Join the MEDITE MDF community online to receive the latest updates and a sign up gift: meditemakesitreal.com

To find out more about MTX, please visit: www.mdfosb.com/mtx Dreamers welcome!

London supplement adverts.indd 14

14/07/2022 16:26

INTERVIEW

DECADE MANAGING DIRECTOR TONY WOODS SHARES GARDEN CLUB LONDON’S GROWTH AND SUCCESS OVER THE LAST DECADE

IN THE

CITY

arden Club London is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. The award-winning garden design company has been creating beautiful outdoor spaces tailored to their unique environments for the last decade, from urban rooftop gardens to extraordinary show gardens, including the RHS gold medal winner Urban Flow. The company’s biggest development, managing director Tony Woods tells us, has been the people. “We have only been able to grow because we have had the right people to learn, progress, and manage the quality of our work,” he says. “We have been brave with how the company is structured. It is always hard to let go of aspects of your own business, particularly when it involves design, but you can’t move forwards and grow unless you do that. It is important to have the right systems in place, as well as the right guidance and advice along the way.” It has also tackled the growing skills shortage in the garden design industry. “We had to find suitable people to teach the next generation new skills. We worked hard to build a framework where people can join with no skills at all. All they need is an appropriate attitude, a willingness to learn, and a passion for working outside. The most important thing for us is to nurture these people so they can develop their skillset, and that in turn allows the rest of the business to grow.”

We have only been able to grow because we have had the right people to learn, progress, and manage the quality of our work One of the company’s highlights is its first BALI National Landscape Award. “We were the new kids on the block, and we didn’t think we would have enough experience to join BALI. Winning the Principal Award absolutely blew us away. It is an experience that will stay with me and others at the company for the rest of our lives and careers.” Tony attributes part of his company’s success to having the most appropriate

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Garden Club London.indd 12

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

13/07/2022 17:09

INTERVIEW

Winning the Principal Award absolutely blew us away. It is an experience that will stay with me and others at the company for the rest of our lives and careers

Tony Woods

It is technically past its liveable life from when we designed it, but it is still being maintained and developed. It has formed a critical part of the community; nursery schools and primary schools use it, the elderly use it, people who work in offices nearby do exercise and yoga there. We have transformed a barren, grey empty space into something that has positively impacted a lot of peoples’ lives.” At the time of writing, Garden Club London is building a show garden at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival. Tony has taken a step back from the project to give his team further opportunity for growth. “I think that is really important in terms of developing the team. It has given them greater pride in what they do. We have one of our younger designers leading the project, and the team also has some of our younger landscapers. It has been an experimental

process; I let them learn from watching me, and they take that knowledge and use it with their own ideas. They get to have ownership of the design, the stress, and the schedule.”

1 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 – Gold medal 2 BALI Employer Excellence Award 2021 3 BALI award-winning roof garden

clientele. “My biggest learning curve was learning to say no, particularly to clients,” he explains. “It has helped the business to grow so we can win our ideal clients. It is better to let someone down at the beginning of their enquiry rather than getting to the stage where you are designing and building something, but you can’t give the client exactly what they want for their budget.” These ideal clients have truly helped the company to flourish. “My biggest satisfaction comes from serving clients who have a good budget and really, really enjoy gardening and nature. They know how important it is for their kids to grow up in a good environment. They value landscaping as much as they value their nice new kitchen or bathroom.” The company has also designed gardens to serve the wider community. Its Floating Pocket Park in Paddington has benefited numerous social groups. “In terms of scale, engineering and ingenuity, it was probably the most standout project. It is talked about in universities around the world.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Garden Club London.indd 13

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 17:09

INTERVIEW

Show garden construction has played an important role in the company’s expansion. “A lot of visitors think that if you do Chelsea then you instantly get 20 really nice projects from it. But for us it was more about the long-term exposure and the connections you get with journalists and developers. This year we worked with Hamptons International, which has been really good for getting other connections outside show gardens.

You need to have the right people who are nurtured and know where they are going “Building show gardens, for me, has been really good because I have been able to work solidly for three weeks with the whole team,” adds Tony. “I have been able to get to know people literally at a grassroots level. I learn how they work, what they do at the weekend –

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Garden Club London.indd 14

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

13/07/2022 17:10

INTERVIEW

all the things that, as a business grows, you never get to talk about.” Tony is excited for the future of the business and its upcoming projects too. “Next month we fly to Singapore for the Singapore Garden Festival. It will be a completely different experience because we won’t be building the garden. We will be overseeing a contractor in the tropics and dealing with totally different plants. It is slightly daunting, but it is exciting as well. It is an honour to be asked to compete on the world stage and represent the UK at that level.” The future success of the company depends on its employees, though. “A lot of the development of the company has been about having a culture in place that allows people to improve. You need to have the right people who are nurtured and know where they are going. We put a lot of effort into supporting employees with their health and mental health. We do a lot of social activities and additional training; we have got a lot of things going on that provide cross-department interaction. That is really important for everyone. “We also want to keep developing our design team. We want Garden Club London

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Garden Club London.indd 15

to be known for creating gardens with any brief, rather than having a distinctive style that allows you to immediately identify the designer. That sentiment trickles down to the build team as well. They know they are not going work with the same materials and shapes for every garden. They are going to do something different and learn every time.”

We want Garden Club London to be known for creating gardens with any brief Ten years in, Garden Club London has become one of the most prolific players in its field, and by taking care of the team and giving them the opportunity to take the reins, Tony is ensuring the company continues to grow over the next 10 years, and more.

4 The Garden Club London office 5 RHS Hampton Court 2019 – Gold medal 6 RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 – Gold medal

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 17:10

INTERVIEW

PATHWAY TO

PERFECTIONISM MANAGING DIRECTOR SIMON KITCHIN HAS BUILT THE GARDENISTS TO BE A RESOUNDING SUCCESS IN JUST TWO YEARS

imon Kitchin is a self-confessed workaholic. It’s probably a quest for perfectionism, he admits – and it’s a quest which is arguably paying off. In the two years since it was founded, The Gardenists has grown to a 20-strong team working in the most prestigious areas of London. Few people would have considered leaving a company after 15 years to start a new company during the pandemic, though; particularly one at which they were thriving. Simon was managing director at reputable design and build company Randle Siddeley but left in 2020 to pursue his own venture, just moments before the COVID-19 lockdown – a decision which he says in hindsight could easily have been the ‘harbinger of doom’. “In many ways, though, it was actually a bit of a comfort because it took the pressure off everyone a bit; if you are trying to start a company in such difficult conditions, there

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Interview Gardenists.indd 16

are no expectations that it’s going to fly from day one. You’re less burdened with responsibility,” explains Simon. It did fly, though, regardless of a global pandemic – or perhaps partly because of it, as the British public turned to their gardens as sanctuaries during various lockdowns. “Had we been in any other industry, making those same decisions, it could have been catastrophically ill-timed. So, sometimes through that process I looked back at decisions I made 30 years ago going into horticulture, and thought how it was one of those industries almost universally unaffected by COVID-19.” Fortunately, those working in the construction industry were able to continue working, and it brought about “a bit of a boom for gardening,” says Simon. “I think we all felt extraordinarily grateful for the industry that we were in. At the same time, it’s hard to remain unaffected emotionally by all the pain that so many other industries were going through. When we rented

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 15:21

INTERVIEW

offices here in Clapham, there was an events company, a theatre production company, and all those industries which had shut down, and so people were moving out of their offices and downsizing, and we were in the opposite situation. So, we had mixed feelings.” The Gardenists could have easily been in the same situation, had the landscaping industry faced the same restrictions as so many others, and so it’s perhaps difficult to understand why Simon left a wellestablished company and took a leap of faith. “If I’m being candid with you, I was just about to turn 50, and having spent 15 years with a successful company, I needed to make

We felt that we would rather have a smaller team who were able to focus on fewer projects and deliver a higher quality product a decision about what I was going to do with the next 15 years or hopefully more of my working life. So, it was partly legacy based. I was very fortunate to have been working at the very top end of the landscaping and garden design industry, and that’s not an opportunity that many get. Hay (Hwang, garden designer and founder of Hay Designs] and I decided that we would like to leave our mark on the landscaping industry. I had helped steer the growth of a company to 100+ people, and I think the truth is that I was always frustrated that there were a lot of people that I knew, who were really exceptional talents within the industry but were being asked to bring that expertise to bear on too many projects. I have seen it across a wide range of industries, but the larger a company becomes, the higher the chance of the quality of the end-product being compromised. So, we felt that we would rather have a smaller team of carefully selected members with the experience and expertise 1 Minimalistic city garden ©Mischa Haller 2 The LG Smart Garden, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016 ©Georgina Viney 3 Hay Hwang and Simon Kitchin ©Georgina Viney

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Interview Gardenists.indd 17

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 15:22

INTERVIEW

who were able to focus on fewer projects and deliver a higher quality product.” For The Gardenists, the goal is for each of the principals to have a hand in each project, seeing it through from inception to handover and striving for perfectionism. After all, the team works in the most affluent areas of the capital, including Chelsea, Westminster, Knightsbridge and St John’s Wood. One project which really stands out for Simon is one where the client was particularly receptive to creative solutions. “The whole of the back of the house was basically one glass wall; you could see the garden from every aspect, so it had work seamlessly internally and externally, and I think we managed to achieve that. “We had interior planting and some artificial interior green walls flowing through the glass to the living green walls with the same lighting patterns running from inside to you. It really was a success story for us, which couldn’t happen without clients engaging and buying into that process as well.” The Gardenists will venture outside of London too for the right project. “Geography does play a part, but it’s more the quality and the character of the gardens and really where our expertise can be brought to bear on a project to make a difference.”

We all have enough of an input to keep tweaking a design and never resting on our laurels. If the design that you came up with six months ago needs changing, then change it For instance, the team is currently working on a 200-acre estate for a private client in Hampshire, who had seen The LG Garden Simon and Hay had created at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2018. There are around 18 projects on the drawing board at the moment, and just two years in, Simon is immensely proud of what the company has achieved and the projects it has completed to date. “We all have enough of

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Interview Gardenists.indd 18

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 15:27

INTERVIEW

an input to keep tweaking a design and never resting on our laurels. If the design that you came up with six months ago needs changing, then change it! “Our approach to having a smaller team with higher quality people means we are always challenging ourselves and our thoughts, and we often have team meetings even once we’ve delivered the work stage of that project to see if there is anything that is bugging us and if there are any tweaks we can make. In a smaller studio, it’s easier to do that, and I think having that approach inspires the team more.” Being based in Clapham ( just a short walk from the prolific Clapham Common) allows the team to respond quickly to clients too, if there are any queries and a site visit is needed. It’s one of the big advantages of the company being based in London, says Simon. There are hurdles to overcome too, of course. From parking to getting materials to site to accessing the gardens themselves. “I would say 90% of the projects we work on don’t have access to their garden other than through their house, so every six weeks or so we are putting in a crane and a road closure to try to get materials to the gardens or suspending parking bays and dropping materials in bulk and putting resource, a dozen or so people, to get materials through the back.” After years of working in London – not just Simon, but most of his team – these are all challenges which The Gardenists is more than adept to handle. This experience and expertise, as well as the high standard of work, has allowed the company to have created a reputation of the principals in the company being trustworthy and reliable, explains Simon. “I’ve always been proud of the fact that we’ve been very open and honest and straightforward with our clients and the people within the industry who we have the good fortune to work with – the architects, the interior designers, the costs consultants and the engineers. A project doesn’t really stand out unless everyone in the design team is pulling together.” The Gardenists’ projects do stand out, fortunately, and Simon shares that it has allowed the company to reach a level which it expected to take upwards of five years to reach. The focus now is not to grow in terms of team size but to enhance areas of the business, such

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Interview Gardenists.indd 19

as lines of communication, the structure and mentorship. “The next couple of years will be embedding the team, encouraging training internally and externally, and making sure that everything works. We want to continue creating unique gardens that are full of passion, care and consideration.” And like most companies in London and further afield, The Gardenists will be looking at ways to reduce its carbon footprint going forward. “If we are not, as landscape architects and garden designers, setting a standard for everyone else to try to live by and work to, then we have problems. “We are now halfway through transitioning to an electric fleet, and will be fully electric by the end of the year, which I think is an important message to send. I know it’s difficult, and that charging stations are not on everyone’s doorstep, but it’s our responsibility and our burden to encourage people and start sending that message. “So, unique designs in a sustainable fashion is the goal for the next three to five years – to perfect that process.” Which, for a man continuously striving for perfectionism, comes as no surprise. 4-5 The LG Eco-City Garden, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 ©Georgina Viney 6 Green wall in a contemporary city garden ©Mischa Haller 7 Simon Kitchin and Hay Hwang ©Georgina Viney

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 15:28

Simon Orchard Garden Design and Photography

Biotecture, Canary Wharf, Place Photography

Eco-friendly Made in the UK from 100% recycled materials

Modular, stackable, easy to assemble

Free standing, only requires restraint fixings

Integrated water reservoir

Overflow watering system

Tells you when to top up

London supplement adverts.indd 9

14/07/2022 11:30

FEATURE

10 YEARS ON: I

IS THERE A

LASTING LEGACY? WE VISITED THE QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK AHEAD OF THE FOUR-DAY JUBILEE WEEKEND TO DISCOVER FOR OURSELVES THE LEGACY OF THIS ICONIC PARKLAND

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Feature Olympic Park.indd 21

t will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest moments in British sporting history. In just 44 minutes, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah each won a gold medal in front of a rapturous home crowd at the London 2012 Olympics. The unforgettable moment has since been known as Super Saturday. These gold medals were three of a whopping 29 that Team GB won that year and were part of a 65-medal total. Those who were on the edge of their seat watching as Greg Rutherford leaped for victory might find it difficult to believe that his feet landed in the winning spot in the long jump an entire decade ago. Lasting for around four weeks, Team GB’s performance in the London Olympics and Paralympic Games of 2012 continues to bring a sense of pride to Brits nationwide. But this is not the only legacy of these Games. Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London at the time of London’s successful bid to host the Games in 2005, admitted he did not bid for the Olympics for the sport. “I bid for the Olympics because it’s the only way to get the billions

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 16:41

FEATURE

of pounds out of the Government to develop the East End – to clean the soil, put in the infrastructure and build the housing.” His plan worked. Stratford was transformed into a state-of-the-art venue for the Games, but most importantly with a plan to turn it into the largest urban park to have been created in the UK for around 150 years once the closing ceremony had taken place. There were bold

There’s a legacy, and it’s a legacy that’s been maintained promises of regenerating this area of East London, with new homes, many of which would be affordable, and a robust landscape that would be a welcoming environment for both people and wildlife. Ten years on from the Games, has the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP) achieved its desired legacy? And what could the next decade have in store? First, let’s rewind to before £9bn was spent on bringing the Olympic Games to London. One of the most iconic structures in Stratford was ‘Fridge Mountain’, a 20ft-tall tower of white goods, sitting atop a 200-acre brownfield site. It

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Feature Olympic Park.indd 22

was a “waste ground,” says Christopher James, contract manager at idverde, which maintains the majority of the QEOP. Christopher was on the site in early 2011 working for a different contractor before joining The Landscape Group (which won the initial bid and has since been acquired by idverde). He has been involved in the park ever since; when it first started maintaining the park in 2013 throughout the ‘Transformation’ phase to when it took over the maintenance

of whole park from 1 April 2014 and to now when idverde is looking to re-tender, as the green service provider’s “flagship contract” contract comes to a close next year. Ahead of the Games themselves in July 2012, the site was cleared, and 14 venues were created, as well as 20km of new roads, 13km of tunnels, 26 bridges and 80ha of parkland. Once the Paralympic Games – in which ParalympicsGB had celebrated reaching third on the medal table – had come to a close, an 18-month programme began to transform the 560-acre site. It was to become a green hub for East London, for both the existing residents in the area but also for new residents, with plans for five new neighbourhoods in the area. The more naturalistic north of the Park opened first, exactly one year after the Olympics first began on 27 July, and the more formal south of the park – which includes Piet Oudolf’s prairie-style Pleasure Gardens – opened the following year, in April 2014. “The Games were definitely important for the area, but the redevelopment and the park itself has been really good for the local economy and visitors and it’s put East London on the map,” says Christopher. And it’s ongoing too. As with any park, the site is evolving. “Some of the planting regimes that you can see are changing because it had to be wonderful from July through to September in 2012, but obviously that then has to be changed over time for the longer term,” explains Neal Glucksmann-Smith, who

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 16:41

FEATURE

volunteered to help with the Games in 2012, then led community-guided tours of the park is now customer services and volunteer duty manager. “There’s a legacy, and it’s a legacy that’s been maintained” Sitting in the park, at the Change Please café in the north of the park, it’s difficult to argue against there being a legacy, at least in terms of how the park is used. People of all ages are sitting at café, there’s a teenager and her dad playing table tennis, a group taking part in a mobility class. There are cyclists, runners and dog walkers – all on a day when the weather is unpredictable. It took a while after the Games closed to attract people to the park, though. The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), which inherited the park in 2012 from the Olympic Development Authority, had to work hard to reach out to the communities around the park and further afield to let them know that the park was no longer ticketed to enter; that it was free and for everyone to use. It’s efforts paid off, and the visitors to the park are gradually growing and changing, says Peter Tudor, director of operations and venues at the QEOP. It’s no longer just about visitors either, but residents too, as the planned neighbourhoods are at various stages in their development. The first neighbourhood, Cheltenham Manor, is nearing completion and welcomed its first residents in 2015. East Wick is under construction, with Sweetwater soon to be, and East Village has had residents since 2013. On top of residents, the construction of a new ‘culture and education district’ where the water polo arena used to be is bringing in big names such as the BBC, Sadler’s Wells and the V&A, as well University College London and UAL’s London College of Fashion. Spread across three sites, it is set to bring an additional 1.5 million visitors to the park, create more than 2,500 jobs and generate £1.5bn for the local economy. There are the entertainment aspects of the site too, such as the London Stadium and a new concert venue. “Just last week, ABBA opened their arena down in south park; that will bring 3,000 people a day, sometimes 6,000 people a day, for the next two or three years, we hope. But then eventually, we’ll build more homes there. So, the evolution will carry on.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Feature Olympic Park.indd 23

The Games was definitely important for the area, but the redevelopment and the park itself has been really good for the local economy and visitors and it’s put East London on the map On the other hand, East Bank will bring a night-time economy that we don’t really have yet,” explains Peter. “But really, it is all about a space to come and relax and kick a ball about, enjoy the park and the landscape, which was already here, and that was the big surprise of 2012; for people who had a ticket, you came in and there was this gorgeous park as well.

“But one we’ve added to. We have the Blossom Garden behind us, which is the commemorative area for the after the pandemic. For everybody local, especially as it’s mostly flats around here, this was the place to come and get your exercise and soak up the fresh air. So, although our visitor numbers drastically reduced during the pandemic, there were plenty of people here every day.”

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 16:41

FEATURE

The QEOP is into its third masterplan now, explains Dr Phil Askew, director of landscape and placemaking at Peabody, who was brought on board in 2009, when the design process “had really just been kicked off” with LDA Design and Hargreaves Associates. The first masterplan covered the construction for the Games and the second looked at the ‘Transformation’, the two-year phase post-Games. So, the park has always been designed with a legacy in mind; in fact, 75p of every pound was spent on the legacy, says Phil. “We worked with some extraordinary people like Nigel

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Feature Olympic Park.indd 24

Dunnett and James Hitchmough, soil scientist Tim O’Hare and many others to get it right. “The park was really trying to set out some new principles or approaches particularly given climate change, and it has been a leader in that respect.” Take the trees. “They have a really good tree cover there now and that’s because we put so much effort into getting the planting of the trees right. Things which were quite innovative at the time, like planting Dutch elm disease resistant elm…The park sets out some ways of looking at urban green space which can be developed upon.”

Part of the legacy plans was to use the new landscape to improve the biodiversity of the area. Its current Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) runs for five years up t0 2024, and is currently being put in place by Thomas Bellamy, who has been seconded to idverde from the RSPB for the last year as part of a business partnership. It’s a tricky site, though. “It is relatively difficult to make it entirely amazing for biodiversity because it has a strict planting plan and not all the plants are as good as they could be for biodiversity, so in areas where we’re not allowed to change the planting plan,

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 16:41

FEATURE

or make improvements, we have to prioritise other areas – which is really flexible, so it’s easy to do.” For instance, Thomas is working on a bank for the street bombardier beetle, one of the scarcest invertebrates in the UK and a brownfield specialist which thrives in post-industrial areas. “Brownfield sites are largely being cleared up and built upon, so their habitat is shrinking, but a population was found here in 2014 and again in 2019, so we’re building a specific habitat to try to improve their populations on the park.” Whilst some of the planting might not be encouraging wildlife, the wildflowers are attracting the bees; there of 47 species of bees using the park, including species that are on the UK BAP, such as the small scabiousmining bee. It has one of the strongest populations in London if the brown-banded carder bee too.

far to get to those andout of of scale. It event. That’s takenpotentially, 4,000 homes flood was further a geniusup idea make suresays it was here.” risk thetoLea Valley,” Ruth Mark design Skinnerprincipal was brought up in Stratford. Holmes, at LLDC. “It’s such He enormous has seen the areathere go from an industrial an scale, are little bits of it site to today’s QEOP. started that can be used at aHe more localworking level… on the“It Olympic with The Landscape Group makes Park a massive difference having a park of this scale, inand thisispart just after the Games nowofa London grounds operative and of apprentice, -maintenance when you look at the map indices of studying for his 2 in horticulture deprivation, andLevel access to public open – and says the park is the perfect place undertake space and public open space on atoscale, his training. “It took me while getof into there was a massive holea in thisto part it because I had aWest lackHam of confi dence, but London. There’s Park and you’ve management encouraged megot to do thequite course got the Lea Valley, but you’ve to go and it’s made my confidence go sky high. We’ve got everything here to help us through and learning out here on the ground is a massive help as well; we’ve got such a wide range of plants and species here.” Fellow apprentice Konstantia Kyrilklidou is also undertaking her Level 2. She worked on the Olympic Park back in Greece and is thrilled

to be working on the QEOP. “it’s a national park in the heart of London; people from around the world come here and they ask about the Olympic Park and what it was like before and the plants – it’s amazing. It has created a healthy habitat for wildlife in 10 years.” The last decade is just the start, though. By 2025, the LLDC is hoping to have created 40,000 jobs, and by 2026 it is aiming to have delivered 33,000 homes in the local area. Construction of the East Bank is underway, and the 500 students are due to move into accommodation in September, bringing a new audience to the park. There are some uncertainties for the park, though. With the maintenance contract up for grabs next year, idverde is working hard to hold onto the site, with a raft of new environmentally friendly practices to be introduced if its contract is renewed, such as reducing the use of chemicals, introducing

The park was really trying to set out some new principles or approaches particularly given climate change, and it has been a leader in that respect “It shows that you can have biodiversity successes within an urban setting. They get nearly 12 million visitors a year and they’ve still got UK BAP species visiting the park, so it can be done…It’s a relatively young park, so it can only go from strength to strength, really.” Biodiversity and sustainability are one of the priority themes put in place by the LLDC, says Peter Tudor, as well as economic benefits for the local people by encouraging all the employers around the park to recruit locally. Another vitally important focus is on accessibility; with the 2012 Games and Paralympics being the most accessible ever, it was important to make the park itself as accessible as possible too. The fourth priority theme is quality design. “There were lots of design moves made on a landscape scale, particularly the bowl which is from [the Timber Lodge] to Alfred’s Field, which can contain water in a flood

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Feature Olympic Park.indd 25

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 16:41

FEATURE

It shows that you can have biodiversity successes within an urban setting. They get nearly 12 million visitors a year and they’ve still got UK BAP species visiting the park, so it can be done

more electric vehicles and exploring the use of battery-powered kit. “When all the contracts and the tenders were officially put out for the park before the Games, the park wasn’t finished, so it was difficult for The Landscape Group at the time to put in a comprehensive bid for the park…We’ll now have a better idea of what’s here on the park, so there will be a more structured contract that we will work against if we’re lucky enough to win again next year,” says Chris. It’s not just a new green service provider that could bring change to the park. The LLDC was never meant to run the site permanently, and there will be a point where the future of the management of the park has to be decided, with the potential of splitting the park into the management of the four London boroughs it covers: Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest, though Neal says this could harm the legacy. “Having the whole park managed by one entity makes it consistent. I hope that it is still maintained by one entity as it moves forward.” There are likely to be aspects of the LLDC’s promises which people could argue have not been delivered, and parts of the park’s development which have caused controversy, but it’s hard to argue against the QEOP having a legacy. Ruth Holmes says there’s bit of a “halo effect on us doing spectacularly well in the Olympics”, and that is perhaps true. But a walk through the park would convince most that the Olympic Games in 2012 was just the start of an impressive evolution of a land that was once known for a pile of white goods. Photographs ©Paul Scott/Front Elevation

About Front Elevation Front Elevation celebrated its 10th year in business photographing buildings and urban landscaping projects in and around London in 2011. Urban landscaping photographer Paul Scott has assisted many clients with BALI Award-winning submissions and has showcased amazing schemes in the capital, including of course The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. frontelevation.co.uk

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Feature Olympic Park.indd 26

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 16:41

Bringing your

to life

Collaborating closely for over 50 years with garden designers, landscape architects and commercial developers to create award-winning planting schemes. Palmstead offers real-time stock availability and a 10% discount for online orders.

palmstead.co.uk

London supplement adverts.indd 13

@palmstead

#PalmsteadLife

Photo by Idin Ebrahimi on unsplash Design by vincentdesign.co.uk

design ideas

14/07/2022 14:02

PORTFOLIO

HISTORIC

HEIGHTS 78 ST JAMES’ STREET Bowles & Wyer

Project details Project value Confidential Build time 1 year Size of project 714m2

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Portfolio Bowles & Wyer.indd 28

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

13/07/2022 17:01

PORTFOLIO

ooking out over the spectacular London skyline, 78 St James’ Street is a new luxury commercial development by BentallGreenOak. The Grade II* listed building, with an enviable SW1 postcode, has been redeveloped with architects Squire & Partners to include 110,000ft2 of offices, as well as a wellness suite, a business lounge and a multi-function room for activities such as yoga and pilates. At the heart of the project, though, are the extensive outdoor areas and roof terraces incorporated into the refurbishment of this Georgian building, formerly the headquarters

for HSBC’s private bank. With the pandemic highlighting the need for green spaces, and with the Greater London Authority (GLA) asking for new developments to have an ‘Urban Green Factor’ of at >0.3, it’s no surprise that 78 St James’ Street would be looking to boast an impressive array of outdoor areas looking out over iconic areas of the city such as Green Park and Westminster. Bowles & Wyer was commissioned to design and build a variety of garden spaces across the fourth and sixth floors, with the roof terraces being suitable for those working in the new commercial spaces but also being adaptable for events. Adaptable design The largest roof garden of the building is on the sixth floor. Booth seating surrounded by scented greenery lines one side, with an expansive living green wall, and on the other side of the terrace is a more open plan design. To soften the edges of the building, balustrades are wrapped with green roof planting, where wildflowers and ornamentals serve as pollinators for most of the year. Laser-cut light planters have been inspired by vermiculated stonework, reflecting the historic masonry of the building. The design

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Portfolio Bowles & Wyer.indd 29

of these extends to the lighting beneath the benches for an inviting space in the evenings. These planters are moveable, creating zones

Laser-cut light planters have been inspired by vermiculated stonework, reflecting the historic masonry of the building within the terrace itself whilst being easy to relocate when necessary for events. Edibles and herbs within the planters – such as lemon verbena, mint, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme and rosemary – can be added to food and cocktails on these occasions. For the fourth floor, Bowles & Wyer created an informal break-out area where office workers could relax. Greenery wraps the offices on one side with a series of planters and elements being borrowed from the above floors for the overall design of the space.

1 Informal seating surrounded by sensory planting 2 A living wall spans one side of the roof terrace

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 17:02

PORTFOLIO

Greenery gains The planting scheme features a mixture of shrubs, perennials and small trees. The specimens were carefully chosen to not only improve biodiversity but to withstand the extreme weather conditions found on a roof terrace, with wind being a particularly important factor. The trees included Parrotia persica and Amelanchier lamarckii. The larger planters include a variety of species, such as Choisya x dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’, Pinus mugo and sylvestris, Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead’ and Daphne odora. Plants are repeated across different sections of the living green wall to provide a cohesive appearance. Grasses, ferns, climbers, plants with foliage and floral interest, and scented plants adorn the wall, with varieties such as Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’, Asplenium scolopendrium, Polypodium vulgare, Trachelospermum jasminoides, Viola ‘Heartthrob’, Liriope muscari ‘Monroe White’ and Sarcococca ‘Winter Gem’.

Grasses, ferns, climbers, plants with foliage and floral interest, and scented plants adorn the wall

Finding solutions The construction of the project was very complex and needed to be phased as the greater building refurbishment progressed. Most of the components were fabricated off-site where possible, as without functioning lifts, the team at Bowles & Wyer could only use the limited reach of cranes for access until completion. This often proved difficult when the cranes were winded off, leading to an out-of-sequence install. Some of the more challenging aspects of the build were the cantilevered benches, which could not be fixed down to the slab or building due to waterproofing, and instead needed to be self-supporting across an uneven surface and insulation. Tolerance free construction was a key part of the build, and Bowles & Wyer had to contend with uneven surfaces and changed levels. Another challenge of the design was the planters on the sixth floor, which had to be adapted to accommodate a significant service run, including external lighting. Bowles & Wyer’s solution was to create vermiculated hidden panels, which would allow access to the fittings and drivers, whilst still being hidden from the eye. Joint vision “We had the benefit of an enlightened and far-sighted client in BentallGreenOak in this project; we developed the brief with them, and it was their commitment to our joint vision that has made this such a great project to work on, says John Wyer, CEO of Bowles & Wyer. “It really demonstrates the value that a well-designed landscape can add to a city centre development and the difference it can make to people’s lives.” Completed in April this year, the planting has quickly matured to create biodiverse and biophilic spaces for those spending their working hours at 78 St James’ Street.

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Portfolio Bowles & Wyer.indd 30

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

13/07/2022 17:04

PORTFOLIO

References Design and build Bowles & Wyer bowleswyer.co.uk Greenwall City Air Tech cityairtech.com Planters Outdoor Design outdoordesign.co.uk Planting Boningale Nurseries boningale.co.uk Palmstead Nurseries palmstead.co.uk Soils Bourne Amenity bourneamenity.co.uk

About Bowles & Wyer

Photographs ©Paul Upward

Bowles & Wyer designs, builds and tends landscapes for private individuals, businesses and organisations across the UK and further afield. Having won both RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold medals and the BALI Grand Award, they have a reputation for creating award-winning gardens and landscapes with an imaginative approach and high-quality service. bowleswyer.co.uk

3 Backlit planters feature a laser-cut vermiculated pattern 4 Planters house herbs and edibles for use at events 5 Planting offers a foreground for the stunning city views

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Portfolio Bowles & Wyer.indd 31

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 17:04

PORTFOLIO

Project details Project value Confidential Build time 8 months Size of project 6,350+ sq ft

TROPICAL

PARADISE PANORAMIC SKY GARDEN GILLESPIES

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Portfolio Gillespies.indd 32

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 16:17

PORTFOLIO

anary Wharf now boasts the UK’s highest tropical garden. More than 3,500 plants have been sourced from across the globe to create the green oasis on the 27th floor of Landmark Pinnacle, which also holds the title of the UK’s tallest residential garden. The panoramic space has been inspired by the prolific Kew Gardens on the other side of London. Architects Farrer Huxley and Squire & Partners designed the tropical garden, with landscape architecture firm Gillespies undertaking the planting design with the help of Kew’s former head horticulturist Phil Griffiths.

More than 3,500 plants have been sourced from across the globe to create the green oasis Gillespies is no stranger to working on gardens at great heights. It was behind the ever-popular Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street, London’s highest public garden, followed by Crossrail Place Roof Garden above the Canary Wharf Crossrail Station.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Portfolio Gillespies.indd 33

The multi-award-winning practice was brought on board by developer Chalegrove Properties in 2019, following which it redesigned the planting of the garden alongside Phil Griffiths to create the ideal microclimatic conditions. It has now helped to create a bespoke climate for the plants to thrive and for residents to enjoy at Landmark Pinnacle, with the garden being one of an array of impressive amenities such as a gym, a private cinema, private bars and dining rooms as well as London’s highest residential roof terrace located on the top floor of the 75-storey building. Jungle play Landmark Pinnacle’s new tropical garden embraces biophilia, offering its residents the opportunity to connect with nature. The space is split into an East and West side, with each garden having its own character and purpose. Offering views of the iconic London skyline and across the River Thames, the West-facing London Square Garden stretches across around 2,950 sq ft. Its series of lounge areas encompass 1,288 plants, from low level creeping plants to 2.5m-high structural planting. Trees, shrubs and plants create a tropical oasis, with sofas and benches for a calming space. There’s also

a private relaxation zone with lounge chairs, and for those for a more energetic space, a table tennis room. The West-facing Sky Garden is more densely planted, with 2,265 plants in raised, curved metal planters turning 3,400 sq ft of space into a jungle. A play trail runs through the centre, surrounded by tropical and sub-tropical planting. Climbing plants stretch over trellis which runs up the walls and metal tunnels of the play trail.

1 Gorgeous views across the city centre 2 Places to meet and amenities are surrounded by skyline views and tropical scenes 3 Furniture nestled amongst the varied planting Photographs ©Nick Guttridge, courtesy of Chalegrove Properties.

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 16:18

PORTFOLIO

References Client Chalegrove Properties chalegrove.co.uk Indoor planting Gillespies gillespies.co.uk Designer Farrer Huxley farrerhuxley.co.uk Squire & Partners squireandpartners.com Planters Kinley Systems Ltd kinley.co.uk

Tropical paradise A year-round, multi-sensory experience is also being created on the 27th floor of this impressive residential building. Ficus plants such as the fiddle-leaf fig, for instance, stimulate the sense of touch with their waxy leaves, and the fragrant flowers of Stephanotis climbing plants offer scents throughout the summer. Plants for the garden were sourced from a specialist indoor plant nursery in the Netherlands, with larger sized versions of common tropical houseplants in the UK being chosen for maximum impact, such as Monstera deliciosa and the spider plant.

We have created a permanent internal landscape that will flourish inside a residential tower “It has been great to work with Gillespies on so many projects since our first collaboration on the Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street, but this is a landmark in more ways than one,” says Phil Griffiths, who is now director of consultancy practice Verdant Horticulture. “We have created a permanent internal landscape that will flourish inside a residential tower where only natural light comes from the side elevation, which raises the bar in terms of overcoming plant issues and relying on artificial light.”

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Portfolio Gillespies.indd 34

Setting the standard Behind the success of this mass of tropical planting within an urban indoor setting is technology, which has been embedded to create the ideal balance of light, humidity and temperature, allowing these to be easily controlled and to ensure the plants thrive. A computer-based Building Management System (BMS) is able to control and monitor Landmark Pinnacle’s mechanical and electrical equipment, including the low energy LEDs, light monitoring systems, misters and airflow controls within the panoramic garden. “Landmark Pinnacle pushes the boundary of urban living, where residential playspace and garden amenities are contained and distributed vertically through the tower. Our collaboration with Squire + Partners demonstrates that where land is at a premium, this new model of internal gardens on a large scale could be part of the solution for better, healthier lives at the centre of our cities,” says Armel Mourgue, partner at Gillespies. “The controlled temperature, light and humidity generated within the gardens will create ideal tropical conditions where lush, green, exotic bold foliage will thrive even in winter, without the need for building a bespoke glasshouse. The result is a private haven where residents can comfortably relax, socialise and reconnect with nature all year round.” Landmark Pinnacle is set to stand to as an exemplar of biophilia, with the standards being set as high as the building itself for future developments of its kind.

Horticultural consultant Phil Griffiths verdanthorticulture.co.uk Plants and trees Specified from various plant nurseries in the Netherlands

About Gillespies Gillespies is a leading international landscape architecture and urban design consultancy with a history that spans six decades and six continents. The practice has a global reputation for creating timeless, inclusive and ecologically smart urban environments that forge strong and meaningful connections between people, places, and nature. The practice is at the forefront of wellness design and is a renowned expert in roof and internal garden design. gillespies.co.uk

4 Lush planters bathing in the evening’s sunset views

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 16:20

PORTFOLIO

UNDER THE

PRIVATE GARDEN IN RICHMOND MIKE HARVEY GARDENS

OLIVE TREES

Project details Project value £50k-£75k (excluding garden buildings) Build time 2-3 months Size of project 250m2 Awards Currently shortlisted for an SGD Award 2022

n one of the greenest boroughs, which boasts the likes of Kew Gardens and the largest park in London, it seems only fitting that its houses have a garden to be proud of too. So, Mike Harvey’s clients were looking for their Richmond-based garden to look great all year-round, as it could be viewed from the kitchen through large glass doors. They wanted to screen the neighbouring

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Portfolio Mike Harvey.indd 35

For this project, the planting is the star of the show, and it needed to complement the olive trees

houses as much as possible, remove the existing lawn and include a plethora of planting – in particular, olive trees. Mike had worked with the clients on two previous gardens, so knew this was going to be an exciting project thanks to their passion for

1 The olive trees amongst luscious planting

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 11:06

PORTFOLIO

their garden and for plants. An outdoor gym, a shed and an outdoor kitchen were on the clients’ wish list, but they wanted the gym and shed to be slightly higher than normal, so the existing sunken area within the garden was to be enlarged to allow for this. The lighting also needed to extend the garden’s use and to highlight the olive trees in the evening. Mediterranean must-have The olive trees were Mike’s starting point, and were sourced from Villaggio Verde, a nursery which focuses solely on these Mediterranean trees. “They look good yearround, are evergreen but still have a light canopy, their size can be controlled, and they have a sculptural quality that will be perfect to provide year-round interest.” With only a small, paved area by the house, the planting in the garden comes right up to the doors – an element which Mike says makes the garden more exciting. “You have to walk through the planting to get to the main patio. This means you enjoy the garden properly and I think the

Pro Landscaper | LONDON

Portfolio Mike Harvey.indd 36

further you are from the house, the more you can truly relax.” At the end of the garden, there is a sunken area large enough for a table, some sofa seating and sun loungers, with a second seating area closer to the house which is surrounded by planting and contains a fire bowl. Putting plants first For this project, the planting is the star of the show, and it needed to complement the olive trees. So, Mike chose plants to suit drier conditions, and the existing sandy loam soil in the garden was perfect. For screening neighbouring properties, Mike used espaliered crab apples along the two side boundaries. The olive trees will also be grown to hide the houses opposite and will then be maintained at that height, with the canopies raised in time to allow more light beneath them. Pittosporum and phillyrea mounds have been used to give the desired yearround structure, and from these there is a succession of flowering plants. In the summer, Dierama pulcherrimum var. album will steal

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

14/07/2022 11:08

PORTFOLIO

the show, with its flowers floating above the other plants and swaying in the breeze, and Tulbaghia violacea will flower all season at key points along the path. Hundreds of the pink bottlebrush-like flowers of the Sanguisorba ‘Pink Tanna’ will create strong contrast. Mike also weaved his favourite sedum into the design – Sedum ‘Red Cauli’. He says: “The flowers open bright red and gradually age darker. The heads are a bit smaller than the norm as well and, as it happens, the colour is a perfect match for my clients’ sofa!” Later in the season, grasses will play a key role, says Mike.“Pennisetum macrourum is really dramatic and is positioned in a key spot to be visible from the house. Pennisetum ‘Fairy Tails’ is a beauty too and their heads catch morning and evening light later in the season.”

The end result is a beautiful Mediterranean style garden, with wooden sun loungers ready for when the weather matches the Mediterranean too Beyond the border Considering the garden’s location in southwest London, Mike says there were few challenges and there was reasonable access to the garden, though the olive trees needed to be taken through the house to the garden. Fortunately, builders working on the house helped to carry these through. The main hurdle to overcome whilst working on the design and build was the number of neighbours; one boundary joined six other houses and there were allotments along the back, the users of which were concerned about which trees were being planted, so Mike had to work to appease all parties. The end result, though, is a beautiful Mediterranean style garden, with wooden sun loungers ready for when the weather matches the Mediterranean too. 2 3 4 5

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Portfolio Mike Harvey.indd 37

Gentle steps up to the raised area of the garden Furniture offering a haven for relaxation Lowered height planting for bursts of colour Close-up of the gorgeous undergrowth

References Design Mike Harvey Gardens mikeharveygardens.com Olive trees Villaggio Verde villaggioverde.co.uk Plants North Hill Nurseries northhillnurseries.co.uk Knoll Gardens knollgardens.co.uk Gravel CED Stone Group cedstone.co.uk Paving London Stone londonstone.co.uk Pots Evergreen Pots and Soil evergreenpotsandsoil.com

About Mike Harvey Gardens Mike Harvey is an awardwinning garden designer based on the south coast near Brighton. He designs gardens and landscapes with an emphasis on naturalistic planting and outdoor living. Mike is passionate about gardens and design and works closely with clients throughout the design process. He has been a garden designer for more than 15 years and feels lucky to be in a profession he loves. mikeharveygardens.com

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

14/07/2022 11:08

Look what you can do with EverEdge...

Image provided by Kingston Landscape Group

• STEEL LAWN AND LANDSCAPE EDGING THAT LASTS A LIFETIME • STEEL PLANTERS • PODIUM PLANTERS

UNRIVALLED IN QUALITY AND SERVICE

T H E O R I G I N A L E D G I N G C O M PA N Y

• CALL FOR FULL DETAILS 01630 417120 • SEE THEM ALL AT www.everedge.co.uk London supplement adverts.indd 2

14/07/2022 09:11

COMPANY PROFILE

What else?

OLYMPIC PARK SPECIAL

Project name: London Docklands Location: Docklands

EverEdge was asked to design and deliver custom-made Corten steel walls to regenerate the area outside a beautiful 17th century building that once housed London’s last dry shipbuilding dock. The building is now a hotel, and the owners wanted a system that would complement the industrial past that the area is so associated with. EverEdge was able to design and fabricate a system that

Company profile

EverEdge’s Peter Hughes explains how the company has grown since the Olympic Park was created

How was the company involved in the creation of the Olympic Park? EverEdge supplied nearly 19,000m of steel landscape edging products to contractors involved in the Olympic Parks and Olympic Park Regeneration schemes. The edging was installed around the many new pathways that made up the new parks and gardens. How did it benefit the company? Outside of the financial benefit of such large orders, being involved in any project of this prestige is beneficial to any company. The fact that EverEdge was specified into such an important national project shows that the EverEdge brand is trusted by some of the country’s leading designers and contractors. If EverEdge is suitable for the Olympic Park, then it is going to be suitable for almost any large infrastructure project. What were the challenges of being involved in the project? EverEdge was involved primarily in the Olympic Park Regeneration schemes in 2013.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Everedge company profile.indd 39

Nine years ago, EverEdge wasn’t as large as it is now so simply producing such a large volume at the time was quite a challenge. This had to be done around all our other commitments at one of our busiest times of the year. It was a nice problem to have though; at EverEdge we’ve never turned away from a challenge and having these large orders was a good thing – so we made it work. How has the company developed over the last 10 years? What have been some of the biggest changes? In some ways, EverEdge now is a very different company. The range of products offered has increased significantly and our worldwide reach has continued to grow. With an increase in size has come an increase in staff. Since 2013, the amount of people working at EverEdge has doubled and now includes our own warehousing, a social media coordinator, CAD designer and two people working entirely to design custom-made work.

©Paul Scott

EVEREDGE

blended perfectly with the historical building using Corten steel with a riveted joint. The walls were used to create raised planting beds and lawns to soften the hard landscaping.

About EverEdge EverEdge is a manufacturer and supplier of steel landscape edging materials and planters. With more than 25 years of experience and knowledge, EverEdge has developed an original and comprehensive range of products based on the needs of the industry, suiting virtually all aspects of landscaping requirements. EverEdge frequently carries out bespoke work, especially on raised beds, planters and podiums. everedge.co.uk

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 16:41

Creating healthier Creating healthier urban spaces in urban spaces in harmony with harmony with nature nature

YEARS

199

Chobham Manor, Olympic Park

2 - 2022

YEARS

199

2 - 2022

Chobham Manor, Olympic Park

GreenBlue’s unique suite of green and blue infrastructure solutions GreenBlue’s unique suiteurban of green help to create healthier and blueininfrastructure spaces harmony withsolutions nature. help to create healthier urban spaces in harmony with nature.

T: +44 (0)1580 830 800 E: enquiries@greenblue.com W:+44 greenblue.com T: (0)1580 830 800 E: enquiries@greenblue.com W: greenblue.com London supplement adverts.indd 7

RootSpace Suspended

HydroPlanter Modular ‘Plug &

Street Furniture Unique street

RootSpace pavement support

HydroPlanter Play’ Rain Garden

Street Furniture furniture designs

system Suspended pavement support system

Modular ‘Plug & Play’ Rain Garden

Unique street furniture designs

Creating healthier spaces in harmony with nature Creating healthier spaces in harmony with nature 14/07/2022 09:51

COMPANY PROFILE

OLYMPIC PARK SPECIAL

What else? Project name: Project Nova Location: Close to Victoria Railway Station, Nova South

Company profile

GREENBLUE URBAN Olympic Park, says GreenBlue Urban’s howard gray

How was the company involved in the creation of the Olympic Park? GreenBlue Urban was involved from the early days in assisting the lead designers with guidance relating to the planting and establishment for the trees in the Park. Supplying a wide range of irrigation solutions, underground guying systems and other ancillaries, both before and after the Olympic Games, many of the trees in and around the park are thriving thanks to GreenBlue Urban products. How did it benefit the company? GreenBlue Urban was thrilled to support the developers of this amazing space, and the revitalisation of one of the most polluted sites in Europe. The 6,000 new trees planted enabled GreenBlue Urban to design new manufacturing processes and take production of many products in-house, reducing the carbon footprint of the products, manufacturing products only 50 miles from the destination massively reduces transport costs. What were the challenges of being involved in the project? The whole project was a huge work of collaboration. The nature of a contaminated site meant that there was little natural ground available for rooting volumes, so various

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Greenblue Urban company profile.indd 41

solutions were utilised – of which the GreenBlue Urban soil cell system was used in the postOlympic phase and visibly successful for many years to come. The usual expected challenges of multiphase complex sites were overcome by close collaboration with the landscape contractors and installers, and worked well under tight time pressures. How has the company developed over the last 10 years? GreenBlue Urban has expanded its range of urban green solutions to incorporate stormwater management, off grid lighting and smart space solutions – street furniture futureproofed for the future street. Understanding the design parameter that architects and urban designers have to work within means that GreenBlue Urban can suggest solutions which not only tick the design boxes, but maximise the quality of place, whilst minimising the impact on the planet.

This high-end development located in Victoria, Central London was a mixed-use development, incorporating a new public realm. Opening a new walkway between the buildings, and access to restaurants and cafes, tree planting was a necessity, not only for aesthetics, but also to provide wind mitigation. Unfortunately, limited space below ground meant that the planting had to be done in above ground planters, interlinked below ground with GreenBlue Urban StrataCells, the highly popular soil cell solution, giving optimum soil conditions for these trees to thrive, for at least the lifetime of the buildings. GreenBlue Urban again creating urban places in harmony with nature.

About GreenBlue Urban GreenBlue Urban is a well-established market leader promoting healthy green and blue infrastructure in our urban areas, creating healthy spaces in harmony with nature. Researching, developing, manufacturing and distributing within the UK, GreenBlue Urban is the partner of choice for urban designers and contractors alike. greenblue.com/gb

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

GreenBlue Urban’s products were integral to the

14/07/2022 15:15

Hillier trees is recognised as the UK’s premier tree grower, supplying the most comprehensive selection of quality, British-grown trees all year container nurseries.

www.hillier.co.uk/trees

Untitled-1 1 London supplement adverts.indd 12

12/07/2022 13:57 13:59 14/07/2022

COMPANY PROFILE

Company profile

OLYMPIC PARK SPECIAL

What else? Project: BSkyB Headquarters Location: Isleworth, West London

HILLIER NURSERIES LTD Hillier’s caroline swann shares the successes and challenges of delivering such a large plant contract

How was the company involved in the creation of the Olympic Park? In 2010, Hillier Nurseries won the highly contested plant contract to supply all the trees and multi-stems to the 2012 Olympics, commissioned by the Olympic Delivery Authority. The first phase of the project was very successfully completed prior to the London Olympics 2012. Hillier Nurseries then secured the second phase of the project, known as ‘Transformation’ which saw the supply of thousands of additional trees and the creation of the permanent Queen Elizabeth Olympic Parklands for the client London Legacy Development Corporation. Approximately 12,000 semi-mature trees and 2,000 large multi-stems (all containerised) were supplied.

How did it benefit the company? Supplying the Olympic Park was a major project that continually evolved and developed for over five years and was very important landmark project to Hillier Nurseries. As a long-established British tree grower, the successful completion of the demanding Olympic contract provided a solid foundation for further expansion of both field and container tree production, as the demand for UK trees has grown ever stronger.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Hillier company profile.indd 43

What were the challenges of being involved in the project? For the Olympic Park, all the field grown trees selected had to be containerised. This allowed for an extended planting programme, as trees could be planted all year round. Hillier Nurseries extended its existing specialist container tree nursery, and the Olympic trees were grown on in a reserved area, and carefully marked and numbered to give full traceability to the client. The Olympic Park was one of the most complex construction sites in Europe. Challenges included call-offs throughout the year to multiple landscape contractors, often with rapid turnaround to keep pace with construction, and over 250 deliveries, many with special requirements, including weekend deliveries and abnormal loads. Communication was key. How has the company developed over the last 10 years? What has been some of the biggest challenges? The demand for Hillier British trees has never been stronger. Our main challenge is keeping pace with demand and some species are in short supply. We are investing heavily in the future of British trees with the purchase of new growing areas, both field and container grown trees, the training and pay and conditions of our staff and the latest machinery.

BSkyB was creating three state-of-the art buildings as a new headquarters to promote the wellbeing, creativity and productivity of thousands of employees. It wanted to partner with a high-quality UK nursery with a proven track record of delivering major projects for its clients. More than 230 large semi-mature trees were selected and tagged by the landscape architect at either our field or container nurseries, to ensure easy identification and subsequent planting at the correct location on site. All field trees were then containerised and maintained in our container nursery in a dedicated “contract potting area”. As the client wanted a one stop shop, we also supplied around 29,000 shrubs, herbaceous plants and grasses from our plant nurseries.

About Hillier Nurseries Ltd Hillier Nurseries is an expert grower of British Trees and has been supplying the landscaping industry for more than 155 years. It specialises in semi-mature trees, both field and container grown, and offers contract growing for projects. At the core of the business is a focus on plant health, biosecurity and the environment. hilliertrees.co.uk

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 16:56

EMAU

mmcite.com

enquiry@mmcite.co.uk

A phoenix among park benches

London supplement adverts.indd 4

14/07/2022 09:45

COMPANY PROFILE

What else? Project name: Vega London Location: Miles Street Vauxhall

Company profile

MMCITÉ mmcité shares some of the highlights of producing work that can be spotted all across the capital

How has the company developed over the last 10 years? What have been some of the biggest changes? The company has been continuously growing since its foundation almost 30 years ago. The first foreign branch was established in Slovakia seven years later, and now there are 10 branches across both hemispheres, the UK branch being the second youngest established in 2016. The biggest change for the UK branch was the shift of the brand awareness from being a supplier to mostly smaller municipal fast-paced projects to design-led architectural developments. In 2022 we had a breakthrough by being awarded a contract for 110 smart shelters for one of London’s boroughs.

What have been the biggest challenges of working in London? There is demand for London projects to stand out a bit more and be unique in their league. The best design and quality are required. It took us some time to be recognised but architects found their way to us and our products that meet these high standards. We are delighted that you can see our products in the streets of London more and more often. What have been the highlights of working in the capital? Working in London projects brings challenges but great opportunities to work in landmark locations. We are proud that we have supplied bicycle stands to Embassy Gardens, litter bins to King’s Cross, smart benches by 30 St Mary Axe (informally known as the Gherkin), or loungers to the Battersea Power Station. What London-based projects are in the pipeline for mmcité? As many developments are being built during longer periods, such as Elephant and Castle or Brent Cross, we appreciate that the quality of our street furniture stands to the requirements and architects continue with us in the following phases. Apart from these, we have a few projects with The City of London in front of us.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Mmcite company profile.indd 45

Recently finished building Vega London, offering a state of art student accommodation, is the result of collaboration between TP Bennett and Optimised Environments for customer Downings. For the roof terrace, the products must have met all strict fire safety regulations and criteria. Our Rivage loungers, Rautster picnic tables and Manta seats in subtle pastel green colour provide the students with a relaxing place to enjoy a cup of tea, chat with a friend or enjoy the peaceful views of the busy London skyline. Project name: Kings Cross Estate Location: Kings Cross King’s Cross is a famous landmark, heart and gateway for millions of people commuting to London every day. The customer likes our design and functional solution using our PRAX bin range. With a little bit of customisation, we have been able to provide a solution that can accommodate for demands of this vibrant, constantly changing estate.

About mmcité mmcité is a leading Czech street furniture brand. Its own design studio, led by David Karásek, focuses on innovative design and the combination of highly functional materials with an aesthetic style. mmcité has 10 branches and 32 distributors around the world. mmcite.com/en

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 16:49

Bringing your

to life

palmstead.co.uk @palmstead #PalmsteadLife

London supplement adverts.indd 11

Photo by Bobotaks Szna on unsplash Design by vincentdesign.co.uk

design ideas

14/07/2022 13:53

COMPANY PROFILE

OLYMPIC PARK SPECIAL

What else? Project name: King’s Cross Central (Dan Pearson Studio) Location: King’s Cross, London

Company profile

Geoffrey de la Cour-Baker shares how Palmstead’s plants were key to the Olympic Park project

How was the company involved in the creation of the Olympic Park? Palmstead was commissioned to contract grow more than 120 different species of plants – of which 35 were species grown commercially in the UK for the first time, following an extensive global sourcing exercise. The 70,000 plants were delivered over a 10-month period leading up to the summer of 2012, and installed section by section in line with a detailed logistics schedule in accordance with the Hitchmough/ Dunnett/Price design and specification. How did it benefit the company? It reinforced our reputation for sourcing rare and unusual plants from a variety of locations. Once sourced, we had to grow them to the required standard and within an extremely rigid timescale. This opportunity has resulted in us being involved in some prestigious contract grow projects in the 10 years since.

What were the challenges of being involved in the project? The unknown nature and characteristics of some of the more unusual species provided us

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Palmstead Company Profile.indd 47

with a steep learning curve during the growing and nurturing process. Trying to replicate the optimum growing conditions for the different areas was very challenging. The main focus was on ensuring that everything was on schedule and growing as well as we’d expected it to, with a constant programme of monitoring root and foliage development along with a meticulous disease prevention regime. How has the company developed over the last 10 years? What have been some of the biggest changes? Palmstead has grown exponentially over the last 10 years, more than doubling our turnover in this time and increasing our production by 30%. We have put into action a programme of continuous site improvement, focusing predominantly on our environmental impact and sustainability. We now have a specialist sales team who service a number of different markets within horticulture with specific focus on Commercial, Designer and Public Sector sales and having been lucky enough to be involved in a number of contract grows over the last 10 years, we have become proficient in this area and really enjoy growing to order, as well as more direct, immediate sales.

We have been lucky to have been involved in some ground-breaking projects over the last 10 years, but one of our favourites was growing and supplying Dan Pearson’s King’s Cross Central Project, working closely with Willerby Landscapes. This was an award-winning development of former railway yards, including homes, retail outlets, galleries and public open spaces. These included Handyside Gardens and Gasholder Park, the former presenting the challenge of shallow planting depths due to it essentially being a viaduct across the Regent’s Canal. The focus for the latter was on creating an urban meadow, with grasses and flowering plants. We recently visited this project after several years and were delighted to see how the plants have evolved to very much become a part of this wonderful environment.

About Palmstead From humble beginnings on an 11-acre plot near Canterbury in the late 1960s, Palmstead has grown and evolved in the decades since to the current 53ha site at Wye, near Ashford. Palmstead now employs more than 50 staff and supplies upwards of one and a half million containerised plants and 100,000 field grown trees and shrubs each year. palmstead.co.uk

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

PALMSTEAD

13/07/2022 17:07

The power to colour green VA N D E N B E R K T R E E S I N L O N D O N

SQP Level 56

London City Island

Green Quarter Southall

Rathbone Square

Van den Berk Nurseries specialises in medium to very large sized trees and shrubs. With around 450 hectares and a range of 1600 species and cultivars, we are one of the largest nurseries in Europe. The trees end up in assorted locations such as city centres, business premises, parks and private gardens.

South Quay Plaza

S I N T- O E D E N R O D E THE NETHERLANDS

This process involves our working closely with landscape architects, landscape contracters, greenery managers and garden designers, enabling us jointly to complete the most successful greenery projects, and that is a source of great pride for us!

UK LIMITED MIRFIELD UNITED KINGDOM W W W.V D B E R K . C O .U K

London supplement adverts.indd 5

14/07/2022 09:41

COMPANY PROFILE

What else?

OLYMPIC PARK SPECIAL

Project name: South Quay Plaza (SQP) Location: Canary Wharf

VAN DEN BERK NURSERIES Tom Owen, account manager for the UK and TREE EXPERT, has worked on London projects for more than 25 years

How was the company involved in the creation of the Olympic Park? In 2010, after a lengthy tendering process, Van den Berk Nurseries was chosen to supply all 2,400 trees for the Athletes’ Village. We were rewarded because we had most of the requested species and sizes in our own nursery. A team of landscape architects from Vogt and the Olympic authority came over to mark each individual tree.

©David Rowley

How did it benefit the company? It was the biggest job we ever had. We set up a special field for this order and started putting trees in air-pots on a large scale. The reasons for this were twofold: firstly, by being stored in air-pots, the trees could recover from the stress of being uprooted at the nursery; and secondly, it allowed continuing planting in summer. That was extremely important to meet the deadline.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Van den Berk Company Profile.indd 49

What were the challenges of being involved in the project? So, in spring 2010, more than two years in advance, all trees were lifted and put above the ground in these air-pots. It was our job to carefully monitor the growth and get all trees in excellent condition in London. Logistics was also challenging because we had to deliver each tree exactly at the time the site was ready for planting it. For some large plane trees only two would fit in a trailer. Thankfully, we have a very experienced logistics team. How has the company developed over the last 10 years? What have been some of the biggest changes? Since then, we have been using the air-pot system regularly, especially for projects that have to be perfect in one go because replacing trees is very expensive. We used it, for example, for the trees at the vertical forest in Eindhoven, where trees are planted along the facade of the building. We are good at that kind of high-end project. We not only have the range but also the knowledge about the requirements of the trees.

©David Rowley

Company profile Another example is South Quay Plaza, one of the biggest resident properties. Already in the summer of 2019, before the towers were ready, large trees and extensive soft landscape provided a park atmosphere for residents and workers. Van den Berk Nurseries supplied big Metasequoia of 10 to 15m in height as well as birches and poplars. In 2021, a beautiful roof garden was constructed on the 56th floor. Here you can find Amelanchier of six metres in height – an amazing project.

U K LIMITE D

About Van den Berk Nurseries Van den Berk Nurseries specialises in medium to very large sized trees and shrubs. With around 450ha and a range that encompasses more than 1,600 species and cultivars, it is one of the largest nurseries in Europe. The nursery is based in the Netherlands but has a UK subsidiary to handle the complete import process and a stock location in Mirfield. vdberk.co.uk

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 16:53

wembley

#designlondon

st james market

halkin arcade

islington square

elephant park

canary wharf

01254 685 185

woodscapegroup

sales@woodscape.co.uk

woodscapeltd

woodscape.co.uk

woodscape_street_furniture

ProLandscaper - 210x265 - Aug 2022 London supplement adverts.indd 2 London.indd 1

Bespoke Street Furniture

08/07/2022 14/07/2022 11:39 09:05

COMPANY PROFILE

OLYMPIC PARK SPECIAL

What else? Project name: West End Project Location: Whitfield Gardens, London

Company profile

WOODSCAPE The Olympic Park had a lasting impact on Woodscape, explains group marketing manager John Pagan

How was the company involved in the creation of the Olympic Park? Woodscape manufactured a suite of bespoke timber street furniture specifically to meet the needs of the architect overseeing the Olympic Park regeneration project. Custom curved seating, slatted picnic tables, amphitheatre style step-seating and lounger style chaise longue seating in a range of sizes were produced for the scheme.

How did it benefit the company? The products developed influenced future design paths in our product range, but more importantly was the sense of pride that everyone in Woodscape got from being involved in such a prestigious project. We never take for granted that the longevity of our furniture can make our pieces almost generational, involving considerable time and investment to bring them to life, and are experienced by thousands of people. This project cemented Woodscape’s position as a go-to company for London redevelopment schemes, showing the quality and scope of what we can supply to a wide audience.

PROLANDSCAPERMAGAZINE.COM

Woodscape Company Profile.indd 51

What were the challenges of being involved in the project? The London Development Legacy Corporation had detailed inclusive design standards that had to be adhered to throughout the design process. There is also of course the importance of the location. As experienced by many suppliers to this project, the strict timelines for redevelopment required a close eye be kept on every detail of the project. How has the company developed over the last 10 years? What have been some of the biggest changes? Woodscape has grown steadily throughout the last 10 years and is pleased to still employ many of the same staff that worked on the Olympic Park furniture. There have been considerable advances in technology and manufacturing techniques, and our adaption of CNC machining revolutionised the design possibilities. The ability to custom shape every timber slat has allowed architects to utilise sweeping curves and organic shapes in ways that wouldn’t have been feasible before, such as the amazing, illuminated seating in Elephant Park.

Woodscape was the ideal choice for the expansive and custom street furniture such spaces demand, made even more complex by the requirement of flexible movable furniture to allow for repurposing the area as event space. With concealed lighting by Michael Grubb Studio, the hardwood timber helps bring a rich glow and sense that the

space is warm and inviting, both for the people living and working nearby and visitors to the area.

About Woodscape Woodscape has been creating beautiful hardwood street furniture and external structures for some of the UK’s most vibrant public spaces for nearly 40 years, and remains a privately-owned, family-business that showcases British craftsmanship at its best. From complex, bespoke designs through to its classic bollard and seating ranges, you can be assured that your furniture is in experienced hands. woodscape.co.uk

LONDON | Pro Landscaper

13/07/2022 16:58

@torc_pots London supplement adverts.indd 8