Pro Landscaper August 2026

AUGUST 2026

GROWING

Wanderlust

RHS BADMINTON AND SANDRINGHAM 2026 Award winners announced

NAVIGATING NEURO DIFFERENCES Strategies and tools

LET'S HEAR IT FROM Mark Noakes IPM Facilities

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

WELCOME CONTACT Eljays44 Ltd, BizSpace, Courtwick Lane, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 7TL Tel: 01903 777 570

EDITORIAL Editor – Rachael Forsyth rachael.forsyth@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 337 867 Senior staff writer – Holly Chapman holly.chapman@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 407 Senior subeditor – Katrina Roy katrina.roy@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Designer – Emma Coleman emma.coleman@eljays44.com

ADVERTISING Commercial director – Dan Green dan.green@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 406

MANAGEMENT Managing director – Jamie Wilkinson jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 589 Divisional director – David Griffiths david.griffiths@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 777 570 Content director – Nina Mason nina.mason@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 393

MARKETING & CIRCULATION Marketing executive – Kiri Shaw kiri.shaw@eljays44.com Tel: 01903 959 408 Printed by Stephens and George Ltd

Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture. Pro Landscaper’s content is available for licensing overseas. Contact jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2026 subscription price is £128. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, BizSpace, Courtwick Lane, Littlehampton, West Sussex, BN17 7TL, 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.

Welcome

O

ur climate is changing, and fast. Here on the south coast, we're just easing out of our third heatwave this year. But what we now think of as extreme weather is set to become our new normal. There’s an upside, though.

At the height of the heatwaves, we witnessed people clinging to the shade and flocking to their parks, showing once again that what this industry has been urging for years is becoming a crucial necessity, not a nice-to-have. We must green-up our towns and cities and we must close the green space gap.

The industry is ready and already working hard to do so. Speaking to me about how grounds maintenance work is having to adapt, Mark Noakes explains IPM's journey to carbon neutrality and why its expertise in climate change and sustainability is actually a USP for the business (page 35).

Fresh off his RHS Chelsea Flower Show trade stand garden with BALI, Matt Evans explores the climate-resilient trends he's seeing within garden design (page 62). Meanwhile, the last RHS Flower Shows of the season – RHS Badminton Flower Show and RHS Sandringham Flower Show – showcased sustainable horticulture.

In particular, Sandringham did this through the new Grow Forward category and all-new King's Biodiversity Award which was taken home by Sophie Godber for her Mindful Chef's gathering garden (page 10).

This issue also delves into sustainable workplaces and looking after the people who create these sustainable spaces. Brand-new contributor Gamiel Yafai explains why equality, diversity and inclusion matter to the industry (page 31) and James Scott describes why growth may have been slow for The Garden Company over 35 years, but it's also been incredibly steady (page 19). We also explore neurodiversity and what employers could be doing to support staff. It's an important topic as people often suffer in silence – but if this article shows anything, it's that those people aren't alone (page 75).

As we move through the last few weeks of summer, we know we have the expertise to make our towns and cities more resilient in the face of the changing climate. We also know we've always struggled to be heard. But with a change in government and a prime minister who previously drove numerous regional green space initiatives, is the opportunity there for the taking?

Rachael

Pro Landscaper is proud to be an Accredited Supplier member of BALI

The Association of

Professional Landscapers

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

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

3

CONTENTS

BUSINESS

19

35 Years of Gradual Growth Celebrating 35 years of The Garden Company, managing director James Scott explains how the company has grown and the lessons he's learnt along the way

31

Equality Matters Brand-new contributor Gamiel Yafai demonstrates how equality, diversity and inclusion matters to the industry

35

Let’s Hear it From: Mark Noakes Mark Noakes, CEO of IPM Facilities, explores why its sustainability and climate change knowledge is giving the business a competitive edge

CONTENTS August 2026

INSPIRE

FEATURES

43

68

49

70

55

75

Restful Retreat Looking towards retirement, this couple wanted a space for both of their hobbies with a natural swimming pool and al fresco dining

Cottage Charm A seamless connection was needed between a higher patio space and the lower garden which blended naturally into the surrounding landscape

62 4

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

Historical Elegance A space for office staff and visitors alike was needed, with wellbeing, material re-use, biodiversity and accessibility at its heart

Tools Fit for Technology Colleges explain what they're teaching their students as the presence of AI tools continues to grow

A Wanderlust for Gardens With gardens high on the list when it comes to tourism in the UK, outdoor spaces are looking to their programming to provide year-round appeal

Navigating Neuro Differences Individuals within the sector share their journeys with neurodiversity and share tips for others who may be struggling, as well as employers

prolandscapermagazine.com

CONTENTS

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

26

AUGUST 2026

GROWING

Wanderlust

An Everyday Assistant in Your Pocket Steven Higgenbottom talks through the benefits he's discovered from using AI tools to save time, and potentially miscommunication

29

The Long-Distance Mindset Fresh back from taking part in a running event, Phil Jones explores the similar mindset needed to finish a race and run a business

RHS BADMINTON AND SANDRINGHAM 2026 Award winners announced

NAVIGATING NEURO DIFFERENCES Strategies and tools

LET'S HEAR IT FROM Mark Noakes IPM Facilities

62

43

Designing in Climate Resilience Garden designer Matt Evans looks into some of the trends he's seeing within gardens which are making them more climate resilient

19

PEOPLE

80

Bringing International Experience Home Returning home after his international project, Dave Green looks back on his experience and shares what's stayed with him

81

Comeback Kings After using it within an RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden, Humaira Ikram asks if we should reconsider Elaeagnus

83

Five Minutes with Amanda Capon Chief people officer at idverde, Amanda Capon, explores strategies and values within the business which make it successful

prolandscapermagazine.com

49 Pro Landscaper | August 2026

5

BUSINESS

UK’S FIRST HEATHLAND GREEN BRIDGE OPENS OVER A3

A

new heathland green bridge has opened to connect Ockham and Wisley Commons on either side of the A3, marking a first for the UK. The Cockcrow Bridge acts as a safe crossing over the busy carriageway for walkers, cyclists and horse riders in Surrey. Not only this, but the bridge has also been built for crossing wildlife such as deer, badgers, voles and other small animals.

Around 10,000m2 of heathland has been relocated from donor sites, with the

landscape allowed to slowly establish itself over the coming years.

Delivered by National Highways, the bridge is part of a green legacy pledge to leave as part of a project to upgrade junction 10 of the M25 and the A3 Wisley Interchange.

Typically planted with hedgerows, green bridges are seen across the UK and worldwide, but the Cockcrow puts lowland heathland at its centre to improve the wider environment and other species such as sand lizards.

Balfour Beatty and AtkinsRéalis supported National Highways with design, technical and engineering expertise to deliver the bridge.

ROUNDUP Industry Updates GOVERNMENT’S ‘NEW DEAL FOR YOUNG PEOPLE’ TO BOOST YOUTH APPRENTICESHIPS

FIRST-EVER LONDON HEAT PLAN PRIORITISES PUBLIC SPACE ADAPTATIONS

M

A

inisters will unveil plans to crack down on poor quality university courses and shift investment further towards youth apprenticeships, as part of a ‘new deal for young people’.

It comes following Alan Milburn’s report which outlined, around one-inseven young people who are currently not in employment, education or training have a university degree.

This underlines the need to reform the higher education system so it delivers

6

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

better outcomes for young people. It is also part of a wider drive to tackle youth unemployment and will drive forward the government’s ambition for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level learning – whether academic, technical or through apprenticeships.

The government is making a £3.3bn investment in apprenticeships this year with an ambition to see 50,000 more apprenticeship starts for young people by 2029.

s temperatures reach new heights across the UK, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched London’s first-ever heat plan, Heat Ready London.

Record-breaking temperatures in May 2026, and a red heat warning was issued by the Met Office in June 2026 when parts of the capital city experienced 36.4°C. The new Heat Ready London vision focuses on priority areas where change is most needed, calling for the protection of those at highest risk of extreme heat, retrofitting of buildings, expanded access to cooling spaces and improved infrastructure resilience.

prolandscapermagazine.com

BUSINESS

©Fusion21

FUSION21 LAUNCHES UK-WIDE £85M GROUNDS MAINTENANCE FRAMEWORK

S

ocial enterprise Fusion21 has appointed 22 suppliers to its £85m UKwide grounds maintenance framework.

Out of those securing a place, Fusion21

SAIRA ALI BECOMES PRESIDENT OF LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE

D

r Saira Ali has officially stepped into the role of president of the Landscape Institute (LI).

An award-winning landscape architect with more than 20 years of experience, Ali succeeds Carolin Göhler, who has seen a significant programme of renewal and revitalisation across the LI. First announced in June 2025, Ali was voted onto the board with 11 other members.

reveals 72% are SMEs, providing public sector members with a fast route to market for grounds maintenance, landscaping and outdoor space services.

Services will span from routine and seasonal maintenance to hard and soft landscaping, tree works fencing, hedge and shrub maintenance.

Suppliers appointed to the framework includes John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance Ltd, Majestic Grounds Maintenance, Nurture Landscapes and Blakedown Landscapes.

LONDON COLLEGE OF GARDEN DESIGN HONOURS NIGEL DUNNETT WITH NEW BURSARY

prolandscapermagazine.com

Head to prolandscapermagazine.com

PHONE OFF, CREATIVITY ENGAGED: CELEBRATING GOLD WITH CHELSEA’S CHRISTINA COBB

Christina Cobb’s garden concept at RHS Chelsea Flower Show invites people to turn off technology and turn towards neglected hobbies.

SHAPING HORTICULTURE WITH LGBTQ+ ICONS

T

Her priority is to ensure that the institute members are “empowered, celebrated and heard, and that we step forward as mentors” to inspire the next generation.

Currently the head of Bradford Council’s landscape design and conservation team, Ali picked up two Pro Landscaper Sustainability & Biodiversity Award last year – Local Authority Award and Commercial Build Project of the Year (Large Scale) for Bradford’s Transforming Cities project.

Online exclusives

he London College of Garden Design (LCGD) has announced the launch of the Nigel Dunnett Planstmanship Bursary to support enrolling students.

The bursary, supporting students taking the Certificate in Plantsmanship course, will start in September 2026. It has been established to celebrate the outstanding contribution of Professor Nigel Dunnett, who passed away earlier this year.

Dunnett taught at the college from 2013 and played a significant role in inspiring a generation of garden designers and horticultural professionals through his expertise in planting design and ecological horticulture.

Led by Richard Wilford, the course will teach the essential skills, knowledge and techniques of plantsmanship.

Several prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community, from horticulturists, garden designers, and writers, have fundamentally shaped the UK’s landscape and gardening traditions.

©RHS / Robert Spanring

RHS DESIGN & BUILD WINNER ETCHES ACCESSIBILITY INTO NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN

Caroline Mantell has been awarded this year’s RHS Design and Build award for her Wild and Free Garden now stitched into the grounds at Lockwood Studios in Guildford.

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

7

BUSINESS

COMMUNITY

PRO LANDSCAPER ATTENDS FIRST-EVER DECKING DAY Karl Harrison, recently voted as Pro Landscaper's Most Influential Decking Leader of the Year, hosted the first-ever Decking Day on Friday 3 July.

The event, backed by Deckorators, brought together landscape professionals, garden designers, contractors, specifiers and serious decking installers. It explored new materials, product innovation, changing client expectations and the details that separate a successful deck from an expensive mistake.

The main debate of the day, The Decking Argument, saw Harrison have an open conversation with Mark Gregory, managing director of Landform Consultants. They discussed why decking still divides opinion, whether designers are too cautious and what has to change.

Highlights

THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL AT THE SUMMER SPECTACULAR Pro Landscaper’s Summer Spectacular returned to the De Vere Horsley Estate in Surrey on 9 July, bringing together the landscaping and garden design community for an afternoon and evening of networking, celebration, and entertainment.

The event celebrated the Most Influential Decking Suppliers, following nominations and votes from our readers, with Karl Harrison awarded Most Influential Decking Leader of the Year.

Eighteen category winners were also announced at this year’s Pro Landscaper Project Awards ceremony, hosted by comedian Aurie Styla.

The awards saw Harrington Porter Ltd crowned Supreme Winner.

The night finished with the Summer Party with live entertainment from an ABBA tribute band.

LEARNING AT THE LANDSCAPING LEADERSHIP FORUM Pro Landscaper Premium Plus once again hosted its Landscaping Leadership Forum across two days at Old Thorns Hotel & Resort on 2-3 July 2026.

The annual event brings together businesses across the sector and the supply chain to create a networking and learning space for leaders and their teams.

The event featured conversations covering the skills shortage, managing disruption and volatility, Have a look urban greening factor, introducing HR, implementing at our key technology, the UK construction landscape and good takeaways: storytelling to seize control and reinforce value.

Reels

Keep up to date with the @ProLandscaper team over on Instagram!

CELEBRATING THE PRO LANDSCAPER PROJECT AWARDS 2026 Celebrating the very best landscaping projects worth up to £250k, this year’s awards recognised outstanding work across 18 categories.

SWINGING TO SUCCESS AT PRO LANDSCAPER’S GOLF DAY The Pro Landscaper Golf Challenge returned, pitting landscapers, garden designers and built environment professionals against one another for a seat in the top spot.

WANDERING THE FIRST-EVER RHS BADMINTON FLOWER SHOW 2026 Take a look at the award-winning gardens at the very first RHS Badminton Flower Show 2026 with the Pro Landscaper team.

Phone image ©Mynhear/Shutterstock.com

8

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

S

cots pine a tree just for timber? Certainly not! The Pinus sylvestris is much more than a standard woodland tree; it is an exceptionally versatile design tree that instantly brings character to any project. This species excels in diversity and effortlessly adapts to your vision.

Options range from sleek clear stems or fully feathered varieties to characterful leaning trunks, umbrella-shaped crowns, or artistic bonsai forms. Whether you choose high-canopied specimens or a low, wide-spreading structure, there is always a shape that perfectly complements your design. Which variant will enrich your next project? We currently have a highly varied, premium-quality stock available for you. Get in touch with us today and be inspired by the endless possibilities!

Boom & Bonheur – because trees give life and bring happiness

Boom & Bonheur BV

boombonheur.com

RHS BADMINTON 2026

That's a Wrap RHS Badminton Flower Show

For the first time ever, the Royal Horticultural Society created a home at Badminton Estate for the all-new RHS Badminton Flower Show

T

aking place from 8–12 July, RHS Badminton Flower Show took to the stage for the first time as the sun shone over the gardens and exhibition stands. The show celebrated show gardens, inventive planting schemes, traditional techniques and the annual RHS Young Designer competition.

The Cricket Pavilion Garden, designed

by Stephen Moody and built by Frogheath Landscapes, was crowned Best in Show. The garden created a traditional cricket pavilion façade that sits behind a beautifully tended lawn, surrounded by colourful planting.

Best Construction for a Show Garden was given to the Macmillan Cancer Support: The Nascent Shade Garden, designed by Elle Arnett in collaboration with Artisan Landscapes, who also built the garden. Oozing with collaboration, the garden takes visitors through a shaded sanctuary, inspired by the idea that society thrives when we plant trees for future generations, in reflection of gifts through wills.

Founder and managing director of Artisan Landscapes, Will Cooke, told Pro Landscaper everything had gone smoothly with the build.

Arnett told Pro Landscaper, “Winning the Best Construction for a Show Garden award is a massive achievement that highlights the team's exceptional skill and attention to detail. Despite working through blistering heat, morale on-site was fantastic throughout

The Cricket Pavilion Garden. © RHS/Neil Hepworth

10

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

MEDALS Best in Show: The Cricket Pavilion Garden Designer: Stephen Moody Contractor: Frogheath Landscapes Best Construction (Show Garden): Macmillan Cancer Support: The Nascent Shade Garden Designers: Elle Arnett in collaboration with Artisan Landscapes RHS Young Designer of the Year and Best Construction (Young Designer): Blue Diamond Garden Centres: Where Grief Grows Quiet Designer: Sophie Leo Contractor: Ben Gifford RHS Environmental Innovation Award: Silo: All that comes in remains Designer: Abigail Stoyle Contractor: Surrounding Counties SUBHEADING

Sophie Leo. © RHS/Ian Christopher

what was a tough, but highly enjoyable and rewarding build. The final result is a garden we are all incredibly proud of, reflecting our ambition and vision for the space.”

Celebrating a trio of RHS Young Designers Sophie Sturgeon, a Pro Landscaper 30 Under 30: The Next Generation alumni, designed the A Space For Her garden which sought to create a safe space for women and young girls who may feel the pressure from the online world.

She was awarded a silver-gilt medal.

Other designers within the category were Sophie Leo who was crowned RHS Young Designer of the Year, and Abigail Stoyle.

Leo's garden honoured her mum, who envisioned the garden shortly before she passed away, while Stoyle’s garden was inspired by a restaurant, Silo, where her brother was formerly the head chef, and reflects its same zero-waste ethos. Silo: All that comes in remains picked up the RHS Environmental Award.

The trio emphasised the bond they’ve created since working on the gardens at Badminton. Sturgeon said: “I couldn’t have done it without them,” which was reiterated by both Leo and Stoyle.

Next year, RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival returns to the grounds, with dates yet to be confirmed.

Boxout text xxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx Best Artisan Garden: xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxxxx Ruskin Mill Trust – xxx xxxx xxxxx

Artisan Woodland Craft Garden Designer: Rachel Austin Contractor: Daniel Hoyle – Greener Landscapes

Best Construction (Artisan Garden): The Split Hazel Bakery Garden Designer: Henry T Pope Contractor: Arlington Landscapes Best Pocket Planting: Where Nature Navigates Designer: Alison Johnston Contractor: Four Seasons West Yorkshire Best Houseplant Terrarium: L’amour Vert Created by: James Whiting, Plants by There

11 11 5 Gold medals

Silver-gilt medals

Silver medals

Take a look at the highlights

prolandscapermagazine.com

RHS SANDRINGHAM 2026

RHS Sandringham Flower Show

Take a look back at the RHS Sandringham Flower Show 2026

Mindful Chef's Gathering. © RHS/Neil Hepworth

A

nother new event on the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) 2026 calendar this year was RHS Sandringham Flower Show at the Royal Family’s Norfolk estate. Taking place on the grounds of Sandringham Estate from 22–26 July 2026, the show introduces the new Grow Forward category to showcase sustainable horticulture and give a platform for new and emerging talent.

The RNIB Talking Books Garden finishes in the top spot, taking home Best in Show and Best Construction for a Show Garden, on top of picking up a Gold medal. The garden, designed by Paul Hervey-Brookes and built by Gareth Wilson, of G K Wilson, takes inspiration from libraries, capturing the quiet magic that ignites imagination after reading a book. Also highly commended in the RHS Environmental Innovation Award category, the concrete-free garden features sinuous curved shingle walls with ladders reaching skywards, an interpretive nod to the libraries of old.

Also headlining the trio of top awards, The Rhythm of Rainwater, within the allnew Grow Forward category, picked up a Gold medal, Best Grow Forward Garden and Best Construction for a Grow Forward Garden. In exploration of water, the garden demonstrates how rainwater harvesting can be more than just functional. Inspired by the musicality of water, aluminium dipping tanks stood in the centre of the garden, two interlinked by a narrow rill, allowing water to move softly between them. Hydrophones within the tanks reveal the subtle sounds created beneath the surface. The garden was designed by Anthony Purdy and built by Conway Landscapes.

prolandscapermagazine.com

Sophie Godber brought Mindful Chef’s Gathering to Sandringham, built by High Peak Garden Construction with Michael Robinson, Nice Ponds and Peak Boxes. The garden picked up the RHS Environmental Innovation Award, thanks to its sustainable and naturalistic ethos. It demonstrates how gardens can be created with minimal intervention and unprocessed materials. The Gold medal-winning garden was also given the all-new King’s Biodiversity Award. The garden was selected by The King himself for championing wildlife and nature-friendly

MEDALS Best in Show and Best Construction (Show Garden): RNIB Talking Books Garden Designer: Paul Hervey-Brookes Contractor: Gareth Wilson RHS Environmental Innovation Award and The King’s Biodiversity Award: Mindful Chef’s Gathering Designer: Sophie Godber Contractor: High Peak Garden Construction with Michael Robinson, Nice Ponds and Peak Boxes Best Grow Forward Garden and Best Construction (Grow Forward Garden): The Rhythm of Rainwater Designer: Anthony Purdy Contractor: Conway Landscapes Best Long Border: Tough as Old Boots Garden Designer: Zac Willitts and James Horne Contractor: Cherry Tree Renovation

RNIB Talking Books Garden. © RHS/Neil Hepworth

gardening, picked out of a shortlist of three gardens chosen by expert judges.

Sandringham marks the end of the RHS flower show season. Next year, we will see the return of RHS Flower Show Tatton Park from 21–25 July.

6

11

Gold medals

Silver-gilt medals

5

3

Silver medals

Bronze medals

The Rhythm of Rainwater. © RHS/Neil Hepworth

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

11

BUSINESS

PRO LANDSCAPER SUMMER SPECTACULAR! On 9 July 2026 at De Vere Horsley Estate in Surrey the industry gathered to network, recognise excellent landscaping projects, and celebrate

The day kicked off with the Summer Showcase which connected outdoor specialists with landscapers and garden designers over a BBQ and drinks. The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) once again hosted its annual tug of war while Pro Landscaper presented the winners of its Most Influential Decking Suppliers following nominations and votes from our readers.

As the evening rolled in, guests gathered to celebrate The Pro Landscaper Project Awards. Judged across 18 categories, these awards celebrate excellent landscaping projects valued right up to £250k.

This year’s awards also introduced the new category of Project Awards PLUS Garden, which celebrates aspirational and visionary garden designs. Landform Consultants took home this award for its project Frensham Hillside, while Green Genie Landscapes were highly commended for their Portishead Coastal Glow project.

Harrington Porter was crowned the Supreme Winner of the Pro Landscaper Project Awards 2026 for its project Melody Road.

The evening wrapped up with the annual Summer Party, with this year's event featuring live entertainment from an ABBA tribute band BJÖRN This Way.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE EVENT PARTNERS

12

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

BUSINESS

BUILD £100,000 - £250,000 THE CIRCLE GARDEN | PDGROUNDSCAPE LTD

SUSTAINABLE GARDEN UNDER £50,000 GARDEN BEHIND THE GATE | NOREEN BARDSLEY GARDEN DESIGN

©

DESIGN UNDER £50,000 EPSOM TOWNHOUSE GARDEN | HELEN SAUNDERS GARDEN DESIGN

El

li e

W al

BUILD UNDER £50,000 NORTH LONDON EXOTIC GARDEN | AOBA LANDSCAPES

DESIGN £100,000 - £250,000 THE CIRCLE GARDEN | TOM HILL GARDEN DESIGN

DESIGN AND BUILD UNDER £50,000 MALLINSON ROAD | TOM HOWARD GARDEN DESIGN & LANDSCAPING LTD

PLANTING DESIGN UNDER £25,000 DRUID STREET | CITYSCAPES

DESIGN £50,000 - £100,000 MEREHEATH LANE | ROBERT HUGHES STUDIO

© A nn e Co

DAVID GRIFFITHS COLLECTING THE AWARD ON HELEN'S BEHALF

p ole

we e

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

13

BUSINESS

HARD LANDSCAPING £50,000 - £100,000 POTTERS BAR PROJECT | GRIFFIN LANDSCAPES

BUILD £50,000 - £100,000 GARDEN DESIGN & BUILD | SW LONDON LANDSCAPING

COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE UNDER £100,000 ROOM TO BREATHE GARDEN AT AMERSHAM HOSPITAL | JEN DONNELLY GARDEN DESIGN AND CATHERINE GIBBON GARDEN DESIGN

SPECIAL FEATURE UNDER £50,000 THE CIRCLE GARDEN WATER-WALL AND SERPENTINE WALLING | TOM HILL GARDEN DESIGN AND PDGROUNDSCAPE LTD

14

HARD LANDSCAPING UNDER £50,000 THE OLD RECTORY RECLAIMED COUNTRY GARDEN | WILLOW TREE LANDSCAPES

DESIGN AND BUILD £100,000 - £250,000 MELODY ROAD | HARRINGTON PORTER LTD

PHIL TREMAYNE COLLECTING THE AWARD ON WILLOW TREE LANDSCAPES' BEHALF

TEMPORARY INSTALLATION UNDER £50,000 QVC'S REFLECTIVE RETREAT GARDEN AT BBC GARDENERS' WORLD LIVE 2025 | KITTI KOVACS GARDEN DESIGN

DESIGN AND BUILD £50,000 - £100,000 THE PERGOLA STAGE | BANCROFT LEE LANDSCAPES LTD

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

BUSINESS

COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE £100,000 - £250,000 EDWARD STREET HOSPITAL | JACK MOODY LANDSCAPING AND CIVIL ENGINEERING LTD

PROJECT AWARDS PLUS GARDEN FRENSHAM HILLSIDE | LANDFORM CONSULTANTS LTD

SUPREME WINNER 2026 MELODY ROAD | HARRINGTON PORTER LTD

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

15

Turn Your Quietest Months Into

Your Most Profitable Season Your landscaping business is already set up for success: Existing Customers

The Right Equipment

A Skilled Team

A Trusted Reputation

Now Unlock A New Winter Revenue Stream!

Proven Growth: Chris & Jamie in Cheshire achieved £450,000 in sales in their second year!

Shobhna in Chelsea turned over £1m in her 9th year!

Scan to learn more, and check if your territory is available.

BUSINESS

Moana's Magic The magic of Moana has sailed into the lives of children at Little Havens hospice with a new accessible, sensory island garden WORDS: HOLLY CHAPMAN

L

ittle Havens is a hospice in Essex that provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people living with complex and incurable conditions. “Every child who comes through our doors just wants to be like other children their age, even when their condition can make that really hard.

They deserve moments of pure wonder,” explains chief executive Louise Bryan.

The outdoor space has been completely Knowing that every stone, every light and transformed into an accessible, sensory every sound in this garden is going to bring island garden inspired by Disney’s Moana. something special for families to enjoy, that's An animated, and recently live-action, film a legacy we're incredibly proud of.” filled with discovery, family values and Central to the design, a striking manta magic, Moana brings the children at ray formed of pebbles sits in the middle of Little Havens a sense of wonder right to the garden floor. A key motif throughout their doorstep. the Disney film, the manta ray represents Created by viral landscaping duo guidance and wisdom as Moana Jake and Ethan Thorne of The sails through her journey. A Green Genie Brothers, in spiritual reincarnation of her Knowing that every collaboration with The Walt grandmother, the manta stone, every light and Disney Company US & ray is used as a symbol of every sound in this Ireland, the Pacific oasiscomfort and inspiration. garden is going to bring inspired garden combines From handcrafted something special for hard landscaping fale (houses), bespoke families to enjoy, that's a with a relaxed tropical installations of both legacy we're incredibly atmosphere.

Moana’s rooster friend Now open to the children Heihei and the treasureproud of and families of Little Havens, obsessed crab, Tamatoa, the garden ensures that every Moana’s legacy is swimming child, no matter their needs, can enjoy it through the garden. On top of this, lush to the fullest. Jake Thorne, one half of the planting, natural stone features and a Bristol-based landscape gardening company, dynamic water feature bring movement and comments on the garden’s opening: “We've life into the space. built some incredible spaces over the years, During the official opening, the team and but nothing has meant more to us than this.

Little Havens staff were joined by Millie, who

prolandscapermagazine.com

has been supported by the hospice since 2021. Diagnosed with Congenital Myopathy, which is a muscle disorder affecting the muscles inside and outside of her body, on her first birthday, Millie experienced the garden for the first time. “Millie is such a huge Disney fan, so watching her face when she saw the garden for the first time was pure joy,” explains her mum, Jay Farr, adding: “She loved driving round looking at the characters, and particularly liked Tamatoa and his treasure. The evening was wonderful, and you could tell that every single person involved truly cared about what they had created.”

The garden is the latest project as part of Disney’s collaboration with national charity supporting children’s hospices across the UK, Together for Short Lives. Disney is on a mission to create over one million magical moments of comfort and togetherness for children across EMEA by 2030.

In bringing the Moana garden to life, the breadth of team players involved in the project have given the children and young people at Little Havens an accessible, sensory garden overflowing with magic.

Pro Landscaper | August 2026 17

BUSINESS

BUSINESS

35 years OF

GRADUAL

GROWTH Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, managing director James Scott explains why slow growth has made The Garden Company a robust business.

WORDS: RACHAEL FORSYTH

L

ast year, under the twinkling lights at Old Billingsgate, companies across the industry gathered for the Pro Landscaper Business Awards and The Garden Company left on a high. They were taking home their fourth Business Award having just scooped up the Garden Design Company Over £250,000 Turnover Award. Judges praised The Garden Company for

THE GARDEN COMPANY TIMELINE

1986

James Scott’s interest in pursuing a career in the landscaping industry was sparked by meeting a landscape design student and he subsequently enrolled at Merrist Wood College to complete a National Diploma in Landscape Construction.

prolandscapermagazine.com

its dedication to training its staff, its positive environmental impact, financial stability and for how it demonstrates leadership within the industry.

Over 35 years, growth, in the words of managing director and principal designer James Scott, might have been “slow” but clearly, it’s also been steady. "We're quite pedestrian really, because we started

1989

1987

Following this achievement – and graduating as Best Design Student – Scott secured a position as a designer at a design and build company in North London.

Scott spent his second college year on a work placement in New England.

1989

Scott won a college competition to design a garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show for the London Association of the Blind. This won a Silver-Gilt medal.

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

19

BUSINESS

with two people and now we have 20 people,” says Scott. “That’s quite times they doubted themselves, but Scott trusted his instincts and slow growth over that time period, but it’s worked really well. We’ve encouraged and supported them from the sidelines. Now, they are got a solid business.” comfortable running projects lasting a year. “It’s satisfying to see their One thing’s for sure. Scott stresses he couldn’t have built this progress and how they take on projects now. And I have an amazing business alone. Not without his wife, Helen, who joined the company team in the office too. I’m really lucky. in 2015 with a focus on business development; not without “You have to have people who want to work with you. That the staff who keep the business moving; and not without means you’ve got to treat them with a lot of respect, trust the relationships he’s built within the industry. them with responsibilities and to make decisions on In the early They’re all relationships built on trust and respect – your behalf. I’ve always tried to give people as much but they haven’t come without learning curves. responsibility as possible. That’s good for them. It’s days I found it “In the early days I found it quite difficult definitely good for me. You can’t build a long-term quite difficult to to find the right fit when it came to my first business without people you can trust.” find the right fit employees,” Scott explains. “The first people didn’t The importance of this trust and respect when it came work and there was a point where I thought, I’m extends to relationships with suppliers. Scott is a to my first not sure I can do any of this.” The job wasn’t right huge believer in these long-term relationships and employees for those employees either, Scott explains, and so he has maintained them with suppliers such as London takes a more holistic approach to interviews now. "I Stone, CED, Hydrologic and Rochford’s almost since the don’t have a crystal ball to know how someone will work beginning. While it’s important for business owners to make out – you never really know however well they interview," he says. sure they’re paying competitive market rates, Scott argues, “you have "But now I try and find out a bit more about them and what to value long-term relationships over short-term discounts. If you makes them tick, what they like to do, what they don’t like to do – not talk to a supplier about some sort of detailing, say, and you buy it for just can you do this element of the work – and then it’s about instinct. slightly less somewhere else, you're going to blow that trust. Building I have a few things I ask myself: am I happy to send this person that trust, it's really important. You can't do it on your own if you around to my mum and dad's house to work? Do I think they’ll get want to build a business.” on well with the team? Will they be able to engage with clients? I also like to find out their hobbies outside of work because having those is a good sign.

“I’m very grateful to myself now that I stuck with it because we did overcome those first challenges of employing staff. What I soon realised is you can’t do it without them. Now, we’ve got amazing employees, some of whom have been with us for decades.”

Another learning curve came when Scott found himself unable to be hands-on at every site. “When I started, I was probably visiting site too often – I'd be there every day. What I learned was I needed to allow the people running the gardens to self-direct. You’re there to provide support, but you need to let them get on with the day-today running.”

But trust and good team leaders are built. Scott identified members of his team who had good ethos and wanted to do well.

Importantly, they also had respect from colleagues. They hadn’t necessarily built big, complex, or high-quality gardens, and at

1996

1992

The Garden Company got its first premises, hired more staff and Scott appointed a landscape manager.

The company hired its first staff member.

2008

1991

Scott set up his own business with a business partner, designing, building and maintaining gardens.

20

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

1993

The Garden Company became a Registered BALI Contractor.

As the company expanded, Scott increasingly delivered landscape projects designed by others and outsourced his own design enquiries to associate designers. He made the strategic decision to return the business to its core strength – leading and delivering design-led projects under The Garden Company brand and his own personal profile.

prolandscapermagazine.com

BUSINESS

A shift in Scott’s role within the business In 2010 The Garden Company was so successful at building gardens for other designers that Scott found he wasn’t doing the design work he loved. Instead, he was managing the business. In fact, he was having to hire in other designers because he spent so much of his time running the company.

“The business was successful, but I wasn’t doing the bits of it that I love,” expresses Scott. “I was a bit conflicted. I didn’t want to overbrand as a design business, we still built gardens too, and I was nervous about how other designer clients would feel about it. But I had this seminal moment where I decided I wanted to do more design work and we consciously said, if there is fallout from that, so be it.

"There were some who initially wondered about a conflict of interest, but we've actually found that many designers value working with a landscaping company led by a practising garden designer. We're proud to be trusted by highly-respected designers to build their schemes. Every collaboration also gives us fresh insights into different design solutions, continually broadening Navigating challenges our thinking and helping us avoid becoming insular.

Any business that’s celebrating a milestone such as 35 years will "At the same time, our own design work has grown significantly. have navigated its fair share of rocky waters. The Garden Company Today, around 85% of what we build comes from our in-house is no different. “I've been through several recessions and what designs. I've loved seeing The Garden Company develop I’ve done is manage in a slightly more defensive way," into a genuinely design-led practice. I still enjoy building says Scott. "I've always been quite cautious, but gardens for other designers, but there's something when it's tougher, we batten down the hatches.”

Building that especially satisfying about seeing one of our For Scott that means protecting the order book trust, it's really own designs through from the first concept to by using more in-house staff, rather than hiring completion." in skills. important. You can't Scott stresses that it’s important to remind Scott also advises watching profit and loss do it on your own yourself sometimes of what you want your much more than cash flow. “You make sure if you want to business to be.“If you are confident you're doing you’re protecting your margins,” he explains, build a the right thing, work really hard at it, be tenacious. “don't cut your prices, and make sure you’re business There can be risks that you're working really hard at working with a client who has a genuine desire digging your own hole, so you've got to have checks and to have a quality garden built – then you treat those balances in place. clients like gold dust.

“It's about having good business practice, understanding your “We've always tried to pitch ourselves at the higher costs, and for me, it has been sticking at what I know. I know other end of the market, working with discerning clients who are companies have diversified into doing different things, and I'm certainly signed up to the design process and who are value-driven not saying there's anything wrong with that. But for me, it's been about and not just price-driven. We’re not trying to jump into a sticking with the core side of what I believe is a great business, which is much more competitive end of the market; we've always designing and building gardens.” avoided that.”

2021

2009

Scott became a Registered Member of the SGD (now SGLD). The following year he joined the SGD Council and served for six years, including overseeing the awards scheme.

Scott joined the judging panel for the Pro Landscaper Project Awards scheme.

2019

Winner of the SGLD Small Residential Garden Award.

2022

2015

Scott was named as one of the Most Influential People in Landscaping and Horticulture by Pro Landscaper magazine.

Scott completed the buyout of his business partner. Shortly afterwards, Scott’s wife Helen joined The Garden Company with a focus on business development.

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

21

BUSINESS

Moving towards retirement Having spent 35 years running his own business, working through its stresses and strains, Scott feels “incredibly blessed” that he ended up drifting into this industry at a young age. There will always be barriers when running a company, and Scott's next one is his retirement. It's not yet on the horizon for him, but he's wisely looking ahead early at who could be poised to take over his role in its entirety. "As Helen reminds me, I can't do this forever," Scott says, "At some point she'd like me to do a little bit less work and then eventually retire." Freeing up more time for their rock band, cooking, more travel and, of course, more involvement in the industry – because does anyone really retire from landscaping?

Scott also has his staff to think about. "I've got people who have worked in the business for a long time so one of my drivers is to make sure the business is secure for them," Scott explains. "I've got two incredible daughters – neither of who is planning to come into the business, so I'm looking at options. I'm 58 now so I've still got a chunk of time on my side. Maybe there We're genuinely is someone reading this who has ideas on how they would help take the business forward so I can slowly blessed in our hand over." industry that we get Ultimately, making sure The Garden Company to do something that

is secure for the future means concentrating on what Scott set out to do 35 years ago – to build can make a really high-quality gardens for discerning clients with a positive impact on structure where people who work in the business people’s lives get satisfaction from that work. With this strategy, over those 35 years The Garden Company has seen staff come into the business and flourish. It’s taken home multiple BALI Awards, something Scott has always been “in awe of”. It's also won an SGLD Award and Homes and Gardens Design Awards. Scott himself was named one of Pro Landscaper's Most Influential People and is on the SGLD Council, recently becoming its awards head judge. He has also been selected by the National Trust as an approved garden designer for its properties.

Just as importantly, the business has built gardens which genuinely have a positive effect on people’s lives.“Winning awards is great, but it can be quite fleeting,” says Scott.“But creating a garden for someone that makes them happy every day – we're genuinely blessed in our industry that we get to do something that can make a really positive impact on people’s lives.” thegardenco.co.uk

2022

2024

Winner of the BALI Special Award for Best Design and Build Project, bringing the total of BALI Awards won over the years to 30 plus.

Scott was selected by the National Trust as an approved garden designer for its properties.

2026

Scott became the SGLD’s head judge.

2023

Winner of the Homes and Gardens Design Award for Best Small Garden. Scott was also awarded a Fellowship by the SGLD and joined its accreditation panel.

22

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

2025

The business won a Pro Landscaper Business Award, for the second year running, for Garden Design Company over £250,000 turnover.

prolandscapermagazine.com

www.poolcourt.co.uk info@poolcourt.co.uk

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

SWIMMING POOL AND SPA

DESIGN, BUILD, MAINTAIN AND REMODEL P O O LCO U RT LT D , E S T. 1 9 9 9

We are a small team of experts ready to assist with the Design, Build, Maintenance and Remodeling of high end residential Indoor/Outdoor Swimming Pools, Hot/Cold Hydrotherapy Pools, Existing Filtration and Water Treatment System upgrades, Sauna, and Steam cabins.

E U N E NEW V WE HEARD

WE LISTENED

WE DELIVERED

WHAT THE INDUSTRY WANTS FREE AND EASY PARKING LOWER PARTICIPATION COSTS GREEN, SUSTAINABLE VENUE BETTER NETWORKING SPACES EASIER BUILD AND BREAKDOWN LOGISTICS OUTDOOR AREAS FOR MACHINERY AND DEMOS MORE ROOM FOR BIGGER STANDS

A LOOK BACK: OUR JOURNEY SO FAR 2012

2014

2016

KEMPTON PARK: 35 EXHIBITORS, 350 VISITORS

SANDOWN PARK: NEEDED MORE SPACE

EXTRA HALL ADDED, +50% FLOOR SPACE

6 2 0 2 FOR Paving TRADE Superstore Super Brands at Super Prices

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE CENTRE 13 - 14 OCTOBER 2026

CONTACT TOM FOR MORE INFORMATION

tom.proudley@eljays44.com | 01903 959397

2019

2021

2023

200+ EXHIBITORS, 2,500+ VISITORS

MOVE TO EXCEL

LAUNCH OF OUTDOOR LIVING AND WELLNESS EXPO AND PUBLIC SPACES EXPO

ADVICE

Everyday inAyossurisPocktaetnt An

In the first of a three-part series, Steven Higginbottom explores the benefits of interacting with AI

AI has been used to create this image.

A

sk any contractor in our sector exhausting working day. Sound familiar? what AI’s for and they might One of the biggest AI light-bulb moments well think it’s a tool for tech for me was realising just how good the tools firms or large corporates, can be when you talk to them. helping people sat at desks to churn through Instead of sitting at a blank screen complex projects. trying to write that perfect email, a contract In reality, the most powerful use of AI for manager or business owner can just chat with folks in our industry is far more practical. It an AI tool and explain the situation in plain can help busy people get everyday work done English – as they go from one job to the next: faster, more professionally and with less stress.

“Attended site today, but couldn’t get And, with a bit of help, it can be far access to the rear gardens…resident simpler to get results from than wasn’t home. We’ll rebook the you might imagine. visit for next Tuesday.” From Instead of Most contractors aren’t everything you know sitting at a blank short of knowledge. They about my business and screen trying to write know their sites, their around my writing style, that perfect email, a teams, their clients, elaborate on that message contract manager or their machines and and turn it into an email I business owner can their problems. can follow-up with later.” just chat with an But what we all tend AI turns that into AI tool to be is short of time: time something a customer, a for emails, for that (occasional!) housing officer, or a commercial complaint that needs answering client will read cleanly, with the calmly, for the site notes that need to become tone softened and the wording tidied. a client update, for the report, policy or That matters because many people in LinkedIn post at the end of an already operational businesses are way better at

26

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

doing the work than writing about the work.

Some may lack confidence with written communication. Others may struggle with spelling, dyslexia, or simply the pressure of trying to reply quickly while juggling 10 other things.

A frustrated email rushed out at 6:30pm on a Friday stands more chance of escalating situations than a calmer version would. We’ve all been there. AI can take the heat out of a message: turning it into something where the customer hears the point, but we’re all still friends on Monday morning.

For contractors, this isn’t the road to becoming less human – far from it. It allows us to stay focused on the parts of the job where we’re most valuable and sink less time into the parts that zap our time.

Clarity on what you’re asking, and what good looks like, is key. The contractors who get most from it are the ones who explain the context, name the audience, set the tone, and read the output before it goes.

It’s not magic. It won’t automate your life. But, used well, AI can be a very quick, very capable, assistant: helping contractors save time, improve communication and take some of the daily admin pressure off already busy teams.

Scan the QR code to find out more about AI for Contractors, a practical course designed to help you use AI confidently.

Three live one-hour sessions.

Weekly from 3 September.

STEVEN HIGGINBOTTOM Steven Higginbottom, founder of Morada, built one of the UK’s leading grounds maintenance businesses. Today he helps contractors grow smarter. linkedin.com/in/dlodoctor

prolandscapermagazine.com

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

PROFESSIONAL CHOICE. PROVEN RESULTS.

EASYJoint PRO A tough 2-part epoxy jointing compound, EASYJoint PRO delivers a premium, hard set finish you can rely on - project after project.

Extra strength and durability with a smoother finish Suitable for light commercial and domestic paved areas Frost and ice resistance

Part of the complete Azpects system

Jointing & Priming | Cleaning & Maintenance Sealing & Protection | Accessories & Stabilisation

SEE US AT

INTERNATIONAL 13 - 14 OCTOBER 2026 | FARNBOROUGH EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE CENTRE

AZPECTS.CO.UK

STAND M30 & OB13

ADVICE

The

Long Distance MINDSET Phil Jones explains why great leaders think like runners

A

sk any seasoned business owner what survival really feels like, and they’ll describe something remarkably similar to long‑distance running. Not the sprint off the start line, not the adrenaline of the first mile, but the long, steady, disciplined grind that separates those who simply start from those who finish well.

I’m fresh back from taking part in a multi-island running event on the Isles of Scilly in which I pondered the similarities between running and you didn’t want to. Business is no different. business management.

The SMEs that survive aren’t the ones with In both business and running, success the most passion – they’re the ones with rarely comes from raw talent or early the most discipline. They review pricing enthusiasm. It comes from consistency, regularly. They track cashflow weekly. They clarity, and the ability to keep moving say no to work that doesn’t fit. They build when the conditions turn against you. processes instead of relying on memory.

And in today’s volatile environment, the Discipline creates stability. Stability creates parallels between the two have never resilience. And resilience is what keeps a been more relevant. business alive when the market turns.

New runners often make the same Every runner has trained in the rain, the mistake new business owners do: they go cold, the wind, or on tired legs. Not because out too fast. They burn energy on the wrong they enjoy it, but because they know race things, chase every opportunity, and confuse day won’t care about their preferences. movement with progress. It feels Business survival demands the same productive – until it isn’t. mindset. You can build resilience In running, poor pacing in advance – with cash In running, leads to early fatigue. In buffers, diversified clients, distractions business, poor pacing leads documented systems, and a slow you down. to burnout, chaos, and clear narrative that attracts In business, they fragile operations. The the right work. can destroy companies that survive In running, distractions you long term are the ones that slow you down. In business, learn to pace themselves. They they can destroy you. The most protect planning time. They build successful owner operators are systems early. They don’t sprint after ruthless about focus. They know their core every job. service. They know their ideal client. They You don’t complete a marathon because know what strengthens the business and you felt inspired every morning. You what weakens it. They don’t chase shiny complete it because you trained on the days opportunities. They don’t dilute their offer.

prolandscapermagazine.com

They don’t let noise dictate their direction.

Runners don’t train for the medal.

They train for the capability. Likewise, strong businesses don’t survive because they hope to. They survive because they are built to. A business that thrives for a decade is the result of thousands of small, intentional decisions: the early mornings, the tough calls, the disciplined habits, the refusal to drift.

Just like running, the question isn’t whether you can start. It’s whether you can keep going when it gets hard. And that comes down to one thing: are you building your business like a sprint – or like a race you fully intend to finish?

PHIL JONES Phil Jones is the founder of Apple Tree Bay Consultancy Ltd and brings long-standing director-level experience from the landscaping, grounds management and facilities services sectors. He now works with landscape businesses to strengthen strategic planning, refine operational systems, and support effective implementation.

Email: phil@appletreebay.co.uk Instagram: apple_treebay linkedin.com/in/phil-jones-4197b5b5

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

29

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

ADVICE

INCLUSION Matters In his first article, Gamiel Yafai explains why equity, diversity and inclusion matters to horticulture and landscaping

T

hree years ago, I was introduced strengthening the quality of what gets to this industry by Adrian delivered. One respondent put it simply: Wickham and the team at Access growing the profession's skills and letting All Areas, an industry-led Equality, underrepresented groups flourish makes the Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter Group whole industry richer. Given the sector's wellfor the UK horticulture sector. I didn't come documented skills shortage, that's not a soft from a horticultural background. I came in argument. It's a practical one. as an outsider, curious about a sector I knew But the same sessions surfaced something very little about. What I found surprised me: harder to hear. Asked whether they'd ever felt an industry full of warmth, craft and genuine excluded, people described being judged on passion for the outdoors. But one seniority or how they spoke, feeling that, like many others, has they didn't "look right" for a not always made space senior role, or self-editing for everyone to feel around neurodivergence EDI isn't a separate they belong. after a manager's conversation from That's why I want throwaway comment. the future of this to use this column to Asked how much industry. It is the talk about something of their authentic self conversation about that might not, at first they bring to work, a the future of this glance, seem obviously striking number said industry connected to soil, planting only part of it, held back by schemes or hard landscaping: fear of judgement, imposter equity, diversity and inclusion. syndrome, or simply not feeling Diversity Marketplace and the they fit the industry's norms. These Access All Areas Team ran a series of aren't abstract concerns. They're describing "Creating a Culture of Inclusion" webinars real friction between people and the culture for staff and management, using anonymous they work in, right now, in this sector. live polling so people could speak freely. The What struck me most was how practical responses from people already working in people's own answers were when asked this industry say more than any statistic I what would actually help. Not grand could quote. initiatives, but small, repeatable things: Asked why EDI matters to their widening recruitment beyond the usual organisation, people talked about channels, showcasing role models so people business sense as often as fairness: "can be what they can see," being honest filling skills gaps, improving retention, about unconscious bias, and simply asking

prolandscapermagazine.com

colleagues how to better support them. As one participant put it, allyship isn't about big gestures; it's about using whatever influence you have, consistently, and not staying quiet when something's wrong.

That thread of turning good intentions into everyday habits is exactly why Access All Areas, as the sector's EDI Charter Group, has since gone on to develop a formal EDI Charter, giving organisations a shared, practical framework to commit to rather than leaving inclusion to individual goodwill.

For now, the headline is this: EDI in horticulture and landscaping isn't a theoretical debate happening somewhere else. It's already live in how your colleagues experience your workplace today, whether or not anyone's asked them about it.

Over the coming articles, I'll dig into what inclusive leadership looks like in practice on site, in the office and in client relationships, and share practical tools any landscaping business, whatever its size, can start using straight away.

EDI isn't a separate conversation from the future of this industry. It is the conversation about the future of this industry.

GAMIEL YAFAI Gamiel Yafai is CEO and founder of Diversity Marketplace, helping organisations along their EDI journey. He was recently awarded an MBE for services to diversity and inclusion.

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

31

WHERE OUTDOOR LIVING AND ENDURING BE AUT Y MEET Millboard decking and cladding pairs natural beauty with cutting-edge British engineering.

Designed for outdoor spaces that are made to be lived in year after year.

Create standout outdoor spaces - order your free samples at millboard.com

W

elcome to this regular column, where I share practical, iPadbased digital workflows, tools, and drawing techniques to help make your landscaping and design work easier, faster, and more efficient – whether you're out on site or back at the desk.

Digital DRAWING

ADVICE

BOARD

John Wood explains why working with an iPad can help create a more informed design process

SKETCHING DIRECTLY ONTO A PHOTOGRAPH ON THE IPAD PROVIDES A QUICK AND INTUITIVE WAY TO EXPLORE IDEAS, TEST POSSIBILITIES AND COMMUNICATE CONCEPTS TO OTHERS

features can be highlighted, problem areas identified and potential solutions explored through quick sketches and annotations.

Working digitally also means building up a reusable library of resources over time, including plant photographs, paving materials, garden structures and other design elements that can be dragged directly onto site photographs to create simple

One of the greatest advantages of working with an iPad is the ability to begin developing design ideas while still on site.

This means not producing finished designs, but capturing information, exploring possibilities and laying the foundations for the creative work that follows.

For many years, site visits meant taking photographs, measurements and written

BY WORKING DIRECTLY ON SITE, notes before returning to the office to PHOTOGRAPHS CAN BE IMPORTED INTO THE IPAD AND USED IMMEDIATELY FOR begin the design process. Today, the iPad SKETCHING AND PHOTOMONTAGE allows that initial creative thinking to start immediately, while observations are fresh and the site is right in front of you. photomontages. A border can be quickly Like most designers, I take plenty populated with ornamental grasses, shrubs of photographs during a site visit. The or perennials, while reference images of difference is that, rather than saving them materials or structures help establish an for later reference, I can start early design direction. These studies working with those images are not finished visualisations, Today, the iPad straight away, sketching over but they are a powerful allows that initial them, testing ideas and tool for exploring options creative thinking to developing concepts while and, where appropriate, start immediately, still in the garden. This communicating ideas while observations process often highlights to clients. are fresh and the additional details worth Photomontages are site is right in front capturing before leaving. particularly valuable of you Using Morpholio Trace, when discussing planting photographs are imported styles. Rather than talking in directly into the software and used abstract terms, ideas can be as the basis for early concept work. Existing placed directly into the context of the

prolandscapermagazine.com

client's own garden, whether exploring a naturalistic perennial scheme or a more structured approach. This gives clients a clearer sense of the proposed direction and creates a strong starting point for discussion, helping designer and client align on a shared vision from the outset.

A further advantage of this workflow is that everything remains in one place.

Site photographs, sketches, annotations, reference images and concept ideas are all stored on the same device, creating a seamless transition from site analysis to design development.

Most importantly, this approach allows meaningful creative work to happen while fully immersed in the site itself. Observations that might otherwise be lost on the journey back to the office can be recorded, tested and developed on the spot. By the time I return to the studio, many of the initial design decisions are already taking shape.

The result is not necessarily a faster design process, but often a more informed one. Capturing ideas, testing concepts and organising information on site creates a stronger foundation for everything that follows.

JOHN WOOD John Wood runs Create Visual, a CPD training platform for garden and landscape professionals specialising in iPad-based digital workflows and presentation graphics. Scan the QR code to view a free lesson related to this topic. create-visual.co.uk

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

33

OAST HOUSE, SMOKE HOUSE This family garden surrounds a beautiful oast house in Staplehurst, Kent, and has been masterfully reworked by Trend Garden Design. Clean lines and structured terraces are softened by ornamental grasses and perennials, and Mediterranean herbs complement the sociable outdoor setting. This is a garden designed around outdoor living. The kitchen forms the heart of the space, supporting everything from informal family meals to larger summer gatherings.

Garden by Trend Garden Design; photos by Sarah Medway Photography.

Taking the pain out of outdoor kitchen design and build. grilloliving.com/trade

BUSINESS

“I CAME FROM THE TOOLS, AND MOST OF MY SENIOR MANAGEMENT HAS WORKED THEIR WAY UP, SO WE UNDERSTAND THE PRESSURES AND CHALLENGES ON THE GROUND” WORDS: RACHAEL FORSYTH

CEO of IPM Facilities, Mark Noakes is navigating the business towards net zero ambitions, across challenging waters, and always with the wellbeing of his team at the forefront

M

ark Noakes is no stranger to the dynamics within a business. He started his career landscaping at the age of 15 and has subsequently progressed his career through a number of different businesses. From small landscaping companies with a handful of team members to large multi-disciplinary organisations working in multiple countries.

So, when it came to starting up his own landscaping business, and in turn taking over IPM Facilities, he knew which parts of those businesses he wanted to replicate and which he didn't.

"I know some people say differently but sometimes you have to wait before you start your own business," expresses Noakes. "I saw what was good and what was bad working within bigger and smaller companies. I saw what I thought they did right and what I thought they did wrong. I probably wouldn't have had that insight if I started my own business at 21. Sometimes I look back and think I wish I did it earlier, but in retrospect it was exactly the right time for me."

The corporate model works in some ways. Noakes wanted that corporate identity, even when his business was much smaller. But too often he saw budgets that became unachievable. "I saw people not getting bonuses for four or five years because those targets were too difficult to achieve," explains Noakes. "A business is fast moving – you set your sail to head that course today and halfway through the day you're blown off course and end up somewhere else. Any business is the same. Yes, you can set budgets, but you have to be realistic about what happens in between.

"I have a lot of empathy for our people outside and what they do," Noakes says. "I try to get out on site as much as possible to see our teams, connect with them and understand their challenges and needs. It's too easy to forget how hard landscaping and maintenance is. I've got a big garden, and I do everything myself because it

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro ProPro Landscaper Landscaper ||August August 2026 Landscaper | June2026

35

BUSINESS

reminds me how hard the work is. For example, if I'm cutting a hedge which is 100m long I'm reminded it will take me longer than I perceive in my mind – those jobs always do."

This understanding means that Noakes will rarely deny someone a bonus. "Only once in 16 years have I said we couldn't give a bonus. Even if we don't quite achieve them most people will get at least 80% of their bonus," Noakes explains. "For me, it's not that they're not trying it's just we haven't had the luck, or something has happened outside of our control. I came from the tools, and most of my senior management has worked their way up, so we understand the pressures and challenges on the ground."

Recognising and rewarding staff The ethos running through IPM is that no one is more important than the other person – after all, without everyone doing their job the other person wouldn't be able to. It's crucial to Noakes that his team know that and he works hard to make sure they are recognised and rewarded for the job that they do. The business is a real living wage employer.

Colleagues get wellness days, flexible working patterns and vouchers marking milestones at the business. And every one of IPM's 170 employees gets a birthday card.

"We can afford better salaries and bonuses – and we have bonuses for all staff," adds Noakes. "And while money is a motivator, more than anything people appreciate being told they've done a good job, so that's important too."

Noakes takes huge pride in how many long-service team members IPM has and as

36

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

the business grows, he wants to continue to clients to offer landscaping. "We got on like a give more to its people. "It's always been my house on fire," says Noakes, "Eventually, when aim to have the best working environment he was ready to retire, I bought the company we can for people – we might not from him. I bolted my company on quite be able to offer what the which gave us a natural second likes of Apple and Google can branch for the business. We – but it's always been my stuck with the name IPM ambition to give more and Facilities because it had a It's always been more to the people who stronger name within the my aim to have work here." commercial sector." the best working IPM Facilities has been environment we The importance built, and subsequently can for people of service grown, on service. "I hate Noakes was running his poor service," expresses own business over 16 years Noakes. "What's the difference ago when he met Gary Kirkham. between one of our competitors Kirkham had set up IPM with his wife, and us? We cut the grass the same way, and joining forces with Noakes meant the we cut hedges the same way, we sweep kerb business could expand with its current edges the same way, we spread salt the same way. So, what's your unique selling point?

Well, ours is service. We're agile, we keep our clients updated and if we make a mistake – because things happen – then we hold our hands up and we put it right."

The proof of this is in the pudding. Not only has this approach grown IPM from a less than £1m business to a £16m turnover business in 16 years, but they've also done it without a sales team. "All of our business has come from recommendations," explains Noakes. "We work with a lot of managing agents and quite often they move jobs. I see that as our pollinators. Because if one of their colleagues is having trouble with their landscape contractor the managing agent will recommend us having worked with us somewhere else – and knowing we've

prolandscapermagazine.com

BUSINESS

never let them down before. That's how our business has grown."

Net zero ambitions A big part of IPM's growth now involves monitoring and reducing the business' carbon. In 2019, the UK Government set targets that the UK would achieve net zero by 2050. Spurred on by this, IPM undertook a full carbon assessment of the business.

"We could see that it was all going to be necessary going forward, so we set a plan," explains Noakes. "Back in 2021 we were a £7m turnover business and while we've increased our turnover significantly since then our carbon production has flatlined. That's really positive because it means while we've grown, our carbon has stayed the same." IPM has been carbon neutral since 2021 and plans to maintain that status while working towards its net zero targets. Those targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative as aligned with the 1.5°C pathway.

It's not always easy to maintain carbon neutrality, though. While the business' smaller machinery is mostly electric – and it's now trialling Husqvarna's electric equipment for its bigger machinery – and the management car fleet is all electric, Noakes says it's difficult to find decent big fleet electric vehicles.

"The hardest thing that we're finding, and I think it's the car manufacturing industry that's letting us down – and I'd say the government to a degree – is the work fleet," he explains. "We use them where we have static gardeners because they're not travelling long distances, but our mobile teams might be doing 200 miles a day. They don't have time to charge. The batteries in these bigger vehicles are so heavy that you give up weight capacity to put anything into the vehicle.

"The industry I think has been pretty poor to get those types of electric vehicles ready for us. We'd love for them to be, because one of our biggest areas to cut down on to become more carbon neutral is dirty fuel."

The call to become carbon neutral is coming from IPM's clients too. "Our clients have made us a better company," says Noakes.

"They've wanted us to reach certain heights that they need because they like working with us. If we need to get another certificate to make us better, then that's what we'll do.

And hopefully that's what our supply chain will do too."

IPM's next area of investigation will be its supply chain. The team need to be sure of

prolandscapermagazine.com

where those materials are coming from, how teams can't water. Though they could try sustainable they are and, ideally, that these and get an exemption, IPM advises against it suppliers are carbon neutral. It's not an easy to avoid building resentment with residents task but IPM has a pretty rigid system who themselves can't use a hosepipe. of procurement – they won't just Ultimately, Noakes argues for work with any supplier – and the same thing many in Noakes says they're keen the industry are calling Climate change to help their suppliers for: better rainwater is obviously a huge become carbon neutral. harvesting solutions.

The changing world part of what we're Climate change and of gardening also sees doing, and there sustainability IPM adopting more are so many The way IPM works has sustainable techniques challenges also had to adapt over and, in particular, more the years as the effects of sustainable planting climate change are felt more schemes to cope with our severely every year. "Climate change changing climate. IPM is also is obviously a huge part of what we're rolling out sustainability training to its staff, doing, and there are so many challenges." led by commercial manager Dave Taylor Visiting one of IPM's sites recently, Noakes who has a keen interest in beekeeping was greeted by a crisp-looking site. But the and sustainability. "We are changing and

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

37

BUSINESS

influencing our clients to understand why we're doing things in a more sustainable way," says Noakes. "There's a huge change on it – when you look at planting schemes from 10 years ago to what we're designing now, they're a million miles away."

Overcoming the skills shortage This in-house training is another way IPM is reaching the heights needed by its clients.

But it's also helping the business with a challenge that doesn't seem to discriminate based on location or industry: the skills shortage. IPM recently became a Lantra training provider so it can upskill staff itself through Lantra courses. "We didn't used to do lots of training courses when we were a small business but now it's important that we do," Noakes explains, "There is definitely a skills shortage, and I don't know how we get over that. But we're trying to get over the skills gap with our in-house training.

"Gardening is hard work. It's not easy. We do get young people who want to be in our gardening teams and after a week say they be that I can go onto my phone and ask, can't do it anymore. It's too hard. At the entry "how many square metres of lawn are there level wages aren't good either and on their on this property?" We do it with gritting. It social media are 16-year-olds claiming to be doesn't mean we don't send our teams out, earning millions. but they would have much more information "But I do think it's being seen more about the site before they arrive." as a career which is fantastic.

Back in the day if you were a Opportunities within gardener it was seen as a the sector Gardening is hard job you did because you The skills shortage is work. It's not easy. couldn't get anything one challenge, but the We do get young better," says Noakes. economic pressures "In the last 15 years facing businesses people who want to it's been a bit sexier to appear to keep be in our gardening be in horticulture – it's mounting. Noakes teams and after a being seen more as a himself says he's seen week say they can't profession and a skill."

IPM's margins reduce do it anymore Noakes also sees over the last six years technology as both an by 2%. While there's not opportunity for young people much to be done, Noakes says and as a reason encouraging young it's important to set yourself apart. people into the industry is essential. "We For IPM this means service, but it also means need younger people to come in because the skills it can offer. Alongside its knowledge old people like me don't always understand on sustainability and its journey to net zero, tech as well as they do. We're so behind in IPM has its own in-house landscape architect, this industry with technology, and we always Joshua Noakes – who happens to be Noakes' have been," argues Noakes. son. They can now offer his knowledge to "We're really trying to push forward clients without charging extra. with technology because there are so many IPM also offers its clients workshops opportunities. I'm not talking about robots throughout the year – ranging from wreath digging holes or cutting hedges. I'm talking making to 'meet the bees' – and are well about the technology of reporting, surveying, attended by the business park residents. It's updating information in real time. It should another thing IPM can offer, Noakes explains,

38

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

that its competitors might not. It also benefits the business parks in the same way, with the workshops something unique its residents can take part in for free – with the business park covering the cost.

Noakes also sees a big opportunity when it comes to the compliance IPM's clients must meet. "There's a big opportunity within that BNG compliance and ESG side," Noakes says. "If companies aren't getting on board with that, they're going to be left behind – particularly in the commercial sector. It's very important for the clients that we work for.

They need to be seen to be green – and we make them green."

Looking to the future When Noakes first started his business and first bought IPM, he says he saw it as a child, then as it grew, it moved into adolescence with all the growing pains that come with that. Now, it's a young adult – it's wiser and a bit more worldly. As it grows into a middle-aged adult, Noakes wants to make sure the business retains its identity and that the people that work there continue to benefit from it. "My ambition is never to be the biggest, but it is to be the best," he says. He won't be selling, but he's casting his eyes toward retirement with a senior management team he knows he can rely on – and a boat that's itching to be taken out on the water.

prolandscapermagazine.com

THE UK’S GO-TO

ULTRA-SAFE

CONCRETE REMOVER Mixers, trowels, wheelbarrows, slabs, mortar staining - concrete build-up and mishaps are just part of the job. EradiCRETE® breaks it down without harmful acid, fumes, or rusting your kit.

Pre-wet the surface. Spray it on. Leave to dwell for 15–30 minutes. Rinse it off.

Repeat if needed. Done!

IDEAL ON TOOLS & !

MACHINERY

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

SURFACE-SAFE • NON-CORROSIVE • TRADE-TRUSTED

IDEAL FOR RUST STAINS ON PATIOS

FOLLOW US: @SCRUBBGLOBAL ON ALL SOCIAL PL ATFORMS WWW.SCRUBBGLOBAL.COM

SCAN FOR PRODUCT VIDEOS

HEAVY-DUTY CLEANING RANGE AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE FROM:

In conversation with...

NICK BOLTON THE CHRISTMAS DECORATORS

Nick Bolton explains why decorating homes, shops and car dealerships might be the answer to landscaping’s quieter winter period What made you want to set up a business installing Christmas decorations?

I had worked hard with multiple businesses 20 years ago and I’d sold those companies. I wanted my next business to be one that allowed me the flexibility of going on long holidays, going on a school run both morning and evening, without being tied down to a nine-to-five. I explored in the US what those business models were and was fascinated by the Christmas business.

I thought it was amazing how much revenue could be How do you prepare a franchisee for the work? made in such a short period of time – don't get me Training is compulsory. No one is allowed to operate wrong, I knew I’d have to work hard for that, and we until they’ve been through our fully comprehensive That’s the do, there’s no denying it – it’s not an easy ride, but I four-day training sessions. They are a mixture of whole point in don’t mind that for eight weeks when it gives me classroom-based and hands-on training. We teach being part of a so much freedom for the rest of the year. how to write proposals, how to price up jobs, and franchise network. health and safety. Then for the hands-on training, You’re not in How does The Christmas Decorators fit in we will go out and decorate a building, even if it’s business on with the landscaping sector? in the middle of August, and then take it down.

There’s a brand that’s similar to us in the US If a franchisee wins a job that might be a bit your own which has about 400 people in its franchise overwhelming, or too big for them, we will definitely do network. 95% of them are lawn care or landscape it as a joint venture with them or with a neighbouring professionals – because they’ve all got the same problem. franchisee. No one needs to be scared of any opportunity being Three months of hiatus during the winter months. When people too big for them. That’s the whole point in being part of a franchise have worked really hard through the year, they’re probably quite network. You’re not in business on your own. appreciative for a bit of time off, but three months is often too long.

Landscape professionals have the staff, they’ve got the infrastructure, What made you want to move forward with a they have a vehicle and they’ve got a client base. By undertaking franchise model?

Christmas decoration work, they could make what would otherwise be Going back 18 years now, we struggled, being based in Liverpool, to the down season a highly profitable season. cover the whole of the UK. My team and I would be in Edinburgh We have just launched in the US, and one of our first franchisees has one day, London the next, Sheffield the day after, and Manchester a lawn care business in Wisconsin. All he’s done is gone to his existing the day after that. It was killing us. But enquiries from our website client base and told them that he also does Christmas now. Of those 200 were coming in so thick and fast. Between September and clients, 80 have signed up for Christmas.

December, we have over 12,000 enquiries – to just keep up with We’ve just taken on five new franchisees this year who are in the them is ridiculous. We weren’t sure how to grow the business, business of laying resin driveways. Again, in the months of November, especially being restricted by eight weeks.

December and January it’s too cold for resin to set. They’ve got We were faced with the choice between regional offices that we employees, vehicles, and a warehouse, and they’ve got a desire to make manage ourselves or franchising. I didn’t have a clue, but I’ve learnt that profit, so they’ve pivoted. a franchise is just a business model you duplicate. It’s taken us a few

40

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

Q&A

years to get the hang of it but now we have 40 franchisees, with room for more.

What’s your current role in the business?

My role right now is heavily involved in international expansion. We launched in the US last year and it takes up a lot of my time – as the day ends in the office here in the UK, because of the time difference, people are just waking up on the West Coast of America.

I’ve also been really involved in the opening of the UK's biggest Christmas showroom, which is in Birmingham. We’re currently putting together the final touches which can be used by our franchisees as a tool to bring their customers to. It’s also our training facility and where we have discovery days for interested partners.

What have been some of the most successful marketing techniques you’ve used to grow the business?

One thing I’ve found is the old school methods of marketing work just as well now as they did 20 years ago. You can’t beat walking into a business, such as a hotel, and talking directly with them in person.

It’s always a soft sell, giving them a brochure and asking for a name you can then email in a few days' time – if they haven’t contacted us already. That is how we grew from a £37,500 business to a £3.8m business. Yes, there’s Google advertising, our website, email marketing, business networking clubs and all those other things, but nothing beats that old school method.

We also have a door hanger flyer that we distribute in the wealthier neighbourhoods. Once we’ve done an installation on one house in a street, we also put up a sign outside that says,“Another beautiful home decorated by The Christmas Decorators”. 80% of clients are happy for us to do that and the other 20% typically call us and ask us to put one up after so many knocks on their doors!

What are some of your favourite projects you’ve worked on?

My favourite one in the in the last 12 months was working for the St Regis Hotel because they had the budget to be able to do everything without compromise. We were able to do the absolute best of our capabilities for that client without being restricted to a budget. This hotel was celebrating 25 years last Christmas, and it was the first year that we decorated it. For some of the staff that were there from the day it opened 25 years ago, to tell me it's the best that the hotel has ever looked was just a huge compliment. That just made it all so worthwhile.

We do the biggest Christmas tree in London, which is on Bishop's Gate, and that got the accolade when we first did it two years ago. We work with lots of lovely clients and they’re a mishmash of business owners, sports stars... I don’t follow football which is probably just as well because you can get starstruck sometimes. They are a small proportion of our overall client base, but we work for celebrities such as Jonathan Ross, Jason Manford, we used to work for Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. In the US, we work for Mariah Carey, Steven Spielberg and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

Our product looks amazing and our standards are high – but we can replicate that and teach it to anybody. Anybody can bake a cake as long as they know the recipe!

How important is sustainability to the company?

We are a net zero company. We buy carbon credits every year and dedicate them towards wind farms and tree planting. We are the only Christmas company in the UK that can give our customers a certificate that says their installation is net zero. That’s also important to our customers.

We are the only Christmas company that’s bared our soul on Trustpilot. Most people wouldn’t dare do it, but we did. We’ve got a five-star rating on there.

What do Christmas lights do for attracting customers back to the high street?

Almost critical. The majority of the UK’s highstreets businesses’ revenues are made during the Christmas period. The customer is choosing where they want to spend and where they want to go shopping. It creates a feel-good atmosphere to go somewhere that is beautifully lit and decorated when there are options. We work with car dealerships that say people have come in because they've seen the front of the building looks amazing. We've even had retail parks tell us that they've seen footfall increase on the years that they've engaged us to do something big for them.

For more information on The Christmas Decorators, please visit: thechristmasdecorators.co.uk/landscapers

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

41

NO FLAKING

NO SANDING

NO FADING

NO SPLITTING

NO CRACKING

N O S C R ATC H I N G

N O S TA I N I N G

R

FUL T S E

PORTFOLIO

e r t e R at PROJECT DETAILS Build time 8 months

Size of project 950m2 Project value £300,000 Awards BALI Award for Domestic Garden Construction £250,000 to £750,000

THE NARROW ESCAPE: WELLNESS AND WILDLIFE GARDEN ELLICAR prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

43

PORTFOLIO

BEFORE

Photos taken three months after completion

L

ooking towards retirement, this couple wanted to transform their long, narrow garden in North Yorkshire so they could enjoy their space year-round, including the worst of the Yorkshire winter. The wife had a love for wild swimming and growing vegetables, while the husband had a passion for cooking and al fresco dining, so the two met in this naturalistic feeling garden. It was also important there was space for their cocker spaniel dog, Minnie.

To accommodate the wife’s love for wild swimming, Ellicar designed a bespoke natural plunge pool as a focal point with a vista from the house. The pool has a relatively small 5m x 2.5m swim zone while a sun deck of Brimstone Ash covers the pool’s biological Biotop filters and leads to a sauna – perfect for enjoying the water in winter. A curving regeneration zone with aquatic plants is part of the pool’s hydrobotanical filtration.

Stepping out of the house, a gravel garden wraps around the pool, leading through a sensory path fringed with aromatics and grasses which connects to the pool and deck.

Leading from the pool down, the narrow garden opens into an outdoor cooking retreat for the husband.

44 Pro Landscaper | August 2026

Soft landscaping Adjacent to the deck is a semi-circular terrace designed for dining and relaxing by the water. Stepping down two steps with curved bullnose sawn copings leads to the oval lawn which flows down to the lower food growing garden. Two naturalistic borders with wildlife-friendly planting, designed to look attractive all year, help disguise the level changes across the narrow width of the garden.

Journeying down the garden, the planting morphs into Pictorial Meadow’s perennial flower meadow 'Wee Bee' – which was literally buzzing with pollinators in the first few weeks after laying. Further down the lawn is flanked either side with a tiny orchard, and here the meadow transitions into long grass and naturalised bulbs underneath the fruit trees. Ellicar used organic, flowing shapes to make the space feel more expansive and inviting, softening the linear nature of the plot.

Stepping off the lawn into the vegetable garden, four UK green oak raised beds and a soft fruit bed with gravel pathways lead onto a curved sawn sandstone patio which opens up from the bespoke outdoor garden kitchen.

Planting was key to the success of this garden. Ellicar layered perennial meadow

turf, mixed borders, gravel planting, and raised edible beds to create a diverse and biodiverse space with year-round interest.

Decking and natural sandstone paving help delineate the different zones while keeping the palette cohesive and naturalistic.

Challenges encountered Ellicar encountered significant challenges on site. Access was narrow and restricted, and ground conditions proved especially difficult during one of the wettest winters in recent years – ground works and pool construction started November 2024, pool installation and landscaping were completed by March 2025, with soft landscaping completed by May 2025.

Groundworks had to be carefully staged and required continuous dewatering to keep the site operable. The clay soil meant Ellicar could not have soakaway drainage system for the pool overflow and roof water.

A toilet was desired at the new garden kitchen which was located 80m away from the house. Together with structural engineers, Ellicar designed an attenuation tank which is lined and buried below the vegetable garden. Surface water and pool overflow is piped down to the attenuation tank along with roof water and paving

prolandscapermagazine.com

PORTFOLIO

surface water from the outdoor kitchen.

This is pumped back up the garden via a rising main through 80m of 60mm pressure pipework to connect with the mains drainage system at the drive. Similarly, under the vegetable garden, there is a macerator pump for the toilet and sewerage is also pumped back up the garden to join the mains sewerage system in the drive.

Elliar installed around 200m of ducting for services, water and electrics throughout the garden, together with a total of 22 manholes, rodding eyes and draw pits to facilitate access to the services and pipework.

These had to be incorporated into the design so they were not visible. There is 400m of pipework and ducting laid in the garden plus the extensive subterranean drainage system for the pool – meaning there is more work below the ground than above.

Levels were also a challenge, with the narrow garden featuring a fall from top to bottom and across the narrow width.

This was especially challenging when incorporating the large surface area of level water. Ellicar overcame this by effectively terracing the garden, incorporating a series of curved and oval steps, and gently grading both the oval lawn and the steps leading to the vegetable garden.

prolandscapermagazine.com

Sustainability The Vastern Ash timber decking is a thermally treated timber which is a byproduct of ash dieback in the UK. The liner and pool fleece used in the natural pool installation are recyclable at end of use.

The filtration units from Biotop are made of recycled plastic. Topsoil from the pool and kitchen dig out was used on site, while sub soil spoil from the pool was taken by dumper to a neighbour for build-up.

Biodiversity benefits In just a few months, the space has attracted an abundance of wildlife, and the plunge

REFERENCES Natural Pool Filtration Biotop gb.bio.top Wildflower Turf Pictorial Meadows pictorialmeadows.co.uk Sandstone Paving/Coping Goldholme Stone goldholme.com Brimstone Ash Decking Vastern Timber vastern.co.uk

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

45

PORTFOLIO in the gravel garden, borders and meadow.

Within the pool itself, the clients have already enjoyed seeing newts and dragonflys arrive within the first few weeks. The pool and garden have also been visited by a host of bird species that were not seen before, such as a kingfisher, sparrows, and wagtails bath daily in the pool’s beach.

The result is a garden full of discovery – with spaces to swim, sit, cook, unwind and connect with nature.

ABOUT Ellicar designs and builds award-winning natural swimming pools and naturalistic gardens that harmonise with nature. Its bespoke, sustainable landscapes are crafted to enhance outdoor living while boosting biodiversity. From concept to completion, Ellicar offers a full service, including hard landscaping, planting, and ongoing maintenance. With 30-plus years of experience, the family-run business creates breathtaking retreats that bring its clients' visions to life and connect them with nature. ellicar.co.uk

46 Pro Landscaper | August 2026

All completed images ©Mike Sannwald-Kirk

pool and sauna have become part of the client’s daily wellness routine. The natural pool and wealth of pollinator-friendly perennials in this small garden have brought a huge increase in wildlife presence, which Ellicar’s clients have enjoyed witnessing.

They describe their new garden a “a cross between being on holiday all the time and being at a gorgeous spa.”

Within a few weeks after planting, butterflies and bumblebees could be found

prolandscapermagazine.com

Confidence from Source to Customer

Install with confidence.

We know what’s important to you: ¥ Consistent colour ¥ Reliable stock ¥ On-time delivery

From quarry to UK warehouse, we manage every step so you’ve got the confidence to specify and build without giving it a second thought.

Stone. Porcelain. Decking. Accessories.

Because your reputation depends on it. www.global-landscaping.co.uk

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

PORTFOLIO

E G A T T O C

Charm

PROJECT DETAILS Build time 6 Weeks

Size of project 80m2 approx.

Project value £28,000 approx.

Awards Shortlisted Pro Landscaper Project Awards

TONY BENGER LANDSCAPING LUXTON prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

49

PORTFOLIO

T

he clients brief for their design and build project was rooted in a desire for a seamless connection between the higher patio space and an existing built in pizza oven down on the lower part of the garden. The design needed to serve not only as a functional space but also a conduit for a harmonious transition into the wider garden and surrounding landscape, and this aspect of the design was crucial in ensuring practicality without compromising the overall cohesion and connectivity of the outdoor space.

In terms of functionality the client desired a generous sized area for furniture, a barbeque and space for planters. This part of the garden was envisioned as a versatile outdoor living and dining area capable of accommodating gatherings and other leisure activities. Therefore, the design needed to strike a balance between practicality and aesthetic appeal, providing a welcoming environment for both relaxation and entertainment.

50 Pro Landscaper | August 2026

BEFORE

prolandscapermagazine.com

PORTFOLIO

The design also needed to stay true to the existing cottage style of the garden, utilising sympathetic materials that complemented the rustic charm of the surroundings. And the client wished to retain and incorporate their prized Agapanthus into the design whilst also introducing new additions to enrich the planting palette, ensuring a diverse, and visually appealing landscape through the seasons.

Tony Benger Landscaping took on the project and gave the client the additional space they required in a way that they themselves had not even thought of.

Challenges The main challenge of this project was addressing the varied curving lines of each patio, and the curving line created with the brick and the curved beds. These had to be executed with razor sharp precision, however, time, care, and accuracy were implemented at the very early stages of the build to ensure all the lines were in place and correct.

prolandscapermagazine.com

The falls on each patio also required meticulous planning to ensure they all were achieved so to not cause pooling, especially as the client required access up a steep bank to gain a more direct route to their home office and workshop space, necessitating steps that seamlessly blend with the natural surroundings.

Compounding these challenges, the team also faced some very wet and windy weather which presented its own obstacles. Weatherrelated contingencies, such as securing a gazebo to provide shelter over the areas they were working in and adjusting work schedules to ensure productivity remained at all times were implemented.

The client already had planters of Agapanthus which were ideal for splitting and reusing, but then also to be enhanced with further complimentary planting of some cottage favourites to add depth and cohesion with the existing planting and to further offer food and habitat to wildlife.

The client also had a supply of Beer flint stone on site. The stone had come from an

PLANTING Chosen to incorporate the client's prized Agapanthus whilst enriching the planting palette, ensuring a diverse, and visually appealing landscape through the seasons.

• Pittosporum Tenuifolium 'Golf Ball' • Spiraea Nipponica 'snowmound' • Rosa Bonica • Penstemon 'Raven' • Hydrangea paniculata 'Bombshell' • Nepeta × faassenii 'Purrsian Blue' • Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver' smallest form that came.

Read more about this plant on Page 80.

• Physocarpus • Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' • Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' • Alchemilla mollis • Philadelphus 'Belle Étoile' • Heuchera villosa 'Palace Purple' • Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve' • Salvia rosmarinus 'Capri' • Heuchera 'Paris'

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

51

PORTFOLIO

REFERENCES Sandstone paving Lowarth Paving lowarthpaving.co.uk Brick detail Hitchens of Exeter Stonebrickgranite.co.uk

old outbuilding which had been removed.

Beer is a stone’s throw from Branscombe and has a darker tone to normal flint. It made sustainable sense to incorporate this local stone into the design, which immediately added character.

Tony Benger Landscaping provided varying options for seating arrangements and entertaining and pulled this part of the garden into the property, grounding it as a much more useable space. The clients delight at the end of the project signified the fulfilment of the brief.

ABOUT Tony Benger Landscaping Ltd is an industry-accredited multi award-winning landscape contractor, dedicated to delivering exceptional landscape solutions across the southwest of England. Its design and build team specialise in offering a comprehensive service to its domestic clientele. From the initial stages of garden design right through to the construction. tonybenger.com

52 Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

What’s up Next for...

GET YOUR PRODUCTS IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPECIFY, BUY AND INSTAL. The upcoming Pro Landscaper September 2026 issue is our public spaces special and will feature four key product categories: Installer schemes: Demonstrate how you support your installers to make the most of your products.

Lighting: Exhibit your lighting solutions for public spaces.

Natural stone: Highlight how to best showcase your offering with top installation tips.

Wildflowers: Show how your products can shine with advice on aftercare.

This is your opportunity to put your product exactly where landscape contractors, designers and landscape architects are looking for their next solutions.

For sales enquiries: Dan Green Commercial director dan.green@eljays44.com

For editorial enquiries: Rachael Forsyth Editor rachael.forsyth@eljays44.com

PROVENDER Plant Healthy

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

potential, fully realised For over two decades, Provender Nurseries has helped landscape professionals bring ambitious designs to life ...

beautifully, reliably, sustainably.

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

PORTFOLIO

PROJECT DETAILS Build time 1 year Size of project 3790m2 Awards Landscape Institute Awards 2025 Excellence in Small Landscape and Garden Design shortlist

e c n a g e l E HISTORICAL

KING CHARLES STREET QUAD

GUSTAFSON PORTER + BOWMAN

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

55

PORTFOLIO

H

istorical maps indicate the presence of King Charles Street Quadrangle dates back to 1868 when the Foreign Office was first constructed. Completed in 1875 with the Colonial and Home Offices by architects George Gilbert Scott and Matthew Digby Wyatt, the buildings and quad have since been used for multiple ceremonial events, as well as an informal space for the health and wellbeing of staff working in the multiple government departments it serves.

Wellbeing, re-use of materials, biodiversity, and accessibility are at the heart of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Quadrangle project in Whitehall. Since the Covid pandemic, the importance of outdoor space for both mental and physical health has grown, explains the landscape architects. When approaching the project, Gustafson Porter + Bowman wanted to create a space where staff and

visitors alike can relax in a non-stressful environment with spaces for people of all abilities to enjoy.

Executing the vision The formal, classical facades contrast with the rich interiors that celebrate colour, texture, ornament and sculpture. It is the complementary qualities of the formal and relaxed essence of the space that Gustafson Porter + Bowman have explored in the garden design of the courtyard.

Inspired by the organic patterns of the interiors of the building, the planting design uses a loose, textured palette to complement the formality of the surrounding architecture. The species have been selected to reference the garden history of the Victorian era, while also responding to the 21st century environmental and cultural challenges – such as rising temperatures.

The courtyard reinforces the green links within the wider habitat areas for birds and insects. In celebration of biodiversity, the garden features British flora, horticultural heritage and acclimated plants from around the Commonwealth. Four Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Moraine’ frame the Downing Street archway and northern façade of the quad providing bright autumn colour. While Carpinus betulus ‘A Beeckman’ garnish the east and west facades, Prunus x yeodensis, Malus ‘Evereste’ and Magnolia kobus provide fruit and flowering ornamental trees around the garden.

A key part of the design was to reuse existing materials. For example, the pink and grey granite cobbles, kerbs and Yorkstone paving have been used across the site to reduce the amount of energy required in quarrying and transporting stone. While Yorkstone slabs were retained and reinforced to allow for vehicular loading, the pink and grey granite sets were carefully removed,

“The FCDO Quad project was a real pleasure to work on. We had a fantastic and supportive client, a proactive contractor and a great consultant team. Together, we transformed what was quite a bleak courtyard into a garden that provides a welcoming environment for foreign visitors but is also a well-loved space by the staff that work at the FCDO, animals, birds and insects.”

Mary Bowman, founding partner at Gustafson Porter + Bowman

56

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

PORTFOLIO cleaned and re-set to differentiate revised parking and the main arcade routes to King Chares Street and Downing Street. In total, 900m2 of paving and 1000m2 of granite sets were reclaimed and re-laid.

On top of this, rainwater attenuation was another key consideration. The increase in planting and soil means that rainwater is held on site for longer, minimising the impact on the existing drainage system.

Rectifying challenges Amongst various technical issues while creating the space, draining and subsidence issues were urgently identified and addressed. After the project was initiated, it became clear that the existing uneven cobbles would need to be lifted. Several options were explored, and a wide range of experts consulted to identify the best possible improvements to future-proof the space.

All daylight images © Richard Bloom

PLANTING • Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Moraine’ • Carpinus betulus ‘A Beeckman’ • Prunus x yeodensis • Malus ‘Evereste’ • Magnolia kobus

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

57

PORTFOLIO Making the public courtyard more accessible, environmentally sustainable and user-friendly were key requirements that ran true throughout the entire project.

With accessibility at its heart, the team worked with accessibility and inclusive design consultants Burdus Access to create innovative and exciting solutions that respond to need, balance function with aesthetic and maximise accessibility to welcome all. In response, tactile paving is fully integrated into the design to guide the partially sighted and wheelchair users, while the design also incorporates a dog spend area for guide dogs.

Also designed with flexibility in mind, the courtyard is set to host formal events such as State visits and Remembrance Day services.

King Charles Street Quad lights up with history, centering accessibility and the importance of nature for both visitors and staff. A space rich with biodiversity, culture and sustainable techniques, the courtyard is also a space for insects, other wildlife and their habitats.

REFERENCES Landscape contractor Maylim Limited maylim.co.uk

Bespoke benches Woodscape woodscape.co.uk

Furniture Urbidermis urbidermis.com

Soil specialist Tim O’Hare Associates toha.co.uk

Tree pits Green Blue Urban greenblue.com

Pathway lighting Light Graphix lightgraphix.co.uk

Irrigation consultant Irritech irritechlimited.co.uk

Furniture Vestre vestre.com

Bespoke bench lighting LEDFlex ledflexgroup.com

Stone Tectonix tectonix.co.uk

Bollard lighting and column mounted lights Selux selux.com

Accessibility and inclusive design consultant Burdus Access burdus.com

Trees and planting Robin Tacchi Nursery robintacchiplants.com

ABOUT Gustafson Porter + Bowman is a dedicated practice of designers and landscape architects working together to create beautifully crafted, durable and sustainable public landscapes. Aware that its landscapes need to elegantly balance the demands of complex-built environments, the practice works to be inclusive to all and provide greater opportunities for plants and wildlife to thrive. gp-b.com All nighttime images © James Newton

58

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

The ONE Garden Designed by Tythorne Garden Design | Built by Pickwell Paving | © Fiona Walsh

B R EEZE As seen at RHS Malvern Spring Festival & RHS Chelsea Flower Show

See us at 13 - 14 October 2026

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CATEGORY PARTNERSHIP • TABLE HOSTING • DRINKS RECEPTION • MENU SPONSOR Align with and celebrate the organisations, people and projects that are showcasing the value of landscape, its’ critical role and the wider societal benefits being delivered.

Whether you want to be seen as a key stakeholder and industry leader, benefit from brand positioning or simply want to build and develop market relationships our team can help find the solution for you.

Contact Dan for partnership opportunities dan.green@eljays44.com | 01903 959406

13 OCTOBER 2026 | FARNBOROUGH

ENTRIES NOW OPEN ENTRY DE ADLINE: 10 AUGUST 2026

NEW FOR 2026 ECOLOGY TEAM OR COMPANY HOUSING ASSOCIATION

Scan to download the entry guide

ARBORICULTURE COMPANY COMMERCIAL BUILD PROJECT COMMERCIAL DESIGN PROJECT GARDEN DESIGN COMPANY GROUNDS MAINTENANCE COMPANY LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO LANDSCAPING COMPANY UNDER £2.5M TURNOVER LANDSCAPING COMPANY OVER £2.5M TURNOVER LOCAL AUTHORITY/COUNCIL OF THE YEAR MAINTENANCE CONTRACT SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR SUPPLIER OR SERVICE PROVIDER SUSTAINABILITY AND BIODIVERSITY LEADER

Contact Will to enter or for tickets will.williams@eljays44.com | 01903 959390

PROL ANDSCAPERSUSTAINABILIT YAWARDS.COM

TRENDS

De si gn in g in

Matt Evans explores some of the trends he's seeing which are making gardens more climate resilient

T

oo little, too late? As I write this, we’re now in the 5th week in Dorset without rain and with temperatures not dropping below 23°C. The proverbial drum has been banged now for years without action. As custodians of the landscape, we must now step up.

The assumption that the UK gets mild winters, reliable rainfall and relatively benign conditions no longer holds true. It’s time for us to re-think what a good garden looks like. Climate mitigation in our sector is an industry-wide responsibility and should be shouldered by supply chain, designers, contractors and clients.

One obvious shift, which at certain levels has been policy-driven is conceptual, gardens are increasingly treated as working systems rather than just decorative spaces.

We all know this, but getting this across to clients is important. Gardens need to manage water, support biodiversity, store carbon and moderate temperatures within the site in addition to just looking attractive. The climate conscious narrative in our projects is now a baseline measure rather than a niceto-have. Tools such as Elemental make this much easier and more accessible.

62

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

All RHS Chelsea Flower Show images © BALI

CLIMATE RESILIENCE

Planting is seeing a climate resilient water sensors and weather monitoring can revolution. In the studio we are continuing be implemented to ensure water is only used to specify Mediterranean inspired schemes when entirely necessary. Of course not all of with shrubs, tough evergreens and these solutions are available to everyone, so perennials that can withstand both drought choosing and adapting their implementation and waterlogging. Well chosen, resilient is important to ensure you’re working to best plants reduce replacement costs, mature well practice within budget and client scope. and add value. Gravel gardens, and perennial As specifiers, one of the biggest shifts prairie-style planting are inherently more we’ve tried to adopt in the last two years is appropriate for our current weather our materials choices. Working with and require less work to natural products, or suppliers maintain during extremes who actively consider and temperature embodied carbon and Climate mitigation fluctuations. environmental footprint in our sector is Water management within their growing an industry-wide within a garden and manufacturing responsibility and should now be a process. Where scope should be shouldered design principle allows, we’d always by supply chain, within every design. rather opt for a designers, contractors With water becoming more planted scheme and clients more scarce, rain gardens, and minimal hard soakaways and rainwater landscaping entirely in an harvesting systems are effort to support biodiversity increasingly built into the structure and carbon storage. Tree selection is of our schemes to ensure longevity and that more important than ever – and remember the site can sustain itself. SUDS management there’s no harm in turning to a book or and permeable paving combined with journal for guidance. Henrik Sjoman & porous sub-bases also help with this. Smart Arit Anderson’s ‘Tree Selection Guide’ has

prolandscapermagazine.com

TRENDS

Products

Acer campestre Company: Hillier Product: Acer campestre About: Supplied to BALI Trade Stand at RHS Chelsea, Acer campestre is a resilient native tree offering adaptability and seasonal interest.

The Hive – A BALI Collaboration garden, designed by Matt Evans, at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026.

been a staple on our studio desk for some time now. This amazing book details how different trees react to climate, biodiversity and ecosystems, and how we should consider these elements at the point of specification.

BNG has become completely intertwined in the way, as designers, we think about climate mitigation. We’re seeing a spillover with some clients who are keen to implement principles of BNG on sites where it’s not a requirement. This can only be a positive thing. In the commercial sector, pollinator-pathway initiatives and wildflower meadows are becoming increasingly popular. Last month we took part in a CPD with Wildflower Co to help our team understand more about successful implementation and specification of meadows.

All landscapes start with the soil. It’s the backbone of every garden and crucial to succeed in creating a climate friendly space. Do you need soil (can you use gravel or recycled material)? How is the drainage? Have you considered how to reduce compaction during construction phases? And is your mulch or supplier considering soil biology for strong root systems which support less need for water?

With all of this in mind, I think it's clear that these trends suggest we’re all starting to turn a corner. Regardless of whether we’re too late or not, we all now have a responsibility to deliver climate conscious spaces. In a market where the race to the bottom and the cost of doing business is causing increased competition and quality issues, budget and practicality will always be a consideration. At the BALI conference in March this year we discussed how climate resilience is an opportunity. It's time to set the bar higher. Climate resilience cannot be seen as an optional extra; it must now be a fundamental principle of landscape design.

Price: POA trees.hillier.co.uk

Atlas Priora™ Company: Marshalls Product: Atlas Priora™ About: Atlas Priora™ delivers proven SuDS performance and lasting strength for pedestrian, light and commercial schemes, finished with an elegant natural stone aesthetic.

Price: POA marshalls.co.uk

Species Rich Lawn Turf Company: Wildflower Co Product: Species Rich Lawn Turf

MATT EVANS Matt Evans is the managing director and design lead and The Garden Room Living and Landscape Studio, based in Poole, Dorset. The Garden Room is a young, creative design studio founded by partners in life and design, Matt and his wife Elle Evans. Located just a stone's throw from the shores of Poole Harbour and the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, they operate across Dorset, London and the south of England offering garden design, project management and planting as well as specialist aftercare. thegardenroomstudio.com

prolandscapermagazine.com

About: Lawn-like turf with enhanced biodiversity benefits. By incorporating a carefully selected mix of UK native wildflowers alongside fine grasses, it creates a resilient surface that supports pollinators and improves ecological value without losing its lawn-like character.

Price: £10.50 Wildflowerexperts.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

63

DESIGN

INSTALLATION

MAINTENANCE

WATER FEATURES

FLOATING FOUNTAINS & AERATORS

Drama or relaxation...

A carefully designed & installed water feature will provide focus within a landscape.

We also install & maintain irrigation systems

Expanding Foam Made for Ponds, Waterfalls and Outdoor Projects

01963 824166 waterscapes.co.uk @waterscapesltd

PRODUCTS

Climate ADAPTATION Stuart Dantzic, managing director of solar shading specialists Caribbean, explains why external solar shading should be central to the UK’s response to rising temperatures

L

ike the environment, the moderate temperatures around a property. conversation around climate Hard landscaping choices matter too. Dark adaptation is changing. For years, surfaces absorb and retain heat, while lighter much of the focus has been on materials can help reduce the urban heat flooding, insulation and energy efficiency. island effect that is becoming more noticeable Increasingly, attention is turning towards in towns and cities. overheating and what can be done to make Pergolas and covered outdoor structures homes and outdoor spaces more resilient are also taking on greater significance. during hotter summers.

Traditionally viewed as lifestyle features, Recent reports, including Westminster they are increasingly being recognised as City Council's Weather-Ready practical tools for climate resilience.

Homes Report, highlight A well-designed louvred a challenge that many pergola can create usable The most successful householders are outdoor space during already experiencing: periods of intense landscapes of the homes are becoming sunshine. future will be those uncomfortably warm However, one that help people stay during periods of area deserves greater comfortable, spend prolonged sunshine, attention than it particularly where often receives: more time outdoors glazing allows solar external shading. and adapt to a heat to build up indoors.

The principle is warmer world For landscapers, this straightforward. If sunlight presents both a challenge can be prevented from and an opportunity. Climate reaching glazing in the first place, adaptation is no longer confined to the much of the unwanted heat gain can building itself. Gardens, terraces and outdoor be avoided. This approach tackles overheating living areas all have an important role at its source rather than relying on fans or air to play in reducing heat exposure and conditioning once indoor temperatures have improving comfort. already risen.

Planting schemes are one part of Research commissioned by the British the solution. Trees and carefully Blind and Shutter Association (BBSA) found positioned vegetation can provide that external blinds can reduce internal valuable shade and help room temperatures by up to 19.5°C under

prolandscapermagazine.com

certain conditions. They can also improve thermal performance during colder months by creating an additional insulating layer around the window.

This is particularly relevant, as contemporary housing continues to favour large glazed openings, sliding doors and expansive garden-facing elevations. These features bring welcome daylight and stronger connections to outdoor spaces, but they can also increase the risk of overheating.

External shading allows designers to keep these benefits while improving comfort and reducing reliance on energy-intensive cooling systems. When integrated with planting, thoughtful landscape design and outdoor structures, it becomes part of a wider strategy for creating homes that are better prepared for future climate conditions.

The gardens and outdoor spaces being designed today will face a very different climate over their lifetime. That makes shade a necessity, not an optional extra. The most successful landscapes of the future will be those that help people stay comfortable, spend more time outdoors and adapt to a warmer world.

STUART DANTZIC Recognised as one of the UK’s leading external shading authorities, Stuart Dantzic is managing director of Caribbean and vice president of the BBSA, driving innovation in solar control.

cbsolarshading.co.uk

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

65

PROMOTION

Unlocking Awkward SPACES

Millboard explains why difficult sites can be a landscaper's biggest opportunity

E

very landscaper Tunbridge Wells shows what knows the this can achieve. Garden conversation. The designer Marlene Lento was client gestures working with a Victorian towards a steep drop, a sunken family home where a steep side return or a tired patio and drop separated the house says, "We just don't use this from a woodland below. Her bit." For years, these awkward solution was a split-level corners were written off as design stepping down from a dead space. Increasingly, they stone patio onto an elevated represent some of the most deck in Millboard Enhanced rewarding work in the trade.

Grain, Antique Oak, extending The demand is being driven out into the trees. Space that by how people want to was previously inaccessible live. When usable woodland is now the garden space is heart of the home.

When usable limited, the Not every garden space is answer can awkward space limited, the answer often lie in is dramatic. can often lie in the the areas Tired concrete, areas previously previously cracked paving considered considered and sunken unusable unusable. courtyards are Sloping sites far more common, and steep drops are and here decking among the most common offers a fast, clean solution. challenges, and decking Rather than breaking out remains one of the most and disposing of an existing efficient ways to solve them. surface, a decking subframe Rather than costly excavation can be installed directly over and retaining works, a wellit, saving programme time, skip designed deck can terrace costs and disruption for the a level change or cantilever client. out over ground that would Sunken and wet-prone otherwise be lost. areas benefit particularly.

A recent project in Royal Raising the finished level on a

66

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

properly ventilated subframe lifts the walking surface clear of standing water, while highly slip- and moisture-resistant ranges such as Millboard's Enhanced Grain and Weathered Oak resin mineral composite decking help improve safety underfoot in all weathers, a genuine selling point for family gardens and commercial settings.

The key to all of this is what sits beneath the boards.

Matching the subframe to the site is what turns an awkward space into a straightforward install.

For constantly wet or soft ground, Plas-Pro recycled plastic joists and posts provide a moisture-resistant framework that will not rot, with the added sustainability story clients increasingly ask about. Where strength and spanning capability matter, such as elevated, complex, or commercial projects, DuoSpan aluminium subframes offer a straighter, stronger and longer lasting alternative to timber. And for solid bases like concrete or existing patios, the DuoLift pedestal system allows installers to

achieve a perfectly level deck quickly, with adjustable risers accommodating varied heights and falls without extensive groundwork.

Used in the right combination, these systems mean very few sites are genuinely off-limits. Awkward spaces offer skilled installers a chance to showcase their expertise. Clients cannot easily visualise the solution themselves, which makes expert guidance and the right materials the difference between a written-off corner and a transformed one. For landscapers, that is not just a design challenge. It can be a genuine commercial opportunity, and one worth raising at the first site visit.

And you do not have to take it on alone. Skilled installers are at the heart of every successful Millboard decking and cladding project, and supporting you is something we genuinely value.

For more information, contact enquiries@ millboard.com, visit millboard.com or call 024 7643 9943.

prolandscapermagazine.com

PRODUCTS

The

Sustainable Edge What sustainable qualities are these products offering?

SUPA SPA FORGE CORE

MONARCH

Company: SUPA

Company: All Green

Product: SUPA Spa Forge Core

Product: Monarch

Heat on demand spas which go from cold to hot in under 90 minutes and reduce annual CO2 emissions by up to 70%.

Monarch is a pale buff quartzite sandstone which is extremely durable and hard wearing. Monarch is sustainably quarried to protect and preserve reserves, providing important resource for building and landscape architecture.

Price: POA

Price: POA

supa-spas.com

Allgreen.uk

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

67

PRODUCTS

f o r f i t Teaching Tools Colleges detail what they’re teaching garden design students in the face of AI

WHAT DESIGN SOFTWARE ARE COLLEGES CURRENTLY USING? London College of Garden Design lcgd.org.uk info@lcgd.org.uk Vectorworks, Sketchup, Morphillo Trace Capel Manor College capel.ac.uk admissions@capel.ac.uk Vectorworks, Sketchup Pro, Adobe Illustrator, Canva Plumpton College plumpton.ac.uk enquiries@plumpton.ac.uk Vectorworks

68

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

T

training in an area that could be completely here is no denying that AI is redundant in the future. We definitely have quickly spreading across the conversations to reassure the students.” industry and beyond in a Students are becoming number of different professionals in garden design forms. As the future and are in turn being generation of garden trained to be able to designers walk through spot any inaccuracies the door, colleges are Our students are and errors that AI having to navigate really worried about might come up with. the growth of AI this to be honest. They Looking towards the before they step see it as training in future, Guinness into the industry, sees the college which is no simple an area that could be turning toward AI task – especially completely redundant only “if programmes when concerns arise in the future like Vectorworks about the future of and SketchUp begin to the career as these incorporate AI.” technologies grow.

Students come from a Sophie Guinness, head whole range of different backgrounds of school at Capel Manor College, with different expertise in design software, begins: “Our students are really worried Guinness adds. She emphasises the about this to be honest. They see it as

prolandscapermagazine.com

PRODUCTS

in as we see industry appetite and clear importance of designing by hand, before pedagogical benefit, rather than adopting heading into mainstream software. "My them because they're new.” immediate feeling is that it's still a tool At the moment, the college is building AI rather than a replacement for our designers,” literacy through its digital education strategy. she says, adding, “We see AI as a tool for However, “the principle we hold everywhere improving presentation skills, but not for is that a human stays responsible for the creativity.” work. For students that means learning to Overall, “it’s not a reliable product yet,” think critically about these tools, argues Guinness, and encourages where they help and where they sketching by hand over AI fall short, and using them investment for her students. transparently rather than Richard Harris, We're measured as a shortcut,” he says. learning technology about introducing new As AI features manager at Plumpton increasingly College, says tools, including AI, and become part of the students are using tend to bring them mainstream design industry standard in as we see industry tools students will CAD packages for meet in industry, landscape and appetite and clear Harris expects the garden design, such pedagogical teaching to keep pace as Vectorworks. But, benefit with the profession, similarly to Capel "What won't change is the Manor College a lot of emphasis on core design skills the teaching still starts on and using any tool ethically with paper. He says: “Hand drawing and proper disclosure. We're interested in learners manual design work build the underlying that are able to pick up whatever's in front of spatial and design thinking that helps to them and use it well, not depend on it.” make someone good with the software. We're At London College of Garden Design deliberate about when digital tools come (LCGD), students are often led by freelance in, so students learn the fundamentals first project manager and graphic designer Fiona and then apply professional software once Silk to discuss if and where AI could be used. it genuinely adds something rather than Nina Baxter, director at LCGD, says: “Our reaching for it by default.” teaching is along the lines of ‘AI is here, we True to the entire college, Plumpton is can’t pretend it’s not and that it won’t affect careful in what it introduces. Harris says: us, we need to be informed about what it “We're measured about introducing new is and what it can do’. It can definitely help tools, including AI, and tend to bring them

prolandscapermagazine.com

with workflow and visuals, but we encourage students to be creative and original in their design work – creativity is where we believe humans will always be better.”

On top of this, from a sustainability perspective, the college has real concerns, “with the resources that AI currently uses we encourage students not to use it for everyday, simple tasks," adds Baxter.

The college takes these responsibilities towards sustainability seriously. As a result, Baxter and her team relay training that covers sustainable design, encouraging social equity, maximising biodiversity and minimising the use of resources that have negative impacts at source. In turn, students are generally taught that their own creativity overtakes that of AI. The garden design and landscape architecture professions are in a unique position. They can make a difference to one of the main drivers of sustainable development through the impact we make on our environment. Green Small Business certified, LCGD has a commitment to “improving the management of our significant environmental impacts and having a policy and action plan to deliver that commitment,” Baxter explains.

It seems the consensus between these three colleges realises that hand drawing and manual design work remains at the forefront of teaching. While the growth of AI prevails, and its incorporation feeds into software across the industry, each college recognises both the opportunities and limitations of it, being careful as to what they relay to the future generation of garden designers.

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

69

FEATURE

GROWING

Wanderlust

Billions of pounds pour into the economy thanks to garden tourism which sees outdoor spaces across the UK maintain year-round appeal

RHS BRIDGEWATER

T

he environmental horticulture sector contributed £38bn to the UK economy in 2023, finds a report released by the Environmental Horticulture Group (EHG) and Oxford Economics. By 2030, it could be worth £51.2bn.

Not only is environmental horticulture essential to nature-based climate solutions, but its contribution to tourism is booming.

In 2023, public parks, gardens and green spaces attracted £4.2bn in tourism spending.

“Horticulture is enormous,” begins Richard Green, director of visitor experience and estates at the Royal Horticulture Society, who runs the operation teams across all RHS gardens. Across Great Britain, the RHS State of Gardening Report 2025 mapped 25.8 million gardens.“We

70

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

©RHS Richard Bloom

also found that one third of international adds,“tourists are looking for attractions that visits to the UK involve at least one offer something fresh to discover, trip to a park or garden,” adds making this a great summer Green. With these figures to explore the wealth of Tourists are in mind,“it really puts us culture, history and looking for attractions at the heart of the UK’s nature on offer across that offer something cultural and tourism Britain." fresh to discover, making offer,” he explains.

The five RHS this a great summer More people are gardens reach different to explore the wealth choosing “memorable corners of the UK, of culture, history and days out and short which began when the breaks closer to home charity took over RHS nature on offer within the UK instead of Garden Wisley in 1903, across Britain travelling further afield,” marking its oldest garden. claims Bernard Donoghue, Located in Surrey, Wisley is chief executive at Association of a 240-acre flagship garden that Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA). In turn, he officially opened to the public from 1904.

prolandscapermagazine.com

FEATURE

©RBG Kew/Jeff Eden

The largest garden, RHS Garden Hyde At the time, Bridgewater was regarded been created. It's been done so with Hall sits in Essex, spanning 365 acres, while “the biggest gardening project in Europe,” some really strong connections made RHS Garden Rosemoor is over to the west in says Green. Introduced as the world was within the local community, and that's Devon. RHS Garden Harlow Carr is the most opening back up after months locked been really important.” northerly garden located in North Yorkshire. down during the Covid-19 pandemic, the With an annual visitation averaging The newest garden, RHS Garden Bridgewater, garden came at just the right time. “There 534,000, Bridgewater looks to level out this opened in 2021 in Greater Manchester. was a real desire for more nature figure in an effort to receive consistent Each garden has its own connectedness, and people visitors all year round. Chiltern-Jones says: unique attributes. From wanted to be outdoors,” “We've had a good exploration of visitor We operate the Dry Garden at Hyde he adds. attractions, but I guess the unique flavour for Hall to the RHS Hilltop The 154-acre garden us is this: We are a charity, ultimately, and a these events science centre at Wisley, sits within a historic lot of what we do is guided by that charitable to add value, flatten the gardens look to offer landscape. Located on the purpose, which gives us probably quite a the lines, and something for everyone. site of the estate of Worsley good coherence and purity of vision.” appeal to a wider Attracting more than three New Hall in Salford, the demographic million annual visitors in landscape was once home Whatever the weather total, “we play a huge role in to a gothic-style mansion built Peak visitation clusters around the summer that inbound tourism,” says Green. in the 1840s. Its surrounding months, where temperatures are reaching He adds: “We link public enjoyment, landscape design was health, well-being, biodiversity, skills, climate developed by William Andrew resilience, economic value. We have touch Nesfield, one of the most points across so many sectors and provide sought-after members of his invaluable resources.” profession at the time. During the second World War, parts of The opening of RHS Bridgewater the hall were requisitioned by The most recently opened garden, RHS the War Office and its gardens Garden Bridgewater, unlocks a different part were used as training grounds of the country. Sat less than 30 minutes from by the Lancashire Fusiliers. central Manchester, the garden welcomed “There's something really visitors in 2021 to “reach a different special about that,” says RHS BRIDGEWATER audience,” explains head of site, Marcus Chiltern-Jones, adding, "it's Chiltern-Jones. a really wonderful place that's

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

71

©RHS Darren Robinson

CHRISTMAS AT KEW

FEATURE

“the sweet spot temperature” of around 20-25°C, describes Chiltern-Jones. Last year the summer-like spring the UK experienced contributed to the garden reaching “a real spike,” with annual visitation figure of 579,000.

But ultimately the weather is out of the control of outdoor gardens and attractions, as Chiltern-Jones puts it, "we are at the mercy of the weather.” When temperatures soar too high, visitation drops slightly, the same when temperatures drop too low. To encourage visitors through arguably quieter months, the RHS has introduced RHS Glow, a winter light show and trail.

In a period that might see a real drop in visitors, the RHS hosts its glow events, which

last six weeks and adds in about 50,000 visitors for the lights experience. “Suddenly, we're taking 10% of our annual visitor numbers at a time of year when ordinarily we'd be very low,” says Chiltern-Jones. On top of summer activities, workshops and societies, such as the Sweet Pea Society and Cacti and Succulent Society, "we operate these events to add value, flatten the lines, and appeal to a wider demographic,” he explains.

Brits aboard – or not?

The National Trust attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors across its sites, too.

Clumber Park, for example, received 715,889 visitors in 2025, according to ALVA figures.

The Trust looks to match the demand of visitors as more Brits are holidaying in the UK every year. 80% of the UK population looks to make the most of holidays closer to home this summer, according to BWH Hotels GB. “The National Trust is bringing internationally acclaimed art, photography, film and immersive experiences to its historic houses, gardens and landscapes, creating unexpected cultural experiences in some of the country's most loved places,” explains the Trust.

RHS Wisley stands as one of the most visited tourist attractions in the UK. The garden attracted over one million visitors in 2025, making it the 24th most visited

MOST VISITED OUTDOOR SPACES IN THE UK IN 2025*

Natural History Museum: 7,116,929 The Crown Estate, Windsor Great Park: 4,978,299 Tower of London: 2,817,852 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: 2,250,355 Windsor Castle: 1,259,964 RHS Garden Wisley: 1,255,706 London Zoo: 1,213,187 Royal Botanic Garden Scotland: 978,080 *Visits made in 2025 to visitor attractions in membership with ALVA

RHS HARLOW CARR SNOW ©RHS Sirastudio

72

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

FEATURE

attraction in the country. “RHS Wisley was sort of founded on the principles of experimentation, testing what's possible with plants, and the very real threat of climate change,” explains Green. Hosting more than 25,000 plant taxa, the garden is an example of “our incredible plant collection.”

Other public gardens attracting millions of visitors include Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which welcomed over two million visitors in 2025. Hosting a similar winter initiative as RHS gardens with Christmas at Kew, the light show and trail markets itself during those much colder, and often quieter months.

Wakehurst was once again the number one visitor attraction in Sussex, landing in spot 103 on ALVA’s table. Highlights include its own Glow Trail, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank and the Elizabethan Mansion.

The Natural History Museum, located in South Kensington, tops the table with over seven million visitors in 2025. Hosting free-to-enter gardens in the heart of London, Fielden Fowles and J&L Gibbons co-designed the Urban Nature Project, featuring new evolution and wildlife gardens where visitors are able to explore new wildlife as well as discovering prehistoric figures such as dinosaurs.

Gardens are etched into both local and international trips, with RHS gardens providing a global stage to tourists, too. “We show the best in horticulture,” says Green.

He adds: “We've got an incredible plant collection. We do public demonstration. We showcase sustainability. We specialise in scientific horticultural research, but we do it in a way where the gardens themselves are beautiful. They look the best in the world.”

prolandscapermagazine.com

©RHS Neil Hepworth

RHS WISLEY GLOW

our gardens are living classrooms, research laboratories and wildlife habitats,” says Green. Coming along to an RHS garden could spark an interest in horticulture. He says: “I think that's really important in order to ensure that our industry is successful. We absolutely need to think about the next generation."

A programme runs in each garden called Greener Skills, which gives young people the opportunity to connect with careers officers at schools and provide work experience possibilities. Four years ago, RHS published a strategy – a lifelong adventure with gardening: RHS strategy to 2030 – which ©RHS Ollie Dixon details the importance of growing gardeners, being planet-friendly and building Backed up by the world-renowned RHS membership and supporters. “It really helps Chelsea Flower Show, Green compares it to us be front-facing in the right way, starting the Oscars of the horticultural world. “That with engaging visitors from a young age,” gives us a significant international profile.”

Green adds.

RHS Bridgewater was awarded first place Overall, visitors of all ages are drawn to in the 2022 European Garden gardens across the UK. With more Awards, just a year after its extreme temperatures causing grand opening. peaks and troughs in visitor It really numbers throughout the helps us be Horticulture for year and an increasing front-facing in the everyone number of holidaymakers right way, starting This summer, for in the UK, outdoor spaces with engaging example, as kids are are matching the demand visitors from breaking up from school with annual attractions, a young age for the holidays, each RHS such as special winter and garden is hosting a trail of summer trails. brick explorers, made up of Whether it’s an RHS garden, LEGO®. Brick-built sculptures are tucked Kew or the Natural History Museum, among the greenery, from butterflies to birds access to green space is a major attribute and insects, waiting for children to find. of growing tourism. This translates into "Increasingly, we are focusing on young economic value, boosting the UK as an people and schoolchildren, who might be ideal destination, for both locals and the disconnected from nature. In many ways, international stage.

RHS BRIDGEWATER GLOW

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

73

Create new business and meet old friends ...at The UK’s Premier Show for the Horticulture Trade - since 1971

Media partner

www. fouroaks-tradeshow .com

LIFT NATURE TO NEW HEIGHTS The UK green roof market is growing by 17% annually, so now is the perfect time to offer Rolawn’s range of green roofs to your customers. ҵ Easy to install options ҵ Supports biodiversity and water management ҵ Designed for landscaping professionals

To find out more visit rolawn.co.uk or call 01904 757372.

2 - 3 Sept 2026 nd

rd

FEATURE

NAVIGATING

neuro differences

With over 15% of people in the UK neurodivergent, what challenges can these traits bring and how can individuals, and employers, put strategies and tools into place to help?

WORDS: RACHAEL FORSYTH

that enthusiasm. If it doesn't all go perfectly, I struggled." Moore also found himself getting overly invested in every single inquiry that came in. "I used to respond straight away to every inquiry," he explains.

"At the start I would see everyone and get really excited that they were all going to spend £100k. It was really disheartening if it didn't work out."

It was through self-discovery and professional advice that Nester, Greenyer and Moore discovered these traits were due to them being neurodiverse.

R

unning a business is stressful.

The year naturally rolls on with pockets of high stress and during those periods Craig Nester, joint owner of Habitat Landscapes, began to notice changes in the way he functioned as the overwhelm built. He'd lose things more often and felt as though he lost momentum more quickly. He became lethargic and felt as though his brain was "full" – he could hold far less information before it started feeling painful or overloaded. At night, he'd lie awake creating hypothetical problems for the next day, unable to sleep without solving them, only for most of those problems not to happen.

For Paul Greenyer, director at Paul Greenyer Consultancy, patterns kept repeating. "I experienced significant time blindness and was frequently late, despite every intention to be on time. I

prolandscapermagazine.com

Journey to understanding Put very simply, neurodiversity refers to the different ways a person's brain processes information, according to Cambridge University Hospitals. It states that around one-in-seven people in the UK are neurodivergent. Most of these neurodivergent conditions are experienced could become overwhelmed in certain within a spectrum. Everyone's experiences situations, particularly when there were will differ and some people can identify lots of competing demands or high levels of with more than one type of neurodivergence. stimulation, and sometimes that would Perennial, the UK’s only charity lead me to react in ways that, supporting everyone working looking back, weren't always in or retired from the While I was in proportionate or easy for horticultural community, denial and telling others to understand." has found through myself I was “fine,” Sam Moore, director its focus groups that it was harder to at Consilium Hortus, neurodiversity has move forward. Once I always felt he was "a come up more often – accepted it, it became little bit different". He specifically in its focus much easier to manage finds commitments group for women.

– and honestly, I now hard. He isn't very good "We didn't know when at ending conversations. we started out, but see aspects of it as a He's great at getting neurodiversity is linked to superpower things started – at coming menopause," explains Helen up with the big ideas – but he's Waddington, director of services not so good at finishing them. "I would at Perennial. Emerging research reveals start things quite enthusiastically," Moore that menopause has a pronounced impact explains, "but as soon as I hit a bump, I lost on neurodivergent conditions, possibly

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

75

FEATURE

What are the different neurodivergent conditions?

According to the NHS these are the common neurodevelopmental conditions and their common signs. But everyone is different. Not everyone with these neurodivergent conditions exhibit all of these traits; these are just the most common.

ADHD • Lack of attention to detail • Continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones • Continually losing or misplacing things • Forgetfulness • Inability to focus or prioritise • Restlessness • Difficulty keeping quiet, and speaking out of turn • Mood swings, irritability and quick temper • Difficulty coping with extreme stress • Extreme impatience • Taking risks in activities • Emotional dysregulation • Fatigue or tiredness • Addictive personality • Difficulty with time management • Difficulty with sleep • Rejection sensitivity Autism • Social communication and interaction challenges • Differences in sensory processing – such as being over or under-sensitive to sound, light, touch or taste.

• Find it hard to always understand what others are thinking or feeling, and find it hard to say how they feel • Take things very literally • Prefer the same routines every day • Have strong attention to detail • Have a keen interest in certain objects or activities

exacerbating existing symptoms or making latent traits more noticeable.

ADHD, in particular, has seen a rise in people asking for help in recent years. The rates of ADHD, according to King's College London, haven't risen since 2020. But greater awareness and acceptance are likely to be causing more people to reach out for help.

Nester reached out to his doctor and ultimately was advised to complete ADHD tests. Ironically, the forms themselves took him four attempts to finish because he would get distracted. He eventually sent them in and was put on a waiting list for a full assessment. Three years later and he's still on that waiting list. But while he's never received a formal diagnosis, Nester's doctor said it was likely.

"At first it hit me hard emotionally," Nester admits. "I had a short dip where I felt like something was “wrong” with me. What helped was talking to my mates. They said, "we could have told you that! Don't get hung up on the label, it's something you've always had". That reframed it for me: I hadn’t changed, it had just gained a name and an explanation. While I was in denial and telling myself I was “fine,” it was harder to move forward. Once I accepted it, it became much

Dyslexia • Often spell words wrong • Confuse words that look similar • May need to read something several times before it makes sense • Feel tired if you do a lot of reading and writing • Find it hard to plan things or manage your time • Forget things like dates or people’s names • May be skilled in some areas but struggle with other tasks others find easy to complete Dyspraxia The main symptoms include difficulty with: • Movement • Balance • Spatial awareness But it can also make other things difficult such as: • Learning new skills and remembering information • Planning and organising your time • Managing in social situations and dealing with emotions Dyscalculia • Find it difficult to solve mathematical equations or to retain numerical information • Have a lack of confidence with numbers • Find it difficult to give or follow directions Tourette syndrome The main symptom of Tourette syndrome is tics. They can involve repetitive sounds or movement you do not choose to make and cannot control. These can be triggered by stress, excitement or tiredness.

76

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

FEATURE easier to manage – and honestly, I now see aspects of it as a superpower."

It was Greenyer's wife Laura who suggested he might be neurodivergent, specifically that he displayed many traits associated with high-functioning ADHD. "That conversation was the beginning of a journey," says Greenyer. "Together we began researching ADHD, attended courses, read extensively and learned more about how the neurodivergent brain works. Although I appreciate that everyone's experience is different, understanding my own brain has been genuinely life changing.

"For me, it wasn't about suddenly becoming someone different. It was about finally understanding why I'd always approached the world the way I did.

That understanding has been incredibly empowering because it allowed me to stop fighting my brain and start working with it. It's also one of the reasons I now feel passionate about sharing my experiences, in the hope that it might help others who have quietly struggled without knowing why.

If you've spent years wondering why some things seem harder for you than they do for everyone else, you're certainly not alone.

If you think you might be neurodivergent, I'd encourage you to learn more about it and, if appropriate, seek professional advice.

"There have been plenty of challenges, but there have also been many strengths. I'm very good at solving complex problems, seeing solutions that others might miss and

prolandscapermagazine.com

staying calm when projects become difficult. and more focused but it's a short-term It might take me forty minutes to send a dopamine hit that creates a vicious cycle two-sentence text message, but I'd be the one – worse sleep, grogginess, overwhelm and to save your life in an emergency situation." poorer diet. Instead, Nester suggests regular Nester chose not to pursue medication exercise for a healthy dopamine kick to calm so the formal diagnosis he's still waiting for his brain down, which in turn helps him hasn't felt urgent for him. But his doctor sleep better. identifying ADHD has given him that Diet has also made a huge difference understanding that was so life-changing for Greenyer. "Reducing sugar and refined for Greenyer. Now he knows his patterns. carbohydrates wherever possible and "Misplaced keys, forgetting where I put replacing them with a higher-protein, things, occasional pent-up anger that can high-fibre diet has been a complete game “pop” and then pass, overthinking changer," he says. "Not only has at night, being late, leaving it helped me maintain a things to the last minute healthier weight, but I've If you've spent and then powering personally found it has years wondering through," Nester significantly improved why some things describes, “once I could my concentration, seem harder for see those as part of clarity of thought and you than they do a consistent profile, I ability to sustain focus for everyone else, stopped beating myself throughout the day." up and started building Practically, Moore you're certainly coping mechanisms.” uses technology such not alone Nester finds being as the AI chat, Calendly open about having ADHD and Meta Leads which can helps massively, “Keeping it all in help him with admin in the doesn’t help me or the people around me,” background so he doesn't interact with he explains. “Talking regularly is like doing clients as much at the beginning and mini “unloads,” which reduces the chances enquiries are filtered. This stops Moore of a bigger blow-up later.” While Moore also getting too invested in every enquiry that stresses that keeping it in doesn't help, comes in and helps save his energy and time. he suggests writing it all down. "Once it's written down, it feels more real. Which is possibly why people don't do it," he says.

"Don't keep it all in your head. We've all got neurodivergent traits. Some of us are just more neurodivergent than others."

Nester also heavily advises against self-medication. Alcohol or drugs may feel like they make the brain quieter

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

77

FEATURE Greenyer finds breaking larger projects into manageable stages, using visual reminders, dictating notes while ideas are fresh and building routines around his strengths all make a huge difference.

One technique in particular has been surprisingly helpful – body doubling. "If I'm working alongside someone else, even if they're quietly getting on with their own work, I often find it much easier to focus on administrative tasks that I might otherwise avoid."

Recognising environments that help you reset can also be crucial. Greenyer finds walking in woodlands and spending time by the sea all have a remarkable effect on his mental wellbeing. Music has also been an "elixir of life" for Greenyer, helping him think creatively, process ideas and offering space to untangle complex problems.

says, "Some neurodivergent people really these leaders together to talk about how like structure. Others don't like a single to support their staff who identified as day being the same. If you have neurodivergent. a colleague or staff member Perennial is now looking who is neurodivergent at a raft of different work then you need to be to support individuals Don't keep it all in flexible with them as well as employers. your head. We've all and have a bit of "Some employers got neurodivergent understanding." have a great big HR traits. Some of In practical department, but we us are just more industries like know in this industry neurodivergent landscaping and they're often smaller construction, Greenyer companies," explains than others has also found that many Waddington. "Small to people learn best by seeing medium companies might and doing. "Demonstrating only have one person, or they a task, allowing someone to might have an office manager who practise it and providing guidance as they has taken up that HR role, or they might use develop confidence can often be far more an external HR company. So, we're looking effective than simply handing them written very much at how instructions." In conjunction with this, you support What can employers do to support staff?

Greenyer has found that pairing people individuals but "If you have a neurodiverse team member, together, where appropriate, can improve also employers don’t treat it as a problem," stresses Nester. focus, confidence and productivity for some to support "Find what they’re great at, build the role neurodivergent individuals. people within and workflow around their strengths, and It's important to think about wellbeing the industry communicate often about what’s working in a broader sense as well, Greenyer and perhaps and what isn’t. Remember not everyone explains – good sleep, sensible nutrition themselves works like you do. Some people will plan and maintaining steady energy levels can as well." and do tasks later, others will tackle them make a significant difference. "Something as immediately. Different isn’t wrong. Don’t simple as encouraging healthier breakfast pressure staff to perform exactly at your choices rather than relying on sugary snacks pace. Acceptance and communication get or energy drinks might sound small, but far better results than trying to force for some people it can genuinely help them someone to operate in a way their brain perform more consistently." simply doesn’t."

"Everybody is different," says Greenyer echoes a similar sentiment.

Waddington, "Neurodiversity affects people "Approach neurodiversity with individually. It's no different from curiosity and understanding having anybody else on rather than assumptions," site who's got different he explains. "People requirements. If they fall Many neurodivergent have good days and under neurodiversity, people bring difficult days, just it's about asking exceptional creativity, as everyone does, them what they and sometimes need." resilience, innovation a little patience and problem-solving and support Focus groups skills to a business, but can make a huge Perennial has they may benefit from difference. Many been running working in slightly neurodivergent focus groups since different ways people bring Covid-19 called Tough exceptional creativity, at the Top. "We found that resilience, innovation and during lockdown managers problem-solving skills to a business, were looking after their staff but but they may benefit from working in not themselves," explains Waddington. "It slightly different ways." was important they knew the support that Flexible working times and allowing staff was there for them. Those sessions have to work from home can also help, Moore since carried on." Last year, they brought

78

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

prolandscapermagazine.com

FEATURE

Currently, Perennial is holding focus groups with individuals who know they are neurodiverse and have been assessed.

They'll be picking these back up after summer. Perennial will also be looking at information it can host on its website that's easy to access. Anyone interested in getting involved with any of Perennial's upcoming focus groups can email support@ perennial.org.uk.

If anyone reading this only takes one thing away from this article, let it be this: you're not alone. The hardest part will be the first step – whether that's acknowledging these traits within yourself or reaching out to a friend or colleague. After that, there's a wealth of people and resources just waiting to help.

Support If you have any questions, need some advice, or simply want someone who can relate to what you're feeling, all of the contributors to this article are happy to be contacted. Find their LinkedIn pages below.

While Gareth Wilson was unable to contribute to this article, he is key in driving conversations around neurodiversity and is happy to be contacted should anyone need advice.

Paul Greenyer

Craig Nester

Samuel Moore

Gareth Wilson

Perennial Helpline team 0800 093 8543 Open 9am – 4.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Open 10am – 4.30pm on Wednesday. Excludes bank holidays.

WhatsApp: Text ‘Hi’ to 07418 360 780 Health and Wellbeing App perennial.org.uk/ways-we-help/your-health/health-wellbeing-app

prolandscapermagazine.com

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

79

OPINION

Bringing International Experience Home Dave Green shares what’s stayed with him since returning home after an international project

and Final meal with the landscaping e hom g rnin retu re befo team planting

80

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

incredibly encouraging. The project attracted more interest from the trade press than I had expected, and during the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, many people stopped to congratulate me on the success of the garden in Japan. It reinforced just how much our industry enjoys celebrating the achievements of others and supporting those willing to take on new challenges.

Looking back, the greatest thing I brought home from Japan wasn't a medal or even the completed garden. It was a new confidence, lifelong friendships and a different way of thinking about landscape, collaboration and craftsmanship. International projects inevitably take you far from home, but they also have a remarkable way of changing how you see home when you return. If you're ever offered the opportunity to work abroad, my advice is simple: say yes. The logistics can be daunting and the challenges are real, but the people you meet, the lessons you learn and the confidence you gain may shape your career long after the project itself has finished.

son Pho to ilkin g

hen a flower show finishes, weeks away, it was wonderful to return to there is always a strange those closest to me and appreciate just how mixture of emotions. important that support network had been.

There is relief, exhaustion One lesson I hadn't expected was that the and pride, but also sadness. After weeks of project didn't really finish when I boarded working closely together, teams disperse and the flight home. Although the flower show everyone returns to normal life. That feeling ended, the relationships continued. Social exists after every show, but returning home media and messaging have made it easy to from Japan felt different. stay in contact with the team in Japan, while As an overseas designer working with plans to relocate the garden have created an entirely local team, I had arrived not opportunities to work together again. Later knowing what to expect. Over the weeks that in the year, several members of the Japanese followed, I was welcomed with extraordinary team visited the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, generosity. Colleagues not only invested and we recreated a photograph together themselves in building the garden, but also beside my exhibit, mirroring one we had took the time to help me understand their taken in Japan just a few months earlier. culture, introduce me to local suppliers, and It was a lovely reminder that the most ensure I felt part of the team. As someone enduring part of any project is often the who sometimes worries about being people involved. misunderstood, that patience, Professionally, the experience openness and willingness to has given me far greater include me meant a great confidence. Returning home It was a lovely deal, and saying goodbye with new contacts, a deeper reminder that the was far more difficult than most enduring part understanding of how the I had anticipated. industry operates overseas of any project is Returning home, and the knowledge that we often the people however, reminded me how had successfully delivered involved many people had supported such an ambitious project the project from afar. Family, has encouraged me to explore friends, clients and colleagues had further international opportunities. all helped make the opportunity possible, What once felt like an intimidating prospect whether by keeping the business running, now feels achievable, and I hope this won't offering encouragement or simply staying be my last opportunity to design abroad. in touch throughout the build. After several The response after returning was also

Leaving Fukuoka

y Ltd ph ra

DAVE GREEN

Dave Green is an RHS Chelsea Gold-medal-winning garden designer and landscape architect, working across the UK and internationally. davegreen.co.uk lW

W

Recreated the sam e photograph at the RHS Chelse a Flower Show

©P au

of the ith members Celebrating w ow organising team er Sh Fukuoka Flow

prolandscapermagazine.com

OPINION

Comeback KINGS

Catching the attention of passers-by at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Humaira Ikram asks if we should reconsider Elaeagnus

T

his year, working on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold-medal-winning Children’s Society Garden, designed by Patrick Clarke; a garden that was full sun at the front, but part shade at the back, we used Elaeagnus 'Quicksilver' to lift the planting, where the light settled between the trees. As people passed the garden on their way to the loos (the glamour), they kept stopping and asking the same question: what is that delicious smell? Sweet, honeyed and slightly exotic, it was drifting across the path from a plant most of them had never knowingly noticed before. That was the Elaeagnus.

Elaeagnus has been unfairly filed under 'municipal' for decades. A background plant for car parks and roundabouts, reliable but a little dull. And yet, if you actually look at it, with its silver foliage and bright yellow flowers and more importantly, smell it, it’s anything but dull.

prolandscapermagazine.com

The tiny flowers, which appear in late spring and early summer, are almost invisible; a creamy yellow, hidden beneath the striking silver foliage, yet the scent, which I hadn’t quite understood to be so intoxicating until this year, is extraordinary. It floats like a ribbon of perfume through the air.

In garden terms, 'Quicksilver' is a genuinely useful plant.

It is fast-growing, reaching three to four metres, and nitrogenfixing, which means it improves the soil around it rather than depleting it. It tolerates poor and dry soils, coastal conditions and light shade, though it flowers and silvers up best in full sun. It is not invasive and does not cause problems in garden settings, though in very rural or wild-margin situations it is worth being aware that some Elaeagnus species can self-seed lightly and can run a little. It is always worth doing a quick search online, but in most UK garden contexts, however, it is entirely well-behaved.

For companions, think of the planting around it as a sun-baked, slightly silvery meadow, pairing beautifully with the purple haze of Perovskia (Salvia) 'Blue Spire', the steely blue of Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue', and the fine-textured shimmer of Stipa tenuissima, or if you want a little bit of the Chelsea magic, maybe plant with Baptisia 'Cherries Jubilee', Zizea aurea and the soft yellow of Eschscholzia californica 'Ivory Castle'. Just oooooh.

We used it at Chelsea because we needed light across that garden and this plant delivered architecturally, ecologically and somewhat unexpectedly, through its pure and sweet scent. 'Quicksilver' is one of the most underrated shrubs we have. Maybe we should reconsider?

HUMAIRA IKRAM Humaira Ikram is a professional garden designer with over 10 years’ experience at Studio Ikram. She w runs the Garden Design Diploma at the KLC School Mo ntgo of Design, advises RHS Hyde Hall, and serves as a judge merie and panel member for the RHS. She is co-curator of thehub.earth and an award-winning broadcaster who has contributed to BBC Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time and various gardening publications. studioikram.com thehub.earth

e dr ©An

The genus Elaeagnus is a large one, spread across Asia, southern Europe and North America. The name comes from the Greek elaia (olive) and agnos (the chaste tree or Vitex agnus-castus, used in women’s health throughout the ages) – a nod to the resemblance of its berries and foliage to both plants. The deciduous E 'Quicksilver' originates from western and central Asia, where it grows in open, often dry habitats such as the steppe, riverbanks and rocky slopes, in regions stretching from Iran to China. It has evolved to cope with heat, drought, thin soils and reflected light, which is why it is so useful in our increasingly challenging climate.

We used it at Chelsea... and this plant delivered architecturally, ecologically and somewhat unexpectedly.

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

81

SoilsCon 2026 The industry’s go-to conference for all things ‘soils’ is returning to Phyllis Court, Henley-on-Thames, on Thursday, 1st October

Announcing this year’s expert speakers and topics

Tim O’Hare | Kevin Barton | Gill Shaw | Alistair Bayford | Tim White | Chris Bridgman | Gareth Phillips The circular economy | SuDS | Agricultural Land Classification | Landscape construction and urban tree planting | Greenfield soil management and re-use of surplus topsoil | Green roof design and substrates | Amenity turfgrass management

For more information and to register, visit www.toha.co.uk or call +44 (0)1491 822653

FOR ALL YOUR IRRIGATION NEEDS

Design and Advice • Irrigation Parts Catalogue 24/7 Online Parts Ordering www.access-irrigation.co.uk • sales@access-irrigation.co.uk

01788 823811

Leading by design

Looking to be the next

JUNE 2026

LET'S HEAR IT FROM

Jamie Butterworth FORM PLANTS

COVER STAR?

RHS CHELSEA 2026 Key themes and award winners announced

Contact Rachael for further information: enquiries@groundsmanindustries.com

www.groundsmanindustries.com

rachael.forsyth@eljays44.com

PRO LANDSCAPER PROJECT AWARDS 2026 shortlist announced

MANAGING WEEDS Is the industry moving away from glyphosate?

LAST WORD

Five minutes with

AMANDA CAPON idverde’s chief people officer Amanda Capon details strategies and values that maintain a successful company As chief people officer, what strategies and systems do you implement to ensure a stable and positive workplace?

For me, it starts with a simple belief – everyone should genuinely want to come to work.

When our colleagues feel valued, listened to and supported, they thrive. And when our colleagues thrive, our business performs. It really is that straightforward.

I'm also hugely passionate about disconnected from day-to-day reality, there's development – not just within idverde, but naturally going to be resistance. By involving across the horticulture industry as a whole. teams directly and making it practical rather This is a sector that offers incredible than theoretical, colleagues became opportunities, and I believe we genuinely invested in the have a real responsibility to outcomes.

What makes help people grow, build idverde different confidence and progress.

What do these awards is that both our mean for people strategy and Why do you think the company? idverde has picked For the company, these our sustainability up both Sustainable awards provide real, strategy are Company of the Year visible validation of operationally and Employer of the the commitment we've embedded Year at the Pro Landscaper made to our colleagues, to Business Awards 2026? sustainability, and to doing things What makes idverde different is that the right way. both our people strategy and our sustainability strategy are operationally embedded. They're How does idverde operate to create an not corporate statements gathering dust on inclusive and diverse workforce? a shelf – they're lived out on the ground by One of the first areas we tackled was our frontline teams, who are actively involved recruitment. We reviewed how we advertise in shaping sustainability plans, influencing roles, the language we use and how we environmental improvements and coming attract talent into the industry. We introduced forward with ideas that get implemented across measures like removing managers from initial the business.

CV screening to create fairer opportunities from A really good example is the bespoke the outset.

Sustainability Workshops we created. In We recognise that horticulture and operational environments, if sustainability feels operational environments haven't always

prolandscapermagazine.com

felt accessible to everyone, and we're working hard to challenge those perceptions – through industry engagement, careers events and initiatives that bring more diverse talent into the sector. From a social value perspective, I genuinely believe that meaningful diversity comes through opportunity, support and removing barriers – not through treating it as a tick-box exercise.

We want all our colleagues to feel completely comfortable being themselves at work. We don't want anyone feeling they have to fit a particular mould to succeed here – the most successful teams are filled with differences.

We also keep mental health visible within the business. During initiatives like Men's Health Week, we share resources, distribute information in depots and create opportunities for open discussion. Those moments matter – they signal to colleagues that this is a safe place to talk.

Are there any new strategies coming to idverde?

We're always evolving, and 2028 is very much in our sights right now. Our business strategy Thrive28 sets out our ambition for the kind of organisation we want to be by 2028, and it's genuinely exciting to be working towards it.

Pro Landscaper | August 2026

83

at O ct ob er 20 26

us -

14

Se e 13

Trussel’s Together Garden Designed by Rob Hardy | Built by Peter Gregory Landscapes | © Ellie Walpole