Pro Landscaper September 2022 by Eljays44

LET’S HEAR IT FROM Mark Lane, Mark Lane Designs Ltd IN NATURE Gardens by the Bay a Decade On

A CITY

SEPTEMBER 2O22

THEDEBATINGDECISION Who is president of the Landscape Institute? CRICOST-OF-LIVINGSIS Could the burst the post-COVID bubble?

wte0344 800 1947 cbsolarshading.co.uk/trade info@cbsolarshading.co.uk makingdreams come true From outdoor living to solar shading, we’ve got you covered, whatever the weather. Proudly UK Manufactured Since 1987, fully set up for a quick and easy installation and delivered nationwide on our own vehicles in the shortest lead times. LOUVERED ROOFS | PATIO AWNINGS | EXTERNAL BLINDS ENHANCE YOUR GARDEN DESIGNS Stand C50 See us at

Chairman – Jim Wilkinson

Tel:jessica.mccabe@eljays44.com01903777588

Tel:jim.wilkinson@eljays44.com01903777589

Editorial assistant – Jessa Dean-Hill

Tel:mark.wellman@eljays44.com01903777574

Welcome

Horticulture Careers – Mark Wellman

Nina

Whilst every e ort 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.

Published by ©Eljays44 Ltd – Connecting Horticulture.

Pro Landscaper is proud to be an a liate member of BALI

design©greencube

Tel:jessica.dean-hill@eljays44.com01903777570

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

Tel:daniel.riley@eljays44.com01903777583

CONTACT

As with any change, though, we’re open to feedback as we continue to adapt and enhance Pro Landscaper, so please let us know your thoughts on the new look and feel of your issue. We’d love to hear from you!

ADVERTISING

t feels like just yesterday we were preparing to launch the biggest rebranding Pro Landscaper had ever seen; it was more than three years ago, though. And as you’re all aware, a lot has changed within that time, and we hope that Pro Landscaper – not just as a magazine, but as a brand and a community –became a source of information or of escape and continues to be so.

EDITORIAL

But it’s time to look ahead and start a new chapter for Pro Landscaper. The black and white branding remains – in a short space of time, it has become recognisably ours, splayed across the cover of every issue we produce. The pages of Pro Landscaper, though, have undergone a revamp.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberWELCOME2022 3

Tel:coren.farley@eljays44.com01903959398

Editorial director – Lisa Wilkinson

Pro Landscaper is published 12 times per year by Eljays44 Ltd. The 2022 subscription price is £100. Subscription records are maintained at Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA, UK. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Eljays44 Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publishers. The publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to, uncommissioned photographs or manuscripts.

The Association of Professional Landscapers

Head of content – Nina Mason

Tel:joe.wilkinson@eljays44.com01903777587

Tel:lisa.wilkinson@eljays44.com01903777579

Tel:jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com01903777585

Design – Kara Thomas, Kirsty Turek kara.thomas@eljays44.com, kirsty.turek@eljays44.com

MARKETING & CIRCULATION

There have been numerous discussions, a lot of back and forth-ing and a few obstacles to overcome to get us to the point where we were ready to launch our redesigned September issue. The overall look has changed, and that was a large part of the redesign, of course. But a bigger focus for us was the flow of the magazine, ensuring your experience as a reader was enhanced as you flick through your latest issue, whether in the sweltering heat or taking cover from a thunderstorm – it’s hard to tell at the moment. So, we’ve switched it up, moving articles such as our big interview further back and bringing forward our popular UK Landscaper Barometer to sit aside News.

Subscription enquiries – Joe Wilkinson

Director of development – Jessica McCabe

Tel: 01903 777 570

Tel:sam.seaton@eljays44.com01903959391

Tel:nina.mason@eljays44.com01903959393

Managing director – Jamie Wilkinson

Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, Gwent, UK

Pro Landscaper’s content is available for licensing overseas. Contact jamie.wilkinson@eljays44.com

Subeditor – Sam Seaton

Sales manager – Millie Genner

Tel:millie.genner@eljays44.com01903777582

We also wanted to streamline our content to ensure there are more surprises each month, moving away from being somewhat formulaic and aiming for each issue to offer something unexpected or perhaps a face you haven’t seen before.

Senior subeditor – Katrina Roy Tel:katrina.roy@eljays44.com01903959391

Eljays44 Ltd, 3 Churchill Court, 112 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3DA

Features writer – Coren Farley

Senior sales executive – Daniel Riley

•Robust and durable •Natural •Thermallyageingmodified Increasingly, clients in the public domain are opting for street furniture fitted with bamboo. The sustainable character of the material, bamboo can be harvested 5 years after planting, is, next to its versatility, a frequently mentioned argument. FURNS can supply all products with bamboo as a responsible alternative to hardwood, as shown in the STORR SERIES above. BAMBOO BREAKTHROUGH STORR SERIES info@furns.com www.furns.com Liessentstraat 4T +31 (0)413 395 262

With a growth rate of up to 1 metre per day, bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world.

Ready for harvest after 5 years.

R 5405 AG Uden Netherlands

Cheap and Not So Cheerful Gareth Wilson

Can We Stop the Fire?

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 CONTENTS 6

Cost of Living Crisis Exploring the impact

10610198979592918579726745373231292625232018151108 61555251504946 61 September 2022

Getting Resin Right Resin bound surfaces

Noel Kingsbury

Time for Something New? Richard McKenna

UK Landscape Barometer Outcome for June 2021/22

Are Parks Winning in the Funding Game?

Who is the President of the Landscape Institute? With Brodie McAllister

Roundup Our monthly roundup of industry news

CONTENTS

5 Minutes with Jacquie Felix Mitchell

Let's Hear it From Mark Lane

The Dawning of a New Age Angus Lindsay

Ask The Experts Rosemary Coldstream Connect More Clare Matterson

A City in Nature Gardens by the Bay

SeminarFutureScapeProgramme

Sourcing Made Simple Plant sourcing Show Pieces Mature trees

Hosepipe Ban What it means for the industry

Artificial Grass Where will the industry be in 15 years?

Four-Day Week Anyone? Oracle Solicitors

Trends: Pergolas Anji Connell

The Art of IrresistableBeing Alison Warner

Is it Me You're Looking For? Andrew Wilson

Nick Coslett

Greenwich's Green Oasis Greencube Design

Tales of the Unexpected Neil Edwards

Leaving a Legacy Chris Churchman

In the Shade of the Catalpa Tree Stefano Marinaz

Kristina

When is a Meadow, Not a Meadow?

Back to Nature Clode Garden Design

The Greatest Show on Earth Christopher Martin

Lewis Normand

Schedule for 2022

Standing out from the competition can be tricky, but trades coach Alison Warner oﬀers her top tips to tempt customers to choose your service over those of others evolveandgrowcoaching.com

CLARE MATTERSON

Using the cheapest imported products might seem like a great idea at the time but could cause issues and cost you more in the longer term, warns Gareth gkwilson.co.uk

Finding the perfect pergola for your client is made easy with Anji’s guidance, who explores the latest trends and launches for this product area anjiconnellinteriordesign.com

Heatwaves are sparking wildﬁres across the country, and Noel explores whether certain choices, such as tree species, could help to tackle them spreading noelkingsbury.com

It’s easy to fall into the trap of choosing tried and tested plants, but Richard suggests thinking outside the box and opting for diﬀerent varieties or sizes to mix it up provendernurseries.co.uk

NEIL EDWARDS

6737

ANJI CONNELL

CHRISTOPHER MARTIN

ALISON WARNER

Director general of the RHS makes her Pro Landscaper debut, exploring how collaboration could be the answer to tackling some of the industry’s biggest challenges rhs.org.uk

Who doesn’t love to people watch when they’re out and about? Our urban spaces need to be created with this in mind and allow for it, says Christopher urbanmovement.co.uk

Despite a cost-of-living crisis and the threat of a recession, Neil ﬁnds the construction sector continues to perform, posting impressive results for July buildersconference.co.uk

RICHARD MCKENNA

NOEL KINGSBURY

GARETH WILSON

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberCONTENTS2022 7

CONTRIBUTORS

Students undertaking the two-year course will study at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, rotating through ten different departments in the gardens as they train, in addition to attending lectures and masterclasses. Diploma students will also gain national qualifications in subjects across the horticultural spectrum, from tractor driving to tree inspection.

The learning experience offers unique opportunities, like helping at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, local design and build projects, and visits to numerous gardens. There are bursary opportunities too for the UK and abroad. rhs.org.uk/education-learning

Councillor Alan Schneiderman, chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, says: “This will create a magnificent green space in the heart of an otherwise very urban area for everyone to enjoy. With the right landscape architect leading this project, we’re sure we can make our vision a reality.”

NATIONAL

INTEREST IN HORTICULTURAL CAREERS CONTINUES TO GROW

The Landscape Institute was selected as the partner to help manage the contest. This reflects the aim that design teams entering the contest will be led by a landscape architect. landscapeinstitute.org

The contest is looking for proposals to work with and take advantage of the unique constraints and opportunities of the site in order to design a transformational greenspace for the local community. The LBB intends to award a contract to the winning entrant for the development of the winning scheme, with the total project budget of £18.8m.

ROUNDUP

DESIGN HENDONOPENEDCONTESTFORWESTPLAYINGFIELDS

supervisory, specialist and technical roles in horticulture. ”

Suzanne Moss, head of education and learning, says: “It is fantastic to see another year of growth in RHS education. More and more people are drawn to the horticulture industry as they see the benefits from the variety of careers our training and courses can lead to. Seeing the increase in diploma applicants, who already have experience in the horticulture industry, is especially encouraging as we face the challenge of filling the skills gap for

he London Borough of Barnet (LBB), in partnership with the Landscape Institute, has launched a two-stage design contest to select an outstanding designer or team of designers to prepare proposals for a wide ranging and comprehensive package of improvements to transform the West Hendon Playing Fields to an exemplary destination park.

CHELSEA SHOW GARDEN OPENS AT NEW HOME IN FOREST

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 NEWS 8

Industry Updates

eta and the National Forest have re-homed Joe Perkin’s Gold medal-winning garden from this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, ‘The Meta Garden: Growing the Future’. The garden was revealed at Conkers Discovery Centre, at the heart of the National Forest in Leicestershire, and is now open to the public.

Meta has donated the garden to the National Forest as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, which is

RHS GARDEN WISLEY Kossak©RHS/Joanna

he RHS has seen close to a 25% increase in applications for its diploma in Horticultural Practice, nearly six times as many applicants as places. For two years running, the majority (57% in 2022) of applicants are female.

We must cut emissions too. The UK still holds the COP presidency, and the next Prime Minister should put this at the top of their to-do list as COP27 approaches in November. This has to be a watershed moment, where we make a decisive shift from words to action.

Soaring temperatures in the UK make it difﬁcult for most to do their jobs, but those working outside are arguably the worst aﬀected. How can those in the landscaping industry stay safe in record-high temperatures? We put together some tips to tackle working in a heatwave. prolandscapermagazine.com/tropic-like-its-hot

Keith Jones National climate change advisor for the National Trust

The UK is still facing severe staff shortages, with a record high of 1.3 million job vacancies over the past three months, according to ONS statistics. The construction, repair and maintenance services industry is amongst these, says claims.co.uk.

BRINGING TOGETHER EDUCATION AND BEAUTY AT JARDIN PHILOPHROSYNE

Online exclusives

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September NEWS2022 9

DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTING “ISN’T ALL CACTUSES” AT WEST DEAN GARDENS

“There is an urgent need to redress the balance of our relationship with the natural world, and there is so much to learn from the connections in nature, both in terms of how we learn to support and preserve sustainable forest ecosystems, and in how we come together as communities – inperson and on platforms like Facebook and Instagram – to tackle climate change.” nationalforest.org

TROPIC LIKE IT’S HOT

Whilst there might be plenty of jobs available, there are very few people to fill the vacancies, if our UK Landscape Barometer is to be believed. One participant commented that the “huge skills shortage and finding appropriate staff is becoming more difficult,” suggesting the skills gap is widening rather than closing. An increased take up in horticultural courses reported by the RHS could be the light at the end of the tunnel, but there’s seemingly a long way to go until the skills shortage is no longer a talking point.

TalkingPointCONSTRUCTION AMONGST INDUSTRIES MOST IN NEED OF STAFF

Garden designer Joe Perkins says: “I hope visitors to the garden will feel immersed in and inspired by nature’s interconnectedness

and the myriad of macro and microscopic networks in nature that depend on each other to heal, grow, and thrive.

Quote of the month

Garden designer Peter Donegan tell us about his design for the 13th century garden, Jardin Philophrosyne, created in celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Historial de la Grande Guerre, Europe’s largest war museum emblem in the Somme region of Northern France. prolandscapermagazine.com/education-and-beauty-jardin-philophrosyne

The free injury guidance service analysed the current job listings on Indeed and found that the construction, repair and maintenance services industry ranked fifth most in need of workers, reaching more than 14,890 job listings.

Head to prolandscapermagazine.com

focused on planting trees across the UK to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The National Forest has transformed 200 square miles of the Midlands by planting nine million trees and reaching 22% forest coverage.

West Dean Gardens’ head gardener Tom Brown oﬀers insight into the introduction of drought proof plants and plans for the future sustainability of the proliﬁc garden – with some perhaps unexpected species. planting-isnt-all-cactuses-at-west-dean-gardensprolandscapermagazine.com/drought-tolerant-

At its new home in the National Forest, The Meta Garden: Growing the Future will be available to the 250,000 people who visit Conkers Discovery Centre each year.

The introduction of this new legislation for developers in England is likely to be the catalyst for other sectors to follow suit, without being mandated to do so. Best practice in relation to rewilding is not exclusive to developers and can easily be adopted by landscape professionals. Of course, the complex calculation methods of ensuring statutory BNG targets are met are not required by landscape professionals. However, adopting the principle of leaving the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was previously, from a biodiversity perspective, is the goal.

We are all part of the solution. It’s empowering to think that we all can play a part in protecting our future by focusing on biodiversity, reversing its loss and ultimately maintaining ecological balance.

Scan the QR Code to register for our webinar on 6th October to learn more on biodiversity loss reversal.

The reality of rewilding successfully may involve effort, but when the ecological benefits are considered, there is no question of its importance. Wildflowers have a major part to play, offering the ‘diversity’ bit of ‘biodiversity’.

Climate change, pollution and overdevelopment are among the threats that have contributed to declining biodiversity in recent years and there is now a sense of urgency when we consider biodiversity loss.

As developers in England gear up ahead of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain requirements in 2023, how can other sectors including Landscape Professionals embrace rewilding to support biodiversity?

At a national level, and with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) due to soon become mandatory, it will be necessary for developers to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was pre-development. To discharge the condition, the relevant planning authority must approve the development’s Biodiversity Net Gain plan, with 10% the minimum statutory target.

About 35 percent of the world’s food crops need insects to pollinate them. The loss of pollinating insects could threaten our own food supply.

On a positive note, we are beginning to see tangible results, albeit on a small scale (relative to the size of the challenge), across many sectors including work being led by Developers and Local Councils.

wildﬂower@wildﬂowerturf.co.uk T: 01256

Source: National Trust Meadow Musings

It’s a Wild Thing

222 www.wildﬂowerturf.co.uk Advertorial

A typical wildﬂower meadow can be home to up to a hundred species of plants and is a complex eco-system that ultimately supports life.

For

Education is key. Incorporating biodiversity goals and aspirations into every conversation, every brief, and every interaction with clients will assist them to understand the critical part they also play in promoting biodiversity.

The UK’s most prominent wildﬂower experts are now oﬀering MeadowSow©, a premium seed solution for wholesalers. With state-of-theart germination testing and cleaning, the purity and viability of our UK provenance single species seed is industry leading. all enquiries please contact: 771

One of the key components that positively impacts on biodiversity is the reintroduction of native wildflowers. Wildflower meadows are important feeding and nesting habitats for insects, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. From a landscaping perspective, wildflower meadows also negate the need for hard landscaping and are beneficial in locking carbon into the soil.

Ecology enriches our world and is crucial for human wellbeing and prosperity. It provides new knowledge of the interdependence between people and nature that is vital for food production, maintaining clean air and water, and sustaining biodiversity in a changing climate.

Brodie says: "After this previous complaint had run past its own deadline, I asked for a stop" – a request he says that was viewed by the Landscape Institute as 'threatening and bullying'.“Yet despite exoneration, my misconstrued words were used to restart the most recent whistleblowing.”

He has been removed as a trustee by the Landscape Institute, and arguably removed as president. As a result, Brodie is asking members of the 93-year-old charity to call for an Extraordinary Meeting (EGM) where they can make a demand for an independent inquiry to take place into the allegations against him which led to his removal.

elect. But that allegation was the start of many for Brodie over the coming months.

Brodie added that further allegations were also “bolted on”. For instance, he says that when he was approached by a member in regard to a trustee vacancy, "they stored it up and used it against me, misconstruing it. They said it was interfering with the electoral process. It’s just absurd.”

Husband©TonyCartoon BRODIE'S SUPPORTERS' COMMISSIONED CARTOON TO ILLUSTRATE HIS CONFLICT WITH THE INSTITUTE

There was a continuation of this previous complaint, says Brodie; which was then called “whistle blowing”. He says he consulted a solicitor who explained that it was not “valid whistle blowing,” though, “because it’s clear that the whistle blower is a fellow trustee, and The Charity Commission says that trustees are not allowed to whistle blow because they’re too powerful; it has to be the weaker party, like an employee, complaining about their employer, the strong party, in order not to be victimised. He said it’s an abuse of the system.”

An investigation after the meeting could not determine the source, but Brodie was

PRESIDENTof the LANDSCAPEWHOINSTITUTE?IS

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September NEWS2022 11

momentInstitutenonetheless,blamedhesays.“It’showawitchhuntworks…Eventhesolicitorfortheinarareadmittedlackofprooforadmission.”TheLandscapeInstitutehasnotyetrespondedtorequestsforcomment,butBrodiesaysanemailwasrecentlysentouttoitsmembers

The latest “bolt on”, Brodie explains, followed an internal Teams meeting, where a guest turned up with a “mildly homophobic name”.

The association seemingly sacked its most recently elected president Brodie McAllister , but why? And is there a wider problem at play?

n 1 July, Brodie McAllister was due to take over as president of the Landscape Institute. However, for the last year, Brodie has been fighting to maintain his position as president-elect whilst Jane Findlay finished her tenure.

There were multiple, currently unproven, allegations Brodie mentions. Within months of starting in his position as presidentelect on 1 July last year, Brodie says he was continuingdeterand“noBrodiepanelinvestigationCEO.aforintotheforcomplaint”formalwith“clobberedthefirst“bringingindustrydisrepute”criticisingpreviousAn“exonerated”astherewascasetoanswer”,theincidentdidn’tBrodiefromaspresident-

explaining why he had been removed as a trustee and as president. Following the "Landscape Institute Members Update", Brodie says a large number of fellow members found it "puzzling and inadequate".

“I came in as a breath of fresh air – I speak my mind, I want change, and they made it clear that I wasn’t welcome, and they didn’t like my manifesto. Tough! I wasThiselected.”isnot just about him, Brodie says, but a wider issue. In a LinkedIn post asking members to call for an EGM, Brodie says: “…the institute is rock bottom in the worst case in 93 years of injustice, introspection and self-inflicted damage seven past presidents can recall. Not presidents who are blindly loyal to anything but the institute’s founding principles. This has been brewing for years and is barely about me at all. It has affected the institute’s prospect of being respected and promoting

There are so many positive things that the institute could be doing, and the profession is individuallydoinginpractice

"I want to clear my name and for the Institute to fix its faults. Being reinstated would have to come with a willingness of the institute to allow an unbroken, clear, simple, direct line from all the membership to board decisions. Otherwise they cannot be held to account for such catastrophic failures. In fact, such failures could be prevented.

“There are so many positive things that the institute could be doing, and the profession is doing individually in practice. I came in on a manifesto to be much more outward looking and less bureaucratic –those were the words I used. But they’re doing the utter opposite, being bureaucratic and inward looking at the expense of the public course.”

“On the board of trustees, only two have been elected by the members, and another two are beyond therepresentativearegetasmaximumtheirtenuretrustees.Youtrusteeswhosimplynotofmembership.”Brodieconcludes:

The question is whether Brodie can be removed as president of the Landscape Institute. He was removed as a trustee –and Brodie claims the institute attempted to change regulations to ensure anyone removed as a trustee cannot be president. “I pointed to the fact that if a new regulation contradicts the Royal Charter, it’s null and void. And the Royal Charter says there shall be a president; therefore, you can’t invent a regulation that says otherwise. So, I’m stillBrodiepresident.”argues against the LI removing him as a trustee, too: "What very little solicitor advice I could afford stated that, the institute would usually need evidence of a crime as the threshold for immediate recommendation of trustee removal; as there was no crime, the actions were clearlyBrodiedisproportionate."addsthathehas the support of “seven ex-presidents” who each wrote to the LI saying a mistake had been made. “It became very evident to the ex-presidents that this was an abuse of the system to pursue a personal vendetta related to the previous complaint, where the complainant was very much friends with people who still sit on the board of trustees.

Another comment said the Landscape Institute is “now in crisis”. Regardless of the facts, it would be difficult for the Landscape Institute to ignore cries for change at its highest level.

BRODIE SHARING HIS MANIFESTO AT FUTURESCAPE LAST YEAR

Brodie’s LinkedIn post has been drumming up support, with one expresident – Merrick Denton-Thompson –commenting: “The Board of Trustees constructed a vindictive attack on the President Elect, which started even before the elections, and then its leadership hid behind whistle blowing protocols to save themselves from embarrassment for such treachery. Let me be clear, four or five trustees are responsible, the rest are just loyal followers. Members have a choice now – are we just going to put up with such corruption or are we going to demand an independent inquiry?”

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 NEWS 12

its causes, though, and deepened the distrust towards its lack of transparency and central controlling tendencies over communication andTherefinance.”isperhaps a fear of change within the institute, says Brodie – a product of being overstaffed, he adds.

Green Quarter Southall

Rathbone Square

South Quay Plaza

London City Island

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

WWW.VDBERK.CO.UKUNITEDMIRFIELDTHESINT-OEDENRODENETHERLANDSKINGDOM

SQP Level 56

The power to colour green

VAN DEN BERK TREES IN THE UK

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

• Succulents, native trees and wildflowers are amongst some of the plants that are more drought tolerant and grouping these in places of the garden that are drier will greatly impact where you need to water and how much water needs to be used. Carefully considering plant placement and selection will make a big impact.

Top Tips

What is the HOSEPIPEBAN

As hosepipe bans spread across the UK and temperatures soar, there’s arguably a wider issue on how the industry can prepare for the changing climate

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September NEWS2022 15

CREATING A TOLERANTDROUGHTSPACE

• Be sure to invest in a high-quality soil for the space; a soil that retains enough moisture to sustain plant life but that can also drain well. The soil must be able to accommodate drought-tolerant plants which will not survive in soggy damp soil.

INSPIRED BY MARSHALLS

• Be aware that climate change can also cause wetter weather too so the drainage is really important when considering weather conditions.

Such a ban refers to a restriction of domestic and some non-domestic uses of water implemented after a period of low rainfall but only temporarily. South East water, Southern Water and Welsh Water have all confirmed and applied hosepipe bans beginning at various points throughout this month.

• Ensure the balance between patios and pathways is equal to grassy, plant-rich areas so the water use is reduced and the drain to your water supply is less.

eatwaves and dry conditions are continuing to hit the UK, with temperatures soaring beyond 40o on the hottest day of the year so far, and gardens are starting to feel the burn with a hosepipe ban on the horizon.

The terms of the bans can be confusing, however. The British Association of Landscaping Industries (BALI) contacted both South East Water and Southern Water, who clarified “professional landscape contractors can use hosepipes for the purpose of ensuring new

Whilst not a regular occurrence, it’s not the first time these have been introduced, with the last hosepipe ban taking place in August four years ago, and one before that taking place in 2012.

...and what could it mean for the LANDSCAPEINDUSTRY?

• Alternatives to traditional grass lawns will provide low maintenance evergreen options for the space, for example clover or ornamental grass.

Another aspect of the ban to consider is how it will affect newly-laid turf. It has been announced that an exemption period of 28 days after installation has been put in place to ensure these lawns are given a chance to thrive. The Turfgrass Growers Association advises: “Freshly laid turf needs water during establishment and that without an chairthemselves.”growersascommunitiesexemptionandlandscapecontractorswouldsufferhardshipaswelltheturfgrassRichardOwens,oftheTGA,adds:

Although it seems that the landscape industry will be okay to use hosepipes for now, the frequency of prolonged dry periods is expected to increase and so it is important the landscape industry adapts to this.

Anna Hampshire, head of marketing at Marshalls, comments: “To keep our gardens healthy and in top condition to enjoy the sun, preparation is key. Whilst it may be too late for this heatwave, some forward planning with your garden design can help

weather it’s best not to water already established lawns. Stacie continues: “The brown colour shows that it has stopped growing until more favorable conditions return. Grass is remarkably resilient, and so long as you follow a few basic rules, most lawns will recover completely.”

planting and turf establishes successfully –for now at least.” The association also advises that domestic users advise providers of landscaping work being done in advance, so water companies are aware in case of any reports of misuse, as fines can reach £1,000 or even lead to prosecution,

“It would be perverse in the extreme to effectively curtail the planting of something which – apart from preventing soil erosion, preventing water run-off, and locking up CO2 – is of positive benefit to individuals and communities in private gardens and in the public realm.” It’s important that landscapers consider how they can assist each other in ensuring they are using the least amount of water possible on new-laid turf; a solution could be “using recycled water and observing timings of watering,” say Stacie Rae, a TGA spokesperson.

• No need to feed as grass will not be growing during hot, dry weather

Officials have declared a drought warningnewbeenpeoplereportedThehosepipeimplementingcompaniestowhichsouth-westinEngland,couldleadmorewaterbans–Metro19millionhavealreadyaffectedbytherules.WithatopscientistEuropecould

By tolerantdrought-resistantintroducingandplantsandturfsandincorporatingmorehardscapeelementsyoucancreateawater-wisegardenthat'sreadytothriveinnotime

The Turf Growers Association members are responsible for 70% of the turf grown in the British Isles and advise that during hot

• Increase your mowing height to 35-40mm – this creates deeper roots and more shade and shelter from higher temperatures

• Avoid blanket weedkillers as these may damage the grass –use a spot weedkiller if necessary

• Scarify your lawn once a year to remove matted and dead growth – if allowed to build up this acts as a barrier to rainfall

you fare better in future increasingly hot and dry summers. By introducing droughtresistant and tolerant plants and turfs and incorporating more hardscape elements you can create a water-wise garden.”

Top Tips

HELPING LAWN RECOVERDROUGHTAFTER

AS ADVISED BY TURFGRASS GROWERS:

be looking to experience the worst drought since the 16th century, the landscaping industry needs to do more than just hope the ban doesn’t affect the industry. As the possibility of drought increases with climate change, more drought-tolerant plants may need to be considered for domestic and commercial schemes to ensure their success.

• Apply a light dressing of compost to help keep moisture in the soil and protect the grass from higher temperatures

• Try not toleave items in just one place – move barbeques and toys like slides around

It seems the landscape industry is safe from bans for now, but the importance to consider the future shines through. With companies acknowledging the long-term change in climate, it could be time for the sector to pull together and consider long-term solutions in the wake of this hosepipe ban.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 NEWS 16

• Keep mower blades sharp as blunt blades bruise the grass leaf and it loses more water

01625bsfg.co.uk322 888 PLATEAU takes a new, modern approach to urban seating. While inviting people to socialise in flexible ways, this Scandinavian design fits into any type of architecture with its soft, human shapes and clean, nordic colour palette. • Sustainable - made from 65% surplus Norwegian wood • Built to last - product lifetime is estimated for up to 50 years • 12 individual elements that cover a broad range of external needs • Designed by award winning studio Holscher Design • Solar powered, lighting, wireless charging & bluetooth connectivity • Available in a range of finishes and caters to bespoke requirements PLATEAUELEVATESOUTDOORSEATING PLATEAUPICNICSEATO PLATEAU SEAT B-F PICNIC L PLATEAUPICNICBENCHI PLATEAU PLINTH PICNIC ROUND PLATEAU CITY CHAIR PICNIC STREET PLATEAU TABLE ROUND PICNIC DUO

With the Bank of England confirming a recession is likely later in the year, and the next Prime Minister – and therefore their policies – unknown until September, the end of the cost-of-living crisis is not yet in sight. And with material prices still sky high, there’s no end in sight to the industry’s lack of confidence either.

This lack of confidence is seemingly not due to lack of projects on the drawing board, with more than half (55%) of participants having more or the same number as June 2021. It’s more likely down to the economic climate.

The cost-of-living crisis has resulted in a dramatic rise in day-to-day costs, from increased prices on food, fuel and electricity. With this in mind, it is perhaps not surprising that “projects [are] being mothballed” and that clients are focusing on “cash being retained”, as participants are reporting.

PERCENTAGE

HERESCAN TO READ THE FULL REPORT 100%40%20%10%0%30%50%60%70%80%90% Nov DecJan Feb MarApr May JunJul Aug SepOct

OF RESPONDENTS MORE CONFIDENT COMPARED TO LAST MONTH 202020222021

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 NEWS 18

here was a dramatic drop in confidence in June this year, according to our Barometer. The majority (64%) of participants said they were less confident than the previous month, despite nearly half (46%) reporting an increase in turnover from June 2021 and 27% saying their turnover had increased compared to the same month last year.

IN THE LANDSCAPING INDUSTRY confidence crash

COST-OF-LIVINGCRISISCAUSES

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September NEWS2022 19 Through grapevine...the “The confidence“Dataresultabouteveryoneworrieshasthecost-of-livingcrisismightinlessworkinthefuture.”couldchange;ifrecessionbites,willchange,speconprojectswilltighten,butmorelaternextyear,Ithink.”

Seeing

STAFF CLIMBED BY DECREASEDENQUIRIESBY RATESCONVERSIONROSEBY 45%33%67% BY THE NUMBERS LANDSCAPINGCOMMERCIAL CONFIDENCE PLUMMETED TO 75% TURNOVERNATIONAL BY 27% DESCENDED BY

–

and cash

“Very quiet month for enquiries combination of holiday season starting and of living increasing. Lots of existing customers wanting planting before midsummer; we were solidly booked for planting in

June.” 46% 27% 27% 70% CONFIDENCE30%ENQUIRIES TURNOVER 67% 33% LowerEqualHigher

work.”

and

– we think a

“A lot more people have a lot more money as they are working from home; however, they tend to to the first person they find for

–

cost

“A lot of composite decking a modern thing. Artificial grass we do a lot but to discourage it. More plants we say!”

“Huge skills shortage finding appropriate staff is becoming more difficult. the first major signs of fear of recession leading to projects being mothballed being

“The dry weather has delayed a lot of work. So dry in the South/ South East. Looking promising for the autumn.”

"Stainless steel costs for manufacturers appears to be falling. This should translate positively in cost of products at the end of the line. Uncertainty with regards to cost of living, inflation, and risk of recession.”

retained.”

NEIL EDWARDS

Also enjoying an upbeat month was the roads sector which jumped to £862m, seemingly as the government begins preparations for the next General Election. So, despite all that is going on in the world, the UK construction sector can ease into the summer holidays safe in the knowledge that it has an order book that is looking good well into the autumn.

In a month in which 13 companies each secured more than £100m of new work, Kier Group took the top spot on the BCLive league table, courtesy of a 23-project haul valued at a combined £679m.

Also worthy of note is an £80m new build mixed use development at Trocoli House in Barking that was won by Henry Construction Projects. It includes 198 residential units, new commercial floorspace and works. Regionally, London rediscovered its mojo, reporting £2.7bn of new work split across 94 individual projects. Any fears that the Midlands would see a decline with the end of the Commonwealth Games preparations have been allayed with the East and West Midlands reporting £160m and £1bn respectively.

Also benefitting from a good month in the office sector is Lendlease which took the number three position with four new projects valued at £503m. The company has secured the £450m contract to transform the former ITV London studios. Project Vista centres around a 26-storey office building that is connected to two buildings of 13 and six storeys. Alongside high-quality office space, including affordable workspace, the scheme will create new cafes and restaurants, cultural venues and green spaces.

Taking the number two position on the BCLive league table for the month of July 2022 is Sir Robert McAlpine which secured £567m in new work split across three individual projects. The most notable of these is a new-build office block in London’s Finsbury Avenue. That new building is arranged over three basement levels, ground and 37 upper floors. It also includes the creation of a new pedestrian route at ground floor level; hard and soft landscaping works; and outdoor seating associated with ground level uses.

Tales o f the UNEXPECTED

Against a backdrop of political upheaval, escalating fuel and materials costs, and inflation, the UK construction sector once again posted monthly results that were above the norm. Neil Edwards attempts to make sense of an industry that is back to contrarianitsbestI

Neil Edwards is CEO of Builder’s Conference, the construction industry’s leading trade body. It provides its members to sales leads and market intelligence, as well as statistical data and networking opportunities. BCLive is a realtime league table of construction contract award activity. Operated by the Builders’ Conference, the BCLive league table monitors more than 6,000 new contract awards each year with a combined value of more than £80bn. buildersconference.co.uk

t is as if the UK construction industry missed a memo; like the entire sector agreed unilaterally to not switch on the TV or radio and to ignore the newspaper headlines.

The office sector finally wrestled the top sector crown away from housebuilding with a tally of £1.7bn compared to housing’s £1.4bn.

Any fears that the Midlands would see a decline with the end of GamesCommonwealththepreparationshavebeenallayed

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 OPINION 20

If the figures for the month of July 2022 had showed a slowing in demand, no-one would have been remotely surprised. Instead, the sector posted more than £5.7bn in new contract awards, way above the £4.5bn that has become the industry benchmark.

T: 01206 589550 E: sales@ate-uk.com W: www.ate-uk.com ATE (UK) Ltd, Anglia House, Haven Road, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HT DEPENDABLE FROM THE GROUND UP The Ram TXGD sports a tough, galvanised steel frame, making it dependable, versatile and built to withstand rugged terrains during transit. This heavy-duty trailer is ready for every requirement when combined with Towmate Trailers® new innovations, such as the pivot axle system. Book a FREE demo to your site. SEE OUR FULL TRAILER RANGE WWW.TOWMATE.CO.UKATCOMESWITHA3-YEARWARRANTYSCAN AND BOOK YOUR FREE DEMO!

Ask about our exclusive show deals, FREE display stands and marketing materials!

www.alfrescotiles.co.uk | info@alfrescotiles.co.uk | 0113 244 4984 EasyCleanto Algae & Moss Free ProofFrost Good ResistanceSlip ThicknessUniform ResistantFade SimpleInstallto Scanme!

Al Fresco is brought to you by Verona, the UK’s leading distributor of tiles and flooring.

Available in a variety of patterns, colours and designs, Al Fresco 20mm thick porcelain tiles are perfect for outdoor living, plus selected designs also have coordinating indoor tiles to create seamless living spaces from inside homes and out into the garden. Hard-wearing and practical, these tiles have a 10 year guarantee, are simple to install and require no sealing.

15th-16th November

With our large UK stockholding in our centrally located Yorkshire Distribution Centre, you can count on us to deliver exactly what you need, when you need it. Whether you need a single box, or a whole container of mixed porcelain paving, we’ve got it covered.

Visit us at Stand LondonK41ExCel

The panel

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberADVICE2022 23

Being an accredited member of an organisation shows your dedication and professionalism within the industry and to your clients. It also offers reassurance to clients especially those with codes of conduct and dispute resolution services.

SARAH EBERLE Chelsea’s boastsdecoratedmostdesigneracollection

of RHS medals and is a member of the LI, SGD and the Institute of Horticulture. Sarah strives to create as sustainable gardens as possible.

KEN WHITE Ken White, former chairman of the APL, leads estatelargeConstruction,Frostsmulti-award-winningtheLandscapewhichcarriesoutcommercialandprivateprojectsacrosstheUK.

aged just 24, and has since become one of the Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30s and has delivered various awardwinning gardens and outdoor spaces.

here are a number of professional organisations in the landscape industry, each originally set up for a certain group, e.g. landscape contractors. Over time, these organisations have evolved to incorporate more people or groups within the industry. Deciding which to join or attain accreditation from can be confusing.

As someone who is an accredited member of two organisations – the SGD and BALI –I have found I get different things from each organisation.

Each month, we’ll be putting a question to one of our panellists to share their expertise. This month, award-winning garden designer Rosemary Coldstream tackles the pros and cons of joining more than one industry association.

Is it better to be part of one ormany a ociations?

AS K EXPERTSTHE

So, should you join more than one? Each organisation offers something different. It would be great if there was just one organisation for the whole industry. Life would

be simpler and there would only be one membership fee to pay! But variety is a good thing, and you need to know the strengths of the different organisations. Some offer their own legal, technical and HR support. T&Cs are a common part of an organisation and are very helpful especially when starting out. Most have CPD workshops or webinars, networking events and a community group to join. The latter are invaluable ways of supporting each other locally or regionally in your industry. It is also a chance to meet others especially where they are for mixed groups – designers, contractors, suppliers, etc.

HOLLY YOUDE Chair of the APL, Holly Youde, is a director at Urban Landscape Design in the North West and The Landscape Academy, a purpose built training centre dedicated to landscaping in the UK.

ROSEMARYCOLDSTREAM

There are only a few downsides to being a member of two or more organisations –membership fees to pay for each organisation, and you can’t always go to every event! You could stick with one and be involved in the running and development of the organisation – this in itself is very rewarding. However, being involved in different groups gives you a broader perspective of the industry with more opportunities and benefits.

Rosemary has won numerous awards for her work, creating high quality gardens for both domestic and commercial clients. She is a fully registered member of the SGD and sits on the board of directors at BALI.

We are all one big landscaping family and showing the world our professionalism and expertise in landscaping is the joint aim. Being part of at least one organisation will only help improve and better the industry as well as your business.

JAKE CATLING Jake founded his Landscapecompany,landscapingdomesticTheConsultants,

It is probably best to first start with the organisation that will offer you the most for your type of business. Being a member of an organisation can give you professional development opportunities along with networking and marketing. Many have their own awards which are a huge boost to a company’s morale and are a great marketing tool.

15 - 16 November 2022, ExCeL London www.futurescapeevent.comVillagepartners SHAPING THE FUTURE OF LANDSCAPINGUK Join us at the NEW Training, Education and Employment Village and be a part of something special this November

character, and how different plants and garden designs thrive in the different microclimates around the country. I have also been to our three summer shows – RHS Chelsea Flower Show, RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, and RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. At each show I was incredibly impressed by the creativity, passion and commitment to sustainability of all the designers, growers and exhibitors.Likemany others, I have Theseshapingtheactivitieswherethebothconcernedbecomeabouttheunprecedentedchallengesfacinghumanityandnaturalworld,humanhavebecomedominantforcetheenvironment.challenges,betheyclimate

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberOPINION2022 25

’m Clare Matterson, the new director general of the RHS. I took up the role in June, and have been an RHS member since 1994. As a passionate gardener, I am excited to join the RHS as we play our part in the recovery and longer term growth both for people and for nature through the inspiration, the science and the beauty of gardens.Frommy early days of growing vegetables with my grandad, setting up an ‘insect hospital’ aged seven to the thrill of doing a degree in Zoology and then working at the Wellcome Trust and the Natural History Museum, I have long held passions for biology, nature, history and introducing people to the ideas, the issues and the beauty of the natural world. Since becoming director general I have had the great pleasure of visiting all five RHS gardens and seeing first-hand how each site around the country has its own unique

Connect

Clare Matterson CBE is the director general of the RHS. She was previously executive director of engagement at the Natural History Museum and spent 17 years with the Wellcome Trust leading its work in engagement, education, policy and strategy. Clare was awarded a CBE for services to public engagement and a Fellowship to the British Science Association for outstanding contributions to public engagement and has been named one of GQ's top 100 inﬂuential women. rhs.org.uk

challenges, we need to come together, learn and share as communities, and reconnect withGardeningnature. – through its art, its science and its practice – is the thread that ties this all together and from scientific research to garden design, the RHS and the horticultural industry have a key part to play. My ambition is that we forge a deeper relationship and more caring connection between people and the planet we call home. I look forward to working together with friends and partners in the horticultural industry to support people, plants and planet through the joy of gardening.

change, pandemics, social cohesion, mental health or biodiversity loss, are some of the thorniest problems we have seen in generations, and are among the most divisive. I believe that to overcome these

Meet the new director general of the RHS, Clare Matterson, who sees collaboration as key to solving some of the biggest challenges facing our industry

MATTERSONCLARE

My ambition is that we forge a deeper relationship and more caring connection between people and the planet we call home

Debois©RHS/PaulphotographheadshotClareHepworth,©RHS/Neil

Not all garden design courses deliver a full package of detailed design teaching and some fail to cover professional practice or planning

Andrew Wilson is a landscape and garden design consultant, director of the London College of Garden Design, and an author, writer and lecturer. lcgd.org.uk

you're looking for? IS IT ME For landscapebothprogrammeseducationalingardenanddesignthis is perhaps a time to review course content and delivery

Senior landscape architects or those with several years’ experience in the profession practiceaorbuthigherdemandingaresalariesiftheypursueswitchtogardendesignroutethey are seriously lacking in the skills department or the more hands-on approach. Garden practices tend to be smaller than landscape practices so there is little room for coasting. The difficulty in delivering production drawings for planting and construction become the main sticking point. The need for more careful monitoring or in-house training can cost a smaller practice dearly and many have had to resort to agencies in finding potential candidates which also adds to the burden of cost. Because the marketplace is so competitive, even this route can lead to disappointment as the CV and

is that we have experienced many years of decline in the landscape architecture education sector with courses closing across the UK. Those remaining tend to focus on larger scale public sector work and urban planning meaning that the craft of finer construction detailing and planting design have been squeezed out of the syllabus or drastically reduced. These are skills in demand within the garden design sector.

ocial media platforms are currently full of appeals to the general populace for senior landscape architects and/or garden designers with experience, with studios such as Tom Stuart Smith, Jo Thompson, and our own McWilliam Studio on the lookout. On the one hand one might say this is good news. The garden design sector has been inundated with commissions over the last three years, beneficiaries of the dramatic re-focus on our outdoor spaces courtesy of theThepandemic.difficulty

OPINION

For the top garden design studios, the work is varied, adventurous, imaginative but hands on as the team numbers are much smaller. There must be some in the landscape architectural field who would relish that job description and I would encourage them to consider garden design as a Forintothanbroaddeliversopportunitydesigncareer.worthwhileForgardengraduatesthisalsoagreatandexperienceratherheadingimmediatelyself-employment.educationalprogrammes

examples of previous experience can be something of a minefield.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202226

in both garden and landscape design this is perhaps a time to review course content and delivery. Both fields are essentially vocational and could better reflect the changed career opportunities now available. There may even be space for greater collaboration, learning from the respective approaches and perhaps leading to a closer relationship between the SGD and the LI.

ANDREW WILSON

issues. Garden designers often benefit from a year or two of experience before taking on a more senior role within a practice and many good graduates want to go it alone and build up their own small businesses. And so, we have something of a skills gap which does not seem to be abating.

Andrew Wilson considers the difficulty of fitting the right person into the right slot as garden designers seek new members of staff

® The Ultimate Invisible-fix Decking & Cladding System from The Outdoor Deck Company ® outdoordeck.co.uk - info@outdoordeck.co.uk - 020 8977 0820

DOING FENCING DIFFERENTLY With innovation at the core of the DuraPost® brand, we introduce our new composite solution - the ‘Vento’ WHY CHOOSE DURAPOST® VENTO PANELS? Easy to install Low Guaranteedmaintenanceforup to 15-years Mould and rot-resistant UV Eco-friendlystabilised VENTO COMPOSITE FENCE PANEL FIND MOREOUTONVENTO: 0345durapost@durapost.co.uk6460591 Or contact our team on: For more installation tips and advice, visit: durapost.co.uk

We all enter knowingly into this coagulation yet still we often pretend we can’t see each other. Nowhere is this more true in my experience as boarding the Central Line at 8am on a Wednesday morning from Bethnal Green, where we passengers enter a sort of meditative state that allows us to get to work efficiently whilst holding on to whatever of our humanity that we can maintain, all the time imagining we were alone.

Noticing people in public means noticing their humanity, and in turn building community, because it makes clear how connected we are to one another, passing through the same places.

The Greatest Show ON EARTH

Donaldwatching.Appleyard

they could depend. And when we consider that weak social connections have similar health effects to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, we should start to understand the importance of supporting the intricate sidewalk ballet of people

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberOPINION2022 29

In a city with so many people it is one of the more twisted ironies that it is one of the easiest places to fall lonelinessinto

ities are inherently social places because we willingly coagulate together in small spaces and environments to benefit from the many opportunities and advantages that this way of life affords. In this way, cities are unparalleled as centres for new ideas. They are at the cutting edge of whatever we choose to put our collective mind to.

showed us one of the most important ways of achieving this in the 1960s. His study highlighted the increased social connections we have when our public realm is not dominated by traffic. These social connections are what makes us human, and they dramatically reduce the prevalence of social stress, loneliness, and depression.

MARTINCHRISTOPHER

sidewalk ballet” of the city as Jane Jacobs puts it. Jacobs famously talks of ‘eyes on the street’ in her writings, which every urbanist will know and use daily when discussing the creation of new neighbourhoods or the improvement of public spaces.

It makes us part of something and makes it more compelling to spend time in the public realm, seeing and being seen by others. In a city with so many people it is one of the more twisted ironies that it is one of the easiest places to fall intoOneloneliness.studyin Bath revealed that 15% of respondents felt there was nobody on which

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

We don’t need to think too long and hard about the good social reasons for this psychological blinkering on the tube, most of all the desire to not make others uncomfortable; but outside of these contained underground spaces the act of people watching, noticing others around you, is captivating whilst also forming the “intricate

Creating urban spaces where we want to people watch is a success, says Christopher Martin

Eyes on the street come from creating enticing environments in which people want to spend time, and the more people that spend time in a place, the more people watching there is to be done – creating a glorious circle of activity and interest. The surveillance that these eyes on the street affords makes us feel safer and more confident in being in public spaces; but it also roots us in a place and a momentsandtofacesNoticingcommunity.thesameinanareaturnsnodsofgreetingontosmallofconversation.

Meeting Carbon Net Zero and the wider challenges of climate change needs innovation, vision and a fundamental change to urban development.

MOMENT.WATERSHED

Green Urbanisation • Utilises surface water to introduce and sustain urban green assets • Promotes biodiversity and ecological regeneration • Reduces potable water demand and energy consumption • Delivers multi-functional environmental, health and wellbeing beneﬁts • Enhances resilience to ﬂooding, drought and population expansion Unlock the future at polypipe.com/watershed Civils & Green Urbanisation Scan me

A breakthrough in water management will help unlock the solution - Green Urbanisation.

All of the major policy commitments that have shaped our natural landscape in the last 100 years have been achieved despite the existence of the Landscape Institute and the Green Belt; probably the most significant policy-based instrument that has protected our fields and farmland has very little if anything to do with landscape architects. Many landscape practices have grown rich on assisting housebuilders in removing land from the Green Belt, and still do; the Landscape Institute has even produced a policy statement seeking for it to be reinvented.

Surely, we cannot divest our commitment of protecting the natural landscape just to farmers and paymasterstheir

ave you read ‘Wilding’? I mean really read it. Isabella Tree’s book is seminal; probably the most important book concerning natural landscape since Nan Fairbrother wrote ‘New Lives, New Landscapes’ in the 70s.

However, look beyond the obvious references to the reintroduction of long-lost bison, beaver and wolves to our shores. Tree documents the more recent disappearance of the turtle dove and skylark as a direct consequence of modern farming –initially by WWII and our need to feed ourselves but then pressed home over the last 70 years by industrial farming and government policy.

What really jumped out to me is that this has all happened while the Landscape Institute was on the scene. It is difficult to reconcile this wholesale destruction of nature with our central objective, i.e. protect, conserve and enhance the natural and built environment. By any definition we have failed to achieve at least half of our stated goal. As the Institute approaches its centenary, what is its legacy, I ask. Surely, we need to be able to point to more than the rain garden as a symbol of what we have offered to the world.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberOPINION2022 31

Leaving a LEGACY

churchmanthornhillﬁnch.co.uk

If you read this far and have not thrown this in the bin or taken to social media to vent your ire, you probably feel more than a little vexed that I am being incredibly negative about the profession. Nothing could be further from the truth. I respect what has gone before but I firmly believe that the Institute achieving its commitment to protect, conserve

and enhance the natural landscape will be vital in addressing net zero. For me, it's the thinking of younger professionals that I look to for inspiration. The environment needs a guiding hand. Surely, we cannot divest our commitment of protecting the natural landscape just to farmers and their paymasters. The next five years will see the phasing out of the Basic Payment Scheme, a taxpayer funded subsidy which makes up over 50% of most farmer’s income, 70% for some. Its removal will undoubtedly lead to the biggest shake up of our agriculture since Adolf Hitler marched into Poland. Large tracts of farmland may well cease to be cultivated, 20% of land coming out of cultivation is predicted, so what next? How many landscape practices have the desire, commitment or skill to engage in the inevitable transformation? If we have to deliver on our fundamental commitment to the majority of our landscape which still lacks buildings, we first of all have to understand what makes our landscape tick. The Landscape Institute, like the natural landscape, needs to be diverse and progressive. Those of us who believe the Institute is relevant (as I do) and that it has a huge role to play in addressing climate change must nurture new visionaries who can forge a different path, one which is focused on real potential in shaping the environment.

HOUSING ESTATE BUILT

ON GREEN BELT LAND

Chris Churchman ponders the landscape industry’s role and achievements in shaping the natural environment

CHRIS CHURCHMAN

Chris is a landscape architect with 50 years in the profession. His work at Elephant Park National Maritime Museum and Birmingham Green Heart is widely respected. Chris mixes design creativity with a passion for science. Work related to pollution mitigation has led to a wider understanding of the beneﬁt of green infrastructure. Advocacy on climate change is now his focus, posting thought pieces to social media. Chris seeks to drive down wasteful greenﬁeld development by raising awareness of our most valuable natural asset – soil.

Walk our Path: An RHS Shows Garden Designer’s Journey

Money Matters: How We Can Help You Find Funding

15:0014:0011:0010:00 15:0014:0011:0010:00

The industry, as it stands today, is not fit for this purpose and must make radical changes to remove damaging practices and materials. In their place, there are many new materials, techniques, plants and goals to be set, researched, refined and applied. New ways of management must be developed to make our wider landscapes an active and dynamic ecosystem, rather than a static ornament. This goes from the biggest urban cityscape to the smallest courtyard garden. We have to give up some of the old and embrace the new – we have to be the change we want to see!

Going for Gold: The RHS Shows Garden Judging Process Explained

’S

The Collaborative Approach: Skills, Diversity, Sustainability and Competition

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202232 2022

The Olympic Park Legacy: Celebrating landscape excellence 10 years on London 2012 bestowed economic, sporting and landscaping success on Great Britain. Exploring elements of the Olympic Park’s landscape creation, development and maintenance, panellists will share their first-hand Olympic Park journeys from concept and design to construction and its footprint.

This seminar offers practical examples around how we can design, build, and importantly transport and reinstate show gardens in a sustainable way. Areas covered include designing out waste, modular design and how to reduce the use of concrete. We also encourage participation from the audience for any insights in this developing area of our industry.

How the landscape industry must change to tackle climate change and reverse ecological decline

The State of Our Industry: Where do we go from here?

A Lighter Footprint: Building More Sustainable Show Gardens

SPECIAL EVENTS

Join us for the ultimate insight into the RHS shows garden judging process. We will cover elements such as mechanics of the process, the judges’ governance structure, and of course what the judges are looking for in a great show garden.

We explain the pipeline of opportunities for designers of all levels at RHS shows, from planting design in our borders, the Young Designer of the Year competition, balcony and container gardens, as well as full-blown show gardens. We will be joined by designers who have created some of these gardens to learn about how it has benefitted them.

Economic uncertainty, pandemics, military threats, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis –how has the landscape industry fared? Taking a deep dive into Pro Landscaper’s UK Landscape Barometer data from the last two years, the discussions will focus on high and low points, underlying trends and positives to help us shape the future landscape.

An opportunity to challenge industry influencers and your trade organisation representatives on headline topics that continue to affect your business, your marketplace and your strategic plans: the skills shortage; inclusion and diversity; sustainability, pricing and maintaining a profitable, competitive edge.

Come and learn how the RHS can assist in funding your show garden. From funded garden categories to approaching sponsors on your behalf, there are many ways we can help you realise your design dreams. You are not alone!

Pro Landscaper Theatre Inspire Theatre

The Arbordeck Awards

15:0014:0011:0010:00

Tapping into the hearts and minds of growers, designers and planting specialists, the panel will be putting plant choice first for a better landscape outcome. Specifying and selecting the right plants, trees, shrubs, hedging and perennials – and the nursery – for height, spread, aspect and conditions, soft landscaping leads the way.

The Plants take Priority: Plant-led Landscapes

Digital marketing agency Adtrak will share its social media and marketing insights before it is joined by other panellists for a discussion around the industry’s use of both, offering tips and tricks to boost your presence.

Putting the Right Systems in Place

A BNG commitment in residential and public open space landscape design and construction ensuring that the landscape leaves nature in a measurably better state. Managing sites, habitat creation and increasing a landscape’s natural values, the panel will discuss BNG principles, policy and how landscape design and construction can help achieve +10% net gain in biodiversity.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 33

Business coach Nick Ruddle and accountant Kim Sones share how getting the right systems in place can lead to a more efficient and profitable business.

The Subject of Soil: Reaping the Rewards of Regeneration

The Natural Environment: The Promise of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

Expand and upskill your workforce from the ground, up. Recruiting and retaining staff is a never-ending challenge, but hiring an apprentice can be productive, effective and help your business develop a motivated, qualified and loyal workforce. Hear from those who successfully took this route, both from an employer and apprentice perspective, as well as the colleges encouraging the next generation of apprentices.

You can never know too much about a site and as designers (buildings, landscape or interiors) we know we need to go to site, but what do we do when we get there? Focus is often put on the site survey, something altogether different (best carried out by a surveyor, who will do it better and cheaper). So, how do we ensure good ideas are not lost and opportunities missed?

15:0014:0012:0011:0010:00

Tim O’Hare will be tackling the topic of soil regeneration – what does it mean? How can it be achieved and what are the benefits? He will also discuss the pros and cons of manufactured soil and natural soil.

Site analysis – what is it and why does it matter?

Making the Most of Marketing

TUESDAY 15 NOVEMBER SEMINAR PROGRAMME

The Price is Right – Or Is It?

“Know your worth; never settle for less than you deserve” – easier said than done in a marketplace where the value of good landscaping often goes unnoticed. Setting and sticking to a pricing strategy can be difficult. With representatives who recognise that challenge only too well, our panellists will discuss how to pitch pricing at the right level without undervaluing your work, your time and your expertise.

Nurture Theatre Business Theatre

The Power of the Apprenticeship: Shaping and showcasing talent

The Arbordeck Awards have returned for the fifth year to celebrate the very best of Trex composite decking. For the awards’ milestone anniversary, two new categories have been launched along with a special twist: for the first time ever, the public can vote for their favourite projects, with winners to be announced at FutureScape 2022. This year, the winner of the Deck of the Year Award will win a four-day trip to Washington DC, which includes a trip to the Trex University.

Inspire Theatre

With mental health of relevance to every one of us, employees should not be facing their challenges alone. Supporting, understanding and sometimes just simply acknowledging the issues, it is increasingly important that companies take a positive approach. Help is out there, and the panel will assist in directing the audience to organisations such as Perennial and Andy’s Man Club.

Concentrating on the commercial sector, the focus will be on landscapes in the public realm, podiums, play, estates and the urban environment. Be part of the masterplan and head for the Urban Greening Zone.

Home to BALI GoLandscape, this year’s career-focused Village explores every avenue into landscaping, with exposure to employers, support, apprenticeships and personal development

The Fashion in Foliage, Form and Flower: Catching the colour trends

OTHER AREAS

Landscape and garden design principles call for careful consideration of colour palettes, blends, contrasts and conflicts. This year’s Pantone Colour of the Year is “Very Peri” – a blue with a velvet red undertone. But what’s popping in this year’s palettes? How are they working in designs and planting plans? What’s the next big colour drop?

Seeking true circularity across the landscape envelope, the marketplace for sustainable products is bursting with innovation. Exploring the factors driving the sector forward, our panel will consider old favourites and newcomers in products that make up the landscape assortment, as well as those falling from favour and their potential replacements.

The Housebuilding Question: Developers and Landscapers in Unison?

For those in the commercial landscape sector, a partnership with a housebuilder may generate a healthy, steady volume of work and be easier in terms of planning, scheduling and managing labour, equipment hire and materials. But how is the housebuilding sector performing? And what role is landscaping going to play in its future?

Portfolio: Elephant & Castle

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202234 2022

What is around the corner in the materials marketplace? What elements are most important in product choice? Which factors are driving new product development? Who is leading the way? From the remarkable to the recyclable; the durable to the adaptable; the permeable to the practical, our panel will dissect the finer points of landscaping materials and how they form an integral part of any design.

Lendlease has been working in partnership with Southwark Council to bring a new mixed-used development to the heart of Elephant & Castle in South London. Public realm development manager Ewan Oliver reflects on the journey over the last seven years, urban biodiversity, and the role of landscape architecture in helping to mitigate climate change.

The Sustainable Option: Taking the green initiative in product choice

Pro Landscaper Theatre

The Material World: Styling the future landscape

14:0011:0010:00 14:0011:0010:00

The Hearts and Minds of Landscape: Focus on Health and Wellbeing

The Recruitment Dilemma: Sub-contract or employ?

The Kit Switch: Considering the greener equipment option

InspireAvenue

Supported by the RHS and alongside its design programme in the Inspire Theatre, join designers and buyers hungry for products and ideas for those finishing touches that make outstanding landscapes.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 35

The Call of the Wild: Rewilding and Restoring Ecosystems

The right lighting can bring intimacy, intrigue and even a little magic to exteriors after dark. In this special series of masterclasses curated by lighting expert Ray Molony, top lighting designers will explain how award-winning lighting projects were created, and share their experience and insights into what makes great spaces after dark.

With a panel of experts from those on the tools to those at the cutting-edge – some quite literally – of new product development, the debate will consider the practicality and feasibility of using greener equipment on site, and the challenges ahead.

As your business grows, so will your labour requirement. Considering the best route to build your team profitably, professionally and with personal development in mind, the options to recruit are diverse, as are your HR considerations. Seasonal or permanent? Full-time or selfemployed? HR experts and landscape business owners discuss the merits of each.

14:0011:0010:00

Since it was founded on April Fool’s Day 2008, Nurture Landscapes has grown from a fourmember team to a nationwide group with three leading brands. Chairman and founder Peter Fane and CEO Gareth Kirkwood share the journey of Nurture’s success and its future goals.

Nurture Theatre Business Theatre

Expected to be juggling energy efficiency, a climate-friendly conscience, power and functionality, grounds maintenance teams are certainly no strangers to the Green Agenda.

Success Story: Nurture Group

WEDNESDAY 16 NOVEMBER SEMINAR PROGRAMME

Lighting Zone

Protecting our trees and plants and safeguarding our gardens and landscapes needs a biosecurity commitment at every step: from seed producer, plant producer and retailer to landscapers and the gardening public. How growers are tackling plant health may differ, but the end game is the same.

14:0011:0010:00

Encouraging the return of native plants, missing species and allowing nature to thrive, rewilding projects and community efforts are flourishing across the UK. Reversing biodiversity loss is a worthy goal, but to succeed these projects should be planned and managed properly and, from experience, the panel will weigh up how best to tackle this.

TheTBC Plant Health Commitment: A Passport to Biosecurity

I s uzu Truck ame load sp ace - reduc urning c irc l e compactfooprint/manoeuvrability / two gea r box options / upto3.5tonnetowingcapacity * 3 years unlimited mileagewarranty/3years roadside assis t a nce / LEZ compliantEuro6engine/finance options available Isuzu 3.5t Euro 6 Compact footprint, same powerful performance and payload. Due to Isuzu’s forward cab design we are able to ﬁt equivalent body length to that of European manufacturers but reduce the overall length of the vehicle. For the ultimate ﬂexibility the 3.5t Grafter chassis cab is available with either single or twin rear wheels. This versatility delivers a unique blend of body options, payload, comfort and performance. 01707 282944 / isuzutruck.co.uk *Terms & Conditions apply. Subject to specification. Images shown are for illustration purposes only.

The project itself dates back further than a decade. A design competition was launched in 2006, attracting more than 70 entries across 170 firms from more than 24 countries. It was British firm Grant Associates which was awarded the honour of designing the 54haSouthBay

Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay has been an inspiration for an entire decade, and it continues to impact projects today

A CITY NATUREIN

Ten years ago, we saw two of these created, both with different impacts. One was the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which we covered in our London supplement last month. Another is undoubtedly Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, which has seen millions of visitors over the last decade and has become one of the most iconic images of the country.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberFEATURE2022 37

rguably, every landscape has an impact. It could be the regeneration of a high street, the introduction of a play park, or a large public space where workers eat their lunch or friends meet. But every once in a while, a landscape is created which has a global impact, and which lessons can be learned across the entire landscaping sector and even further afield.

ground zero in terms of a lot of clients and organisations that have not done or even thought about delivering a project with these layers of sophistication. Landscape still, in many places, is a decorative backdrop. So, to try and push that, but also making sure that it’s delivering on environmental performance and has sustainability credential and is well liked by the people

Singapore’s Supertrees Gardens by the Bay’s towering Supertrees have become one of the most recognisable landmarks of Singapore. Powered by solar energy, the 18 vertical gardens vary from 25m to 50m in height, the tallest being the height of a 16-storey building. Around 162,900 plants of more than 200 species

“They had a massive airport that people were flying into then off to other parts of Asia but weren’t hanging around. What they’ve done is create an infrastructure for tourists who are in transit to stop for a couple of nights. When you’re talking about tens of millions of people just staying a couple of nights in all the hotels and eating at the restaurants and spending money, it’s a significant economic benefit to the country. But nobody expected the number of people and the scale of the millionbeenmilliondate,annually,mightmillionaroundItimpact.”wasassumedthreevisitorsvisitbuttomorethan50visitshavemade–6.6visitorsalone in 2020, as Singaporeans sought a green refuge in the pandemic.

adorn the Supertrees, including tropical flowering climbers, epiphytes and ferns. An aerial suspended walkway creates an immersive experience, and the Supertrees light up at night with projected media, providing an entirely different atmosphere across the gardens.

After breaking ground a year later, the first phase of Gardens by the Bay opened to the public on 29 June 2012, and it became an instant hit. It was one of several projects brought forward by the tourismthatgovernmentSingaporeanaroundtimetoenhanceandthereby the economy, explains lead designer Andrew Grant, who founded the multi-award-winning practice Grant Associates.

Garden, the largest of three gardens set to feature overall, for the National Parks Board (NParks) in Singapore.

“There are several things that we explored with the project,” explains Andrew. “One was scale – being really ambitious in terms of the physical heights of the elements and surprise people with the immensity of some of the structures and the volumes of space. We pushed the boundaries in terms of scale and the vastness of it all.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 FEATURE 38

“We’rethinkingecologicalverywasthethatinfrastructurethesupportedwholeprojectfoundedonsensibleprinciplesandaboutbiodiversity.stillstartingfrom

“The other thing is the layering of experience with ecology; it was about creating aexperiencefantastic of plants, and at the same time making sure

It’s been valuable for people to see governments and local authorities and commercial organisations seeing the potential value of investing in landscape and public realm

We pushed the boundaries in terms of scale and theofvastnessitall

Gardens by the Bay also provides a technical reference for practitioners, explains Andrew, in terms of the integration of all aspects that were built into the project, linking ecology and experience, but underpinned by considerations such as how to deliver net zero on the operation of the glasshouses, enhancing biodiversity, dealing with water management.

The vast scheme has won numerous awards, from the Landscape Institute’s Best Large Scale Public Development and the 2012 World Architecture Festival’s Building Project of the

Year. It has even appeared on numerous films and TV series, including the BBC’s Planet Earth II, on which Sir David Attenborough described it as “perhaps the most spectacular example of city “It’sgreening.”influential on lots of levels,” says Andrew. “It’s been valuable –particularly on the back of things like Planet Earth II – for people to see governments and local authorities and commercial organisations seeing the potential value of investing in landscape and public realm, with an ecological angle and as a way of helping them define their own values, creating spaces that have

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberFEATURE2022 39

environmental benefits, social benefits and economic benefits. It’s a great model for Andrewthat.”adds that Grant Associates, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, has won projects off the back of Gardens by the Bay too, as government organisations see it as an example of what they could do in their own countries. It has become a “sort of global reference” – “an example of contemporary landscape architecture, contemporary thinking about urban greening and ecology and management of nature in a city.”

Falling behind

Long-lasting influence

In the UK, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park came close in terms of scale, says Andrew; but it differs from Gardens by the Bay perhaps in terms of how the nation values investment in public parks and spaces.

experiencing it – they’re simple things, but it’s ultimately down to finding the right idea for each project in each place. Gardens by the Bay could only be in Singapore. People have tried to copy it – there are versions of Supertrees all over parts of China and other places – but they don’t have the same integrity and narrative and power that the Gardens by the Bay project has.”

The masterplan for Bay South Garden was inspired by Singapore’s national flower, the orchid, and is part of the country’s ‘City in a Garden’ biodiversity model. Singapore’s former Prime Minister in the 1960s, Lee Kuan Yew, kickstarted the transformation of Singapore into a Garden City, with the introduction of greener policies. The plan has since changed to develop it into a City in a Garden, with tropical greenery to surround the bustling metropolis, and Gardens by the Bay is arguably leading the evolution.

Celebrating a decade of Gardens by the Bay and its Supertrees has also conveniently aligned with the opening of Superbloom, a wildflower installation which has transformed the moat at the Tower of London and started a new legacy for the site. Grant Associates led the design of the display, which is yet another example of a biodiverse habitat in central London.

“There is zero interest from the majority of the government and local authorities, and a lack of interest in funding them. Because they’re not cheap to build, such parks. But we’ve definitely dropped behind the world in terms of setting the pace for what is a wonderful, contemporary, ecologically rich urban park. I don’t think the UK is leading the world in that respect anymore. It’s dropped off the agenda from the people who govern us and politicians.”

a decade, but its legacy doesn’t stop there. This year, for instance, the Active Garden has opened on the site. This new 10,000m2 green space accommodates those of various generations, encouraging them to connect through different activities. There are horticulture and botanical art workshops, for instance, as well as outdoor fitness equipment and musical instruments.

interestingWhat’s is how di erent scales of projects have di erent levels of inﬂuence

Grant Associates is working on more large and interesting projects overseas, but Andrew is tight-lipped as to the location and details. He admits they could have the potential to be as influential as Gardens by the Bay, but once again, in different ways. But as is the case with Gardens by the Bay, the impact of such a project is determined by its legacy and whether we’re still taking lessons from it a decade on.

Looking ahead

In its tenth year, Andrew is hoping to visit Gardens by the Bay, having not being able to go back since the pandemic first began more than two years ago. The changes, he expects, will be substantial. “The plants grow very fast, and trees that would have taken 100 years to get to a decent height in the UK are already massive in Singapore.”

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 FEATURE 40

“And their policies are very sophisticated; they have really good planning processes and assessments, making sure that the environmental performance of the new project lives up to the ambition of the government. We don’t have the same tightness of control and policy in this country.”

He adds that the Gardens by the Bay team is “incredibly talented” at programming different experiences for visitors, setting up spaces for seasonal events and changing the large central mayGardensproject.chapterchallengeThedisplay.nextistoseewhat’stheappropriatenextfortheAfterall,bytheBaybecelebrating

The same cannot be said for Singapore. “I definitely think it’s one of the countries that has placed landscape, ecology and biodiversity at the heart of its policymaking. Singapore brands itself as ‘a city in nature’. When we were developing Gardens by the Bay, it was ‘a city in a garden’; now, it’s a city in nature, which I suppose ups the ante even more so to push that connectivity with the natural world.

There’s even a pet-friendly café and a community garden, which grows 50 types of vegetables, herbs and fruits, all maintained by 20 volunteers.

“What’s interesting is how different scales of projects have different levels of influence. The Chelsea Flower Show ‘Best in Show’ garden a couple of years ago [co-designed by landscape architects Peter Chmiel and Chin Chen] was one of those projects which is hopefully influentially in a slightly different way, because it helped us to explore some big ideas for the Guangzhou government in China on a tiny scale.”

GftK Paving Joint Mortars Get the Right Jointing for Every Type of Paving & Paved Areas - Designed specifically for domestic patio paving & pedestrian areas, with highest polymer content, supplied in a range of colours, ready to use, in handy 12.5 and 25kg vacuum-sealed ‘bag-in-pails’ for easy wet-slurry application by squeegee. Ideal for DIY. - Unique, self-compacting epoxy-coated sand + hardener, can be applied in wet weather, has no shrinkage cracks, is fast curing with a sheen finish, and is fully resistant to traffic, de-icing salts, and direct jet-washing – The way forward for ease of application with no delays or waiting, and for the highest durability in all types of domestic, commercial & public paving! - The original epoxy-coated sand + hardener, dust free paving jointing product for trafficked domestic, commercial, and public areas of small format natural stone paving. This type of product leaves a colour enhancing sheen that disappears by normal weathering. - Designed for narrow joints from 3mm wide in larger format natural paving, and absolutely ideal for external porcelain grouting without delay - No waiting required. Supplied in smaller 10kg units for fast and residue-free, wet-slurry grouting of porcelain paving. Paving Joint Mortars Exclusively supplied in the UK by Visit: www.NCCStreetscape.co.uk | Email: sales@NCCinAction.co.uk | Call: 01257 266696 GftK vdw 840+ the best entry level, 1-part brush-in on the UK market GftK vdw 800 the original professional 2-part, epoxy paving joint mortar GftK vdw 850+ the unique & unrivalled “state-of-the-art” paving jointing GftK vdw 815+ the narrow joint version of 850+ with the same benefits

Yes! We have 15,000 m2 of storage space, so our northern hub is even bigger than our southern head of ce and depot near Heathrow: it is a substantial operation!

Absolutely not!

How have you staffed the new Distribution Centre?

Can you tell us more about the Northern Distribution Centre? Is it now operational?

We’ve completed the development work at our Northern Distribution Centre (NDC) in Altrincham, and we are now starting work on two new showrooms in Bristol and Eastleigh.

Our vision was always to deliver goods on our own vehicles, so I am pleased to tell you that we have just delivered our rst order using our own vehicle from the northern depot! Sometimes we have to use third party hauliers, but we all know that it’s sub optimal, so to be able to use our own vehicles operated by our own drivers is a very exciting moment for the business and for our customers in the North West and the Midlands.

Our operations and ful lment teams have done an incredible job of creating the new depot. The whole site has had a new surface laid, perimeter fencing added, the outside of the warehouse has been re-painted, and we have added buildings and facilities throughout the site to ensure that our colleagues are comfortable and safe, and that the operation is run ef ciently.

When we last months?thechangedHasnationwide.thetoyourtoldSteve,spokeyouusaboutplansexpandbusinessthatinlastsix

London Stone’s Year of Nationwide Expansion Continues

Does the NDC have a Trade Counter, and what kind of products will you stock there?

PROMOTION

With a newly operational Northern Distribution Centre in Altrincham, Managing Director Steve Walley tells us more about what the future holds for industry-leading hard landscaping materials supplier London Stone.

Will you still be using third party hauliers to deliver from the NDC?

A handful of existing team members have relocated north, which we are very happy about. Having staff that understand the London Stone ethos is critical for us. We have also expanded the team by recruiting locally, so we have a great mix of skills and personalities at the depot.

Many of our clients like to collect from us, so having a well-stocked trade counter is very important. The trade counter is open, and landscapers can visit at their convenience to collect off the shelf materials and ancillary products. As with any London Stone premises, the team are friendly and knowledgeable and willing to offer advice and practical solutions to any issues that arise from time-to-time. Customers are of course entitled to complimentary refreshments while they wait.

For more information about how London Stone can enhance your next scheme, and for more information on the Northern Distribution Centre: www.londonstone.co.ukinfo@londonstone.co.uk01753212950 PROMOTION

As a supplier we will always absorb as much cost as we can, but buying prices and shipping rates have increased signi cantly on certain materials (mainly Indian paving and clay pavers), so with a heavy heart we have announced an increase on some products, which takes place at the start of September.

Birmingham Showroom Essex Showroom

We are about to launch two gamechanging porcelains to our range – Jura Beige and Jura Grey. They’ll be priced from just £42.50 + VAT m2 for trade when bought online, and as they’re porcelain won’t require pre-sealing, or suffer from vast natural colour variation. They have to be seen to be believed!

7 9 2 1 5 38

De nitely. Our Italian Porcelain and European Limestones are not currently affected by price increases, and despite signi cant fuel price increases, we are continuing to offer free delivery on all full pack orders and orders over £1,000 + VAT on all natural stone, porcelain and composite decking.

Given the economic uncertainty, do you have price increases imminent? Yes, but we try to be as transparent about this as possible.

We will also be at this year’s Futurescape Expo at London’s ExCel in November, which is always a calendar highlight for the landscape industry. See you there if you’re going!

We have also reviewed our product offering and have streamlined our wider range, discontinuing some lifestyle products and internal tiles. We want to focus on our core range of products and make sure that we always have good stocks of paving, decking, cladding, and their ancillary products. London Stone is ruthlessly focused on maintaining and improving our service levels and making sure that we always offer good value.

Anything else exciting on the horizon for London Stone?

How else is the business changing and expanding this year?

Middlesex Showroom

Northern Distribution Centre North London Showroom Surrey HampshireBristolUrbanLowarthDawsonContemporaryShowroomFencingLandscapesLTDLandscapingLTDLandscapeDesignShowroomShowroom

Kent LangleyShowroomDistribution Centre

12101165432191314 4 6 11 1213 14 1078 London Stone Showroom/Trade Counter London Stone Partner Opening Soon

With the wider economy slowing, I would expect to see a reduction in global demand which should in turn feed through into lower shipping rates. If that happens, these reductions will

We’re all aware of the uncertainty around the economy, but we are pushing forward with our plans to open our Bristol and Hampshire showrooms later this year.

Is there any good news when it comes to pricing?

be immediately passed-on to our customers. One way for our customers to save money is by ordering online. We offer an automatic discount of 10% for our trade customers but if you order online, you can get an extra 5% discount taking the total to 15%. So, when you calculate that as a trade customer you could be supplied with free grout and slurry, free delivery, plus up to 15% off our retail prices, there are signi cant savings to be had – get ordering online!

The KMA 135 R KombiEngine is perfect for professionals that need to take on diﬀerent types of jobs, thanks to its 12 interchangeable KombiTools. So whether you‘re trimming grass, clearing leaves, cutting hedges or pruning trees – you’ll be ready for any challenge.

ONE ƒBATTERYmultiplemotor.tools.POWERED. AVAI BLE AT YOUR LOCAL STIHL APPROVED DEALER

PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE: THE KMA 135 R CORDLESS KOMBIENGINE. WITH BG-KM LEAF BLOWER. FIND OUT MORE AT STIHL.CO.UK

LEWIS NORMAND

applications of less than the total amount available to make necessary changes and improvements to their sites. Many are making applications in the tens of millions of pounds and understandably so. Most will not get a tenth of what they want (certainly from this fund), but National Lottery funding and other funding routes may well be able to help. Perhaps the old days of benevolent, wealthy individuals gifting parks to councils will come back. I like the idea of giving back to a community. I’m a huge fan of Pittencrieff Park in Dunfermline, bought by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, who was banned from the park (then a private estate) as a child for stealing apples. In 1902, as one of the richest men in the world, he bought the estate and opened it for free, gifting it a year later to the town (now city) in perpetuity to be open and free for everyone. Now that is philanthropy! What it would be to see this behaviour become a thing of our present and not just our past.

Should any government funding be viewed positively, debates Lewis Normand

How much support is the government giving to UK parks then? As it stands (August 2022), £9m is being spread across UK parks to facilitate positive change. Eighty-five areas have been identified as needing the investment most and the press release on its white paper specifically talks about creating new parks as well as improving existing spaces. With less than £106k per council area if it were to be distributed equally, this offers barely enough to cover the painting of a single park’s fencing and adding few new benches in real terms. Meaningful change and the creation of new, permanent parks surely cannot be achieved here.

Where over £690m have been removed from parks’ budgets since 2010, according to the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) report entitled ‘State of UK Public Parks 2021’, nothing positive has been given back. Until now, we are told.

Sadly, I anticipate councils will be glad of this small bump in investment. I suppose I should be thankful too that the government has listened to the councils and the people of the UK and allocated money to this, especially when we are in a period of negative growth and costs continue to rise. I should be thankful, but it is hard to be with so little really being done here.

ome months back, I wrote about the need to invest significantly in public parks if we have any real intention to offer the ‘green bounceback’, ‘levelling up’, ‘urban greening’ and other buzz terms designed by the government.

I note from the same press release that there is an additional £2m for tree planting in these parks, which I do feel can make meaningful change, even with the often, sadly necessary, need to include hugely expensive industrial tree guards in a fight against vandalism.

'Be grateful for what you have and what you get', we are encouraged to believe; aim high is what I advise.

Lewis has worked in a wide variety of roles within horticulture over a 20-year career. He has lectured on garden design and horticulture, and designed gardens in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Since 2011, Lewis has focused on nursery sales, now working as sales manager at Bernhard’s Nurseries, and has helped to launch a number of new plants into the UK plant market. He is a specialist supplier to show gardens, supplying more than 100 gardens at major shows.

£9m is a very long way short of theis£2bnadditionalthatneeded

When you look at the applications for development and improvement of parks across the UK, few large councils are making

OPINION

Where the Charter for Parks estimates the entire UK parks spend to be in the region of £1bn per year, they calculate this at a third of the amount needed to run all parks to an acceptable standard. In short, £9m is a very long way short of the additional £2bn that is needed.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 45

funding game? AREWINNINGPARKSINTHE

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

aNigelPlantingroughlyseeddormantrainfallsufficienttriggeredphenomenonbotanicalwhenwintergerminateswildflowertoblossomatthesametime.designerProfessorDunnettexperienced“Superbloom”wheninCalifornia

More than 1,000 vehicle movements had to be coordinated, crossing over a “keep open” pavement. Conveyors moved soil, sculpting it around three sides of the moat. Serpentine paths took you around the blooms and through the sculptural installations. Visitors and pollinators were immersed in the flowers, reacting just as they had done at the 2012 Olympics; I heard only positive comments and the click of camera shutters.

It is also good to see a design teamwork with an able contractor perhaps previously noted for creating gardens and now can be considered a player in challenging public realm works. It’s a successful scheme and adds a bit of fun to the historic visitor attraction – do visit next year.

When it’s a superbloom, explains Nick Coslett, in the first of a four-part series on what exactly constitutes a meadow

Unlike the Marble Arch mound, this attraction brings visitors in direct contact with the natural world and is a project involving: Nigel Dunnett, landscape architecture firm Grant Associates, soil expert Tim O’Hare and Mark Gregory’s team at Landform, which entered a multi-million-pound partnering contract

Unlike the Marble Arch mound, this attraction brings visitors in direct contact with the natural world

f you went down to the Tower of London this summer their new attraction was in the moat – the Superbloom. Our dry, hot summer foreshortened the flower display and tickets may not be available this month. It just reinforces the fact we work in a weather dependant industry even if clients don’t get it.

with Historic Royal Palaces. Landform started on site in October, leading a group of selected specialists in seeding, sculpture, decking and sound. After early trials it was agreed not to disturb the turf in the moat (a listed ancient monument) but to place a minimum of 200mm of soil on top.

The attraction is aimed to be a permanent feature with some annual variations to enhance the sites biodiversity. So, year one is mainly a display of annual flowers with more UK native perennials in subsequent years. Originally, it was planned for summer display but amended to include the Jubilee brought display expectation forward. Nigel Dunnett designed the seed mix with 29 species, a mix of exotic and UK natives and 20 million seeds were sown. They should have germinated in eight days but due to drought (only 10% of expected April and 33% of spring rainfall) it took 25 days. So, early Jubilee visitors got to experience a patchy display, hence a few grumbles in the media. However, it came good a few weeks later.

Some areas were also covered with wildflower turf and seed matting, a mix of native perennials. Today, we expect to design and construct in a sustainable way, which would deter the use of irrigation systems. Hindsight shows the moat ought to have had a pop-up irrigation system which may have kept germination on target and extended flowering display. However, budgets were finite and water supply in the moat insufficient. Some 3,000-5,000 visitors have enjoyed it each day.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202246 OPINION

NICK COSLETT

Superbloom is a rare desert

in 2017.

World-class machinery for every job. Toro brings you unparalleled productivity, durability and all-season versatility with its range of grounds machinery. With the Groundsmaster 3300 out-front rotary and LT-F3000 triple flail mowers, the Workman GTX Lithium-Ion utility vehicle and the compact and lightweight LT2240 triple mower, we’ve got you covered. reesinkturfcare.co.ukGetMOREfromyourturfcare partner this year: More products . More advice . More training . More finance Reesink UK LTD is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Images shown for illustration only.

HUSQVARNA CEORA™NEW SCAN ME

MAKE

Maintaining green environments for residents, visitors or customers is crucial to any facility. Achieve the very best turf appearance and quality with Husqvarna CEORA™. Our cutting system with razor blades and a systematic cutting pattern delivers impressive turf quality, for exceptional ﬁrst impressions. Visit husqvarna.com or scan the QR code to ﬁnd out more.

BETTERIMPRESSIONSFIRSTAVAILABLENOW!

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberOPINION2022 49

become particularly inflammable, eucalyptus being the worst –fire-damaged trunks or stumps of these trees can regenerate quite remarkably, while their oil-laden leaves and habit of shedding long strips of bark make them 'designed to burn'. Restios, increasingly popular foliage plants, have hollow stems that go off like Countriesfirecrackers.whichexperience regular fires usually have a set of regulations about what can be grown around houses and in residential areas. They may also have rules about what garden machinery can be used during dry periods. All too often though these regulations are drawn up or enforced by people with little understanding of plants, horticulture or ecology. Landscape and fire management professionals in fire-prone landscapes do not always agree. Cypresses, for example, present a problem. They do not burn easily, as their foliage is so dense, and can even stop fire spreading. However, like all conifers, when they do burn, the fire is ferocious. For British landscape people, this is all new territory, and a frightening one. It will become increasingly important to understand, however. With good planning ahead we should be able to design planted landscapes that will look good, help support biodiversity but also reduce fire risk and the spread of fires when they do occur.

As recent heatwaves brought with them a raft of fires, Noel Kingsbury ponders on the role certain trees can play in slowing the spread of flames

Landscape professionals in countries where seasonal fires are the norm have built up a considerable body of knowledge about what burns and how badly, but it is a complex field and there are disagreements. Fortunately, however, one clear fact is that deciduous trees do not catch fire easily and do not sustain fire well. My own property in Portugal illustrates this very elegantly – a devastating regional fire in October 2017 destroyed my neighbours’ pines, and our olives, but left some young oak trees between the two relatively unscathed. The presence of some quite old fruit trees (apricot, plums, pears) near the house actually appears to have stopped the progress of the fire.

The evergreen shrubs that naturally thrive in woodland – laurels, box, camellias, rhododendrons – do not burn easily either. The problems begin with the sun-loving shrubs and trees that naturally form part of what ecologists call the 'succession process', which describes the different vegetation communities that occupy land until the final stage is reached – broadleaf woodland. Many of the species that are part of this process have evolved to be fire-prone, for these can all rapidly regenerate, and so it is in their interest to burn.

Pines, for example, will burn ferociously but within a year the next crop of seedlings has germinated. The same applies to nearly all the popular Mediterranean shrubs we like to use such as lavenders, cistus and rosemary. Some species have evolved to

andscape fire is one of the most frightening aspects of climate change, and one that is new to British homeowners and most professionals. While Britain may never experience the huge scale of fires that countries with extensive, highly flammable landscapes may get, it must now be considered a real danger.

Landscape and ﬁre

landscapesprofessionalsmanagementinﬁre-pronedonotalwaysagree

Noel Kingsbury is a freelance designer, writer and researcher who has long promoted naturalistic planting design. He also teaches at Boston Architectural College. noelkingsbury.com

NOEL KINGSBURY

the fire? CAN WE STOP

RICHARD

Plant breeders are specific

Liquidambar styraciflua is also a beautiful tree but can be too big for the average garden. However, there is a great slender variety called ‘Slender Silhouette’ which can be grown in narrower spaces and still deliver on both colour and form. Alternatively, ‘Gum Ball’ develops a lovely compact round head which is also great for the smaller garden.

When it comes to shrubs there are so many more varieties on offer among the readily available species, such as geraniums that flower for longer, or Deutzia, Buddleja and Spiraea which can be more compact or floriferous.

shape,developingcontinuallynewoerings,whetheritistoachievebetterdiseaseresistance,moreinterestingleafortoensureplantsprovideinterestallyearround

I recently visited one of our partner suppliers where I was shown 10 varieties of one plant in over 250 different pot sizes, heights and forms. From bush, to quarter, half, three-quarter and full standard; to ball shape, cloud pruned and multi-stem, I was impressed to see that this one species – Photinia –presented such versatility with a structure and form that could suit any garden.

Breeders and growers have enabled the horticultural industry to offer new plants. The question is, how do you learn what’s new on the market to build into your designs and how do you improve your plant knowledge?

OPINION

Photinia x fraseri 'Red Light'

This got me thinking about other plants and the varieties in their range which could suit specific requirements. For example, with population growth and greater demand for housing, we’re often asked about trees for smaller gardens. Rarely would you consider Parrotia persica as an option as it is generally wider than it is tall and can grow into a big tree. Yet there are certain varieties of Parrotia, such as ‘Persian Spire’, a narrow columnar tree, ‘Vanessa’, small and upright, or even the small, slow-growing, multi-stem variety ‘Bella’, which all provide viable options.

Step outside of your comfort zone when choosing plants, encourages Richard McKenna

Richard McKenna has more than 20 years of experience in the horticulture industry beginning his career in plant retail working in Ireland, the UK and New Zealand. As managing director of Provender Nurseries since 2013, Richard has established the trade plant and sundries supplier as a leader in the South East. Richard is a dedicated believer in nurturing talent in the industry encouraging working links with colleges in UK and Europe. provendernurseries.co.uk

MCKENNAprolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202250

Plant breeders are continually developing new offerings, whether it is to achieve better disease resistance, more interesting leaf shape, or to ensure plants provide interest all year round through specific characteristics. Take for example, the Rhododendron rootstock INKARO –now Easydendron – which was bred so Rhododendrons could be grown in soil with a higher PH level.

At Provender Nurseries, we invest time and energy into finding new varieties, new shapes and new forms of existing plants for our customers. We want to work with landscapers and designers to show the range within our plant species, available on the beds, in the tree field or among our topiary. Most importantly, we want to share the excitement of new plant choices.

very plant enthusiast and professional knows what they like. Through time and experience we’ve learned about plants – their growing habits, colour palettes and in which soil they grow best. But how often do we try something different? When do we step out of our comfort zone and consider a new perspective on a gardening scheme?

Often landscapers and designers are working to tight deadlines and high expectations set by their clients, so it is not surprising that ‘tried and tested’ routes are a natural option. After all, knowing that specific plants work well in certain areas and conditions is critical to the success of a garden. Yet, without compromising on your preferred plant selection, unique gardens can be created by choosing them in interesting shapes and forms.

SOURCINGmade simple

And lowering its carbon emissions too. Premium Plants has ditched plastic wrap for Danish trolleys, instead opting for reusable trolley jackets, and it also takes back any other packaging – such as trays and pallets –and reuses them. Pots, for instance, are given to the local garden centre.

From saving customers time and money, to offering a greener service, to sourcing a wider range of plants, there are numerous benefits to using plant sourcing companies such as Premium Plants – for you, your client and the environment.

s an industry, we’re always looking for ways to become more efficient, as well as ways to cut costs without cutting quality. Plant buying is arguably an area most in need, with continuing price hikes and ever-changing piles of paperwork. Fortunately, plant sourcing companies such as Premium Plants are able to take on the burden.

PROMOTION

“It’s a huge workload, especially for smaller businesses or self-employed garden designers,” says Andrew Wayre, UK sales manager at Premium Plants. “People nowadays are expecting better, faster and more efficient service and this is where plant sourcing comes in.”

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 51

Before these companies came along, those purchasing the plants would need to check prices and availability from a number of nurseries and collate a list to present to clients. This would also entail multiple delivery charges, plus organising numerous deliveries each with their own paperwork,

DesignGardenDexter©Nicholas DesignGardenDexter©Nicholas

or collecting plants from various locations.

Better yet, because Premium Plants gets its plants direct from growers and grows no plants of its own, it does not have to support a large area of land with large bills to match, meaning it can offer great value to its customers. Its wide network of plant growers also means that, for those looking for a particular plant, Premium Plants can likely either help you find it and find a suitable alternative, and it can offer knowledge of when certain plants will become available too. “We are there to help and advise people on how the market works,” shares Andrew.

Premium Plants acts as one plant supplier for customers, enabling them to take one delivery and pay one bill. “Over the years we’ve improved on the service we provide. We have pushed our growers to submit to us regular price and availability lists which we upload onto our industry leading software, so we now

have a huge database of plants grown all over UK and Europe.”

Andrew Wayre of Premium Plants explains how the plant acompanysourcingoffersleadingservicetocustomers

To learn more about Premium Plants, visit the team on stand G60 at FutureScape from 15-16 November at the ExCeL London.

With additional paperwork introduced and transport costs rising, it’s also important to be efficient. “As we’ve grown it’s become easier to combine multiple deliveries on our vehicles. Through good vehicle maintenance and driver training, our vans and trucks are running more efficiently, meaning we don’t need to pass on the ever-increasing costs. We’re still keeping delivery charges fairly low.”

ended too. Careful, premeditated handling will be required to ensure that it remains in a useable/resalable condition after the show. pracbrown.co.uk

DEEPDALE

When planting large trees in show gardens you have to make arrangements for professional unloading and planting at site. A tree with a stem circumference of 50-60cm and a height of about 8-10m weighs 1500-2000kg. Depending on the weight, you can use a forklift or a crane to unload. Additionally, you will need the right tools such as a sling and strap or chain. Lift the tree by the root ball and use a sling to support the trunk. It is wise to plant the trees first, before laying the pavement and planting the rest. In the period that the trees are standing in the show garden, they need sufficient water, and a drip hose works best to keep the root balls humid. If you want to make sure the trees are in top condition at the time of the show, we recommend lifting the desired trees a year in advance and leave them in an Air-Pot® at the nursery for one growing season. After the show, the trees can be replanted. It is strongly recommended to prune the crowns a little at that time. vdberk.co.uk

the design, such as digging a pit, using underground anchoring and covering the top with suitableConsidermulch.how the tree will be removed after the show has

POLLYANNA WILKINSON’S NATURECRAFT LIFESTYLE GARDEN AT HAMPTON COURT, 2019

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202252 PRODUCTS

the requirement may well be to go larger; however, such trees are expensive and require very carefulVisithandling.thetreenursery in person to select the actual tree and seek advice from experts on how to manage the logistics of handling large trees. Moving them into place at the show ground will require skilled machine operators, whether it's telehandler or crane being used.

Handling large trees takes skill and experience, as they can be damaged or even topple over if not properly secured. Think logistics, budget and handling, rather than just aesthetics.

PIECESSHOW

at the same time as the event so they look their absolute best can be another challenge. Changing weather is having an impact on selection, with trees that come into leaf later now often available at the same time as key events in spring or early summer.

Leading nurseries advise on the aspects to consider, and pitfalls to avoid, when it comes to using mature trees for a show garden

The considerationkey for designers using mature trees at shows is selecting species which fit within the design brief. Factors to consider include size, shape and preferred habitat or soil leafthatChoosingconditions.treescomeintointimeorflower

FLORIADE EXPO 2022

LTD

If possible, we recommend keeping the pot the tree comes in, and incorporating it within BROWN (HORTICULTURE)

PRACTICALITY

VAN DEN NURSERIESBERK

Any sized tree can be used in a show garden, but it is usually restricted by budget and suitability of the location. A smaller garden in a provincial show would call for a smaller tree, for ease of handling and to fit within the inevitably smaller project funds. For larger show gardens at prestigious events,

Rootballed trees experience transplant shock and require time to re-establish their roots in pots; the earlier that these are selected and prepared, the better. Following a successful show, a strategy for the safe removal of trees is important for sustainability. Planning for the breakdown of a garden by leaving straps underneath the rootball makes it easier to lift trees safely. Tying in the crown and loading carefully without pressure on the stems and keeping them well watered will ensure that the trees can be transported and replanted without damage. Logistically, show garden breakdowns can be difficult, so using a reliable and reputable haulier is essential. deepdale-trees.co.uk

www.deepdale-trees.co.uk 01767 26 26 36 mail@deepdale-trees.co.uk The UK’s finest semi-mature trees, shrubs and hedging A wide selection of both Air-Pot® & field grown trees Exceptional quality plants from over 100 acres of UK production

New vibrant landscape by mmcité and ASA Landscape Architects.

“It was an inspiring project,” Jana Tyrer from mmcité comments on the cooperation, “the architects together with the client have decided to use grey HPL and bicolour orange and grey powder coating of steel construction to match the company colours of UKAEA.”

enquiry@mmcite.co.uk 1335637925+44

Playful yet very comfortable and calming environment, Culham’s quadrangle makes a perfect example of the new approach to public space, and its set up.

Featured street furniture by mmcité: Bistrot tables and stools, Radium stool and bespoke bench with backrest in vibrant combination of grey and orange, Rautster picnic table wheelchair accessible version.

ASA Landscape Architects explains: “We wanted to create exciting landscape and have based our concept on the idea of the atom and its energy and motion. By dividing the landscape into smaller areas with the use of paths, avenues of trees, linear planting beds with grasses and Corten steel screens, we wanted to encourage more intimate spaces for smaller group gatherings and meetings. This was further enhanced by including a range of outdoor furniture by mmcité throughout the site to facilitate meeting areas,” she ends.

COLOURS IN PUBLIC SPACE: VITALIZE, ENTERTAIN, AND SERVE

including

ASA Landscape Architects were appointed by the UKAEA to design a new vibrant landscape to replace the tired patch of grass in a quadrangle within the Culham Science Centre. The brief was to design a place that would be used as a meeting area for lunch and other social events, supporting the restaurant situated within the building. The focus is on the tenant’s mental well-being by encouraging rich social Katieexperiences.Dixonfrom

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberPORTFOLIO2022 55

building in Chelsea’s Alexander Square. Stefano Marinaz decided to increase the planting beds, whilst retaining enough space for a small dining table for the clients to enjoy al fresco dining in the summer. Above the circular dining table, pendant lights were hung from simple stainless steel wire whilst also allowing for climbers to be grown on them. Spike lights light the rest of the garden, positioned to highlight pots, trees, paths and other features.

efore Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architecture got its hands on it, this garden in southwest London was mainly paved with Yorkstone and there was very little in the way of planting beds. A large catalpa tree stood tall over the garden, providing a lot of shade. This tree became a standout feature for the finished look of the space.

PROJECTDETAILS Project value £101k Size of project 62m2 Awards Currently shortlisted for SGD Award 2022 CATALPA TREE of theIN THE SHADE STEFANO MARINAZ LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ALEXANDER SQUARE

Split onto two levels, the garden corresponds with the ground floor and the basement of a Grade II listed

For the fence, Stefano Marinaz used iroko, an African wood typically a warm golden colour with an interlocked grain, which can make it difﬁcult to work with at times. It is an extremely durable wood which is rot-resistant.

The paving was partially from the existing site and partially reclaimed.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022

PORTFOLIO

A rotting fence was also swapped out for a new, slatted fence using iroko vertical elements of different width and depth to avoid monotony and add drama to the garden boundary. Decorative bronze details were added which resemble a wooden pattern and appear in the spaces between the large pots aligned against the fence, creating a striking visual axis.

Opposite the fence sits a camellia hedge, with dark green leaves studded with white flowers in spring, to enclose the other side of the garden. Despite the garden being southwest facing, the shade from the large catalpa tree influenced the types of plants chosen. On the left-hand side of the tree, for instance, shadeloving perennial were planted.

In the details

On the lower level, a disused pond was transformed into a water feature, offering sound and visual interest to the client’s basement office, which faced out into the garden.

Shady successes

2 Stairwell and seating area with iroko fencing

Photographs ©Alister Thorpe

3 Water feature as seen from above

in the basement, an existing pool has been transformed and filled with the same shade-loving plants used at streetThelevel.entire planting palette portrays a woodland planting where ferns, helleborus, Viola labradorica, Anemone nemorosa, Gallium odoratum, Epimedium, Rodgersia pinnata, Holboelia latifolia and other shade loving perennials have found home.

The top of the steps to the basement are framed by a multi-stemmed , flowering tree, and

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberPORTFOLIO2022 57

Two pots have been used to create a new water feature with gentle vertical jets that will beatilluminatednight.

1 Gorgeous sights at the central seating area

4 A spot to relax together amongst the greenery

Whilst the finish of the garden is seamless, Stefano Marinaz had to overcome a few obstacles throughout the project, such as the house being under renovation by

Stefano Marinaz Landscape Architecture was set up 10 years ago, inspired by the vision of giving as many people as possible the opportunity to have a beautifully designed garden. Today, it can o er all the design, landscaping and installation services you need to transform your open space into a wonderful garden. It is a chartered member of the British Landscape Institute, members of the SGD and of the Dutch NVTL. With o ces in both London and Utrecht, it manages projects all over Britain, Italy and the Netherlands. And thanks to the recommendations and referrals it receives from clients, its international portfolio is always expanding. stefanomarinaz.com

ABOUTREFERENCES

Tribú Bronzetribu.com/endetails

5 Atelier Vierkant pots provide luxurious colourways across the garden Photographs ©Alister Thorpe

Landscape contractor Bamboo Landscaping Potsbamboolandscaping.co.uk

Hortus Loci hortusloci.co.uk

The plant selection included some special and unusual plants such as: Cardiocrinum giganteum, Arisaema tortuosum, Disporum longistylum ‘Night Heron’, and Beesia calthiflora, as well as the climber Schisandra rubriflora the flower of which resembles the pendant lights over the dining table.

iroko fence, and so there was a bit of concern at the start as to how well it would work and last. But details such as this have given the garden an edge and have enabled the team to create a green, shaded oasis within central London.

O cina Coppola o Plantscinacoppola.com

Paola Lenti Chairspaolalenti.it/en

It was also the first time Stefano Marinaz was testing the bronze inserts as part of the

Smallwood Architects. While the refurbishment work was taking place, the team only had access from the front, and everything –including heavy pots – had to go through a limited route that required going through the house and out the rear via the garden door, which was only around 80cm wide.

Atelier Vierkant andPendantateliervierkant.comlightstable

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 PORTFOLIO 58

PROMOTION

form in the last few years providing structure and interest at eye level with ample space for planting beneath.

THE SECOND BEST TIME IS NOW MULTI-STEM TREES

A multi-stem tree with interesting bark is a huge plus point for planting projects. Some options that may not be obvious choices, but should not be overlooked are Lagerstroemia, Betula nigra and Betula albosinensis Fascination.

turn red-purple extending the season of interest. In the autumn pink-purple fruit further extend the season of interest against the autumn yellow foliage. If you are looking for a tree that adds wildlife value to an area, Heptacodium are valuable food sources for bees and butterflies.

here are aboutinspirationalbountifulquotesplantingtrees,

through the seasons with extra-long brown-yellow catkins produced in the spring and golden yellow autumn foliage.

Betula Fascinationalbosinensisisanother option if interesting bark is what you are after. The peeling white bark is paper thin, peeling off in large sections to reveal the attractive orange, brown and pink bark beneath. Interest is spread

that a visit to the nursery to see the selection of choice, sizes and forms on site is the best course when selecting trees for yourMulti-stemprojects. trees have become the most popular tree

With over 3000 options on site with heights ranging from 175-200cm to 450cm plus, the front tree filed is packed full of superb specimen choices.

As the saying goes – ‘The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.’ But the best time to visit Provender Nurseries for tree choice is right now.

BETULA ‘FASCINATION’ALBOSINENSIS

the most well-known must be ‘The best time to plant is tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.’ This is truer than ever in 2022 as we are all encouraged to plant trees to commemorate the Queen’s jubilee and contribute to a living legacy of The Queen’s Green Canopy.

INDICALAGERSTROEMIA'WHITE'

flowers, papery in appearance appear in the late summer in either pink, red, mauve or white. In the autumn, blazing orange – red. Being of Mediterranean origin, Lagerstroemia are a great choice for an ornamental tree in containers, in sunny positions and well drained soil of any pH.

www.provendernurseries.co.uk

BETULA‘FASCINATION’ALBOSINENSISBARK

At Provender Nurseries, we have over 3000 options on site to select from on our specimen tree field. With such a choice of trees, it can be easy to overwhelming to make decisions. We always advise

Heptacodium miconioides forms a small tree with attractive yellow – brown peeling bark often peeling in long strips. Fragrant creamywhite flowers are freely produced in the summer and once the flowers fall the calyx

Lagerstroemia has many virtues, not least the attractive bark that splits and peels to reveal cinnamon, orange, pale green new bark beneath giving a mottle effect. Clusters of

Lagerstroemia are a reasonably new introduction to the UK market, having really made an impact around 6 years ago. As with all new plants to market, Lagerstroemia has taken a while to become a regular choice for use.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 59

HEPTACODIUM MICONIOIDES

KRISTINA CLODE GARDEN DESIGN ECO HOUSE WILDLIFE GARDEN PROJECTDETAILS Project value £25,800 Build time 6 months Size of project 637m2 Awards Currently shortlisted for an SGD Award 2022

ocated in Winchelsea Beach not far from the sea, in a very rural location adjoining the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, Kristina was tasked with designing a garden for a two-storey eco home on the site of the cottage that was originally there.

Most importantly, the client wanted as low a carbon footprint as possible for both the house build and the garden, using local materials to cut down on transportation. The garden also had to be as low cost as possible as most of the available funds were being spent on the house build. to

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberPORTFOLIO2022 61

The client had planning permission, but it came with the condition of submitting soft landscaping details for the areas of the garden affected by the building work. This was to ensure biodiverse planting and the reinstatement of a habitat for the resident bats which live on the property, following recommendations of an ecological bat survey.

For the rear garden, the design needed to incorporate existing features such as the greenhouse, pond and sculpture. The clients also wanted a seating area near the pond and some raised vegetable beds, and there were several sculptural sea timbers which could be used in

the design. Various inspection covers for the rainwater harvesting, Biocell sewage tank and manholes needed to be disguised, and a naturalistic feel was to be achieved, with lots of umbellifer plants that were good for wildlife.

NATURE Back

For the front garden, the client wanted to be able to see the nature reserve but maintain privacy and have parking for two cars. The planting needed to be drought tolerant, relatively low maintenance and above all wildlife friendly, particularly for the bats which it was hoped would take up residence in the two new bat boxes attached to the eaves of the new house.

PORTFOLIO

Local materials

For the soft landscaping to abide by the ecological bat survey, a lot of the plants needed to be native, attractive to wildlife and increase biodiversity. The garden also had to be in keeping with the natural and coastal feel the area, thanks to its location opposite the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022

Local shingle forms the driveway, and clay pavers were used consistently throughout the project for various elements such as paths, ramps and edge restraints. One of the paths in the rear garden leads into an orchard and wildflower meadow towards a new ‘studio’ shed. The vegetable beds here are made of pressure treated sleepers alongside the moved greenhouse, and tables and chairs create a seating area at the widening of the path.

Kristina incorporated a perennial wildﬂower meadow to hide the various manholes and inspection covers for the Biocell sewage system and rainwater harvesting tank. It improves the garden’s biodiversity and provides a habitat for wildlife, as well as being in keeping with natural feel of the garden. The low maintenance meadow only needs cutting once a year.

It was essential the materials used in the garden looked natural to fit in with the surroundings of the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve that was situated opposite the house. The ethos of ‘Eco’ build needed to be met by the build being sustainable.

Local sea timbers rescued and stored for years by the client were used to create a beautiful vertical sculpture in groups of three in the gravel garden planting both in the front and rear gardens. These appear among grasses and the tall gauzy perennials to make the garden feel natural and coastal.

Naturalistic planting

PORTFOLIO2022

The planting is a mix of Mediterranean shrubs, native and cultivated perennials such as sea kale, thrift, Achillea 'Moonshine', bronze fennel and feverfew, grasses include Stipa gigantea and Briza media, and biennials and annuals such as Verbascum and poppies.It’s a dynamic scheme, changing in height through the year and gives a long season of colour and interest, with perennials and grasses left standing into winter so their seedheads and stems provide habitat for wildlife.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September

The clay paver path continues in 90° herringbone into a gravel garden area, widening to accommodate a table and chairs, and ending at a shed at the bottom of the garden.

The client wanted a loose and natural feel to the garden, so a gravel garden was chosen for the front planted areas, with shrubs and climbers to screen the fence on the north-east boundary and lower growing shrubs and grasses on the boundary by the road.

In the rear garden there is a perennial wildflower meadow under the orchard trees with an area of flowering lawn around it which can be mown or left longer to flower. At the end of the rear garden the ground is heavy clay where Kristina planted moisture loving bog plants around the pond such as Persicaria amplexicaulis 'Alba', Euphorbia palustris 'Walenburg's Glorie', Angelica archangelica and Molinia caerulea Rear garden with mixed border Gravel garden with drought-tolerant, coastal plants Mixed border and perennial wildflower meadow A central perennial native wildflower meadow Autumn flowering plants in the rear garden

Eco house construction and landscaping Mitchells Construction Landscapingmitchellsconstruction.co.uk

A natural dredged shingle mix sourced from a local quarry pit in Lydd was used for the front drive; it is the same shingle that forms the beach not far to the south of the house. An eco-grid beneath keeps it in position and type 3 MOT ensures SuDS compliant drainage.

Brett Aggregates’ Lydd Quarry Wildﬂbrett.co.ukower meadow turf and lawn turf Wild Flower Lawns and Meadows andmeadows.comwildﬂowerlawns

6 Mixed planting and shingle driveway at the front

The rainwater tank was also moved from its intended location under the deck, into the garden due to building regulations, requiring more adjustments. For border preparations and pond work, Kristina brought in landscaper S. R. Avard Ltd. as Mitchells needed to focus on the interior.

The existing pond needed a facelift for the new garden, as the original edging stones were unattractive uneven concrete slabs. Sam Avard had some reclaimed York slabs left over from another job and he cut them down to use as edging for the pond. The liner around the edge was then hidden by using rockery stones inside the pond among the existing pond plants.

Bricksravard.compavers

REFERENCESABOUT

Brick pavers – clay Ibstock Ashdown Quarry Metalibstockbrick.co.ukedging Kinley Shinglekinley.co.uk

A local quarried shingle forms the front driveway, and a 10mm pea gravel also from the Lydd quarry was used to mulch all the planting beds in the front and rear garden. Not only does the gravel help to discourage weeds in the early years, but it also helps to keep moisture in the soil and acts as a soil conditioner to aid drainage for the Mediterranean plants selected for the gravel garden which hate winter wet.

Kristina originally trained at Capel Manor College in 2001/2 and completed an MA in Garden History at Birkbeck University in 2007. After moving to East Sussex, she set up Kristina Clode Garden Design in 2010, with a particular emphasis on wildlife friendly, biodiverse gardens, which are in tune with their surroundings. In 2021 she won the Judges' and Design for the Environment SGD Awards for Sedlescombe School Sensory Garden. gardendesign.co.ukwww.kristinaclode

S. R. Avard

As a nectar source and general habitat for all sorts of insects, reptiles and small mammals the wildflower meadow is invaluable and is constantly changing. Around the edge of the meadow is a flowering lawn as the client wanted some shorter grass that could be mown a little more regularly.

Deep excavations had already been made for the tank and the heavy clay ground compacted by the diggers before the decision to move them was made, leaving behind cleggy, made-up ground for the garden construction.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 PORTFOLIO 64

At the heart of the project was the aim to provide habitat for the resident bats and hope they would return to the bat box on the eco house; which did happen. The garden is now an attractive, naturalistic space, with a low carbon footprint and perfectly in keeping with its surroundings.

Bexhill Brickworks

Sustainability was a crucial consideration for the garden. Various path materials were considered during the development of the design and at one stage Indian sandstone paving was a possibility as the client did not want a loose path material and due to the quantity of paving required it was the most cost-effective option. However, the local and sustainable ethos won out in the end as Mitchell's managed to source locally an attractive mixed blend of clay stock pavers using clay from Ibstock Ashdown Quarry with the pavers made at a brickworks in Bexhill, for an acceptable price.

Low carbon footprint

Flexible design

One of the main challenges was that it wasn’t just a new garden but a new eco-house was being installed at the same time, with associated groundworks including a Biocell sewage treatment tank, and rainwater harvesting tank and an air-source heat pump. The location of the Biocell tank was altered when it was discovered that the water table was too high at the bottom of the garden, which required a re-design of the garden as a result.

01428 741655 Pleaching - Topiary - Hedging - Specimen Trees & Shrubs www.griffinnurseries.co.uk enquiries@griffinnurseries.co.uk

www.strulch.co.uk01943 863610info@strulch.co.uk

Strulch stops weeds germinating by blocking light, retains moisture in the soil and the added minerals and texture deters slugs and snails.

13.5kg bags of Strulch are available on pallets of 12, 25 or 48 bags. Delivered within 4 working days.

Trade discounts available

University by Dr Geo Whiteley. It is made from wheat straw, is an earthy brown colour has a neutral pH and lasts on the surface for up to two years.

The clients, both of whom worked from home either full or part-time, wanted different zones to be created for them and their two children. They wanted areas to dine, to relax and socialise, each featuring different textures of green. The existing Acer palmatum needed to be kept, but the trampoline was to be removed and play integrated instead into the new design. reenwich’s Rudbeckia adding

mongst a row of houses on a south east London street, a small two-tiered garden needed a revamp to match the renovation of the 1970s property to which it belonged. Before Greencube Design was brought on board, it was a scruffy space with a retaining wall and a small path, from which steps led down to a lawn and a trampoline.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberPORTFOLIO2022 67

1 Ofyr ﬁre pit and BBQ 2

GREENCUBE DESIGN TRIPLE TEXTURE COURTYARD PROJECTDETAILS Build time 6 weeks Size of project 78m2 Awards Shortlisted for SGD Awards 2022 GREEN OASIS G

a pop of seasonal colour

Standout features such as large, junglelike plants were added rather than small plants, to make the best use of the small city garden and to fit Greencube’s approach of using planting to soften and surround hard landscaped areas.

Another repeated material is charred black timber, used for the decking. Blonde wood was considered, but as this had been used for the house cladding, Greencube Design wanted to use a different coloured wood but one that would still fit in with the contemporary architecture. Seasoned oak was selected for the bridges between the levels and the bespoke benches at the edge of the garden.

At an angle

Quirky angles had been added to the house by the architects, and Greencube Design was keen for this to continue into the garden, with three decked terraces at unusual angles and adjoined by a wooden bridge. Rather than digging out the garden and sending a large amount of soil to landfill, Greencube worked with the different levels, using them to benefit the overall finish.

Three materials were also repeated and interweaved into the design to create a rhythm throughout the garden. One of these is Corten steel, after the clients took a liking to it. It has been used for the steps, chimney flues, oversized pots and a gate which includes a hole for the clients’ cat to venture in and out at its own leisure.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 PORTFOLIO 68

By working with the existing site, and with the architects renovating the house, Greencube has created a modern, stylish, green oasis, with something for all the family.

Green foliage surrounds each of the terraces. As it is notably shady towards the bottom of the garden, Fatsia and Dicksonia were used, proving to be a natural fit and visually pleasing inclusion for the space. Seasonal surprises were mixed in amongst the sculptural clipped balls of Pittosporum, bay and Teucrium fruticans.

4 Dicksonia antartica

5 Textural layers of green planting surround the lower terrace

7 Planters, seating and a sculpture

3 Relaxed dining terrace framed by Osmanthus and Myrtus

The timber has been charred using an ancient Japanese technique called shou sugi ban. Despite being put under a hot ﬂame, the process enhances the durability of the wood and helps to preserve it.

The maintenance of the garden is now carried out six times a year by a professional maintenance service which carries out the basics such as pruning, feeding, mulching, trimming and tidying the garden, checking the irrigation and adding more bark beneath the swings.

6 Corten steps lead to lower area with Hunza step lights and framed with clipped balls of Laurus nobilus (Bay)

8 Charred timber provides unique comfort

Planting

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberPORTFOLIO2022 69

For integrated play, Greencube added two wooden swings, painting the frames black to match the decking and treated softwood timber for the seats.

REFERENCES

Ofyr

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202270 PORTFOLIO

Greencube Design is an award-winning garden and landscape design practice designing gardens across the south of the UK since 2007. Led by founder and designer Mandy Buckland, it is now based in North Norfolk but continues to work across the UK. greencubedesign.co.uk

Fabricatedofyr.com

Adezz

Burner/BBQadezz.com/en

Provender provendernurseries.co.uk Palmstead palmstead.co.uk

Fabricatedhowgreennursery.co.ukstepsandpots

DESIGN VISUALISATION

Plantsquestlandscapeskent.co.uk

ABOUT

Corten gate Stark & Greensmith starkandgreensmith.com

Construction Built solely by Clayton of Quest Landscape

How Green

View our full collection: ctdtiles.co.uk/porcelainpaving For enquiries please contact: porcelainpaving@ctdtiles.co.uk or call us on 0800 014 2994 Range: Inwood (wall cladding) & Oaktime (porcelain paving) Paving the way for outdoor living StandL70Seeusat The beneﬁts of using recycled plastic path and lawn edging • Long lasting – 100% recycled plastic cannot rot • Attractive - looks like natural materials but needs no maintenance. • Flexible/bendable - follow any shape lawn or path. • Recycled materials - helping the environment. • Easy to use – no special skill or tools required. Available in a wide range of sizes and colours 01269 sales@slpw.co.uk826740www.slpw.co.uk Second life.indd 1 18/08/2022 16:02

Anji Connell explores how clients have their own staycation destination in their back gardens with the right pergolas

Smart technology

freestanding. You can easily section off areas of your outside space for entertaining. A pergola lets you easily create an extra living space outdoors. Whether you are looking for a comfy lounging chill pad to relax in with friends and family, or a sheltered play space for the kids, they are very adaptable.

pergola's primary purpose is shade rather than complete protection from the sun's harsh rays and inclement weather, with some designs using aluminium or vinyl in place of wood. The most significant benefit of pergolas is their ease of installation, as their simple four-post design means they are easily customisable and more versatile material-wise. They are elegant, modern, and chic compared to the more traditional look of gazebos. They are excellent for connecting buildings and covering pathways and can be attached to the building's facade or

Thanks to smart technology shade beams and retractable shades, we have a more extensive choice and much more protection. Rain and wind sensors think for you, and you no longer need to worry about wet cushions. Sensors automatically close the pergola upon detection of rain. The same for wind; when wind speeds

A pergola lets you easily create an extra livingoutdoorsspace

FAIRLEIGH BY RENSON

Cover up

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 TRENDS 72

KÉRE SERPENTINEARCHITECTURE,PAVILION 2017

3 of the best... PERGOLAS

CaribbeanRensonBlindsModernPergola

reach 60mph, the wind sensor will automatically open the louvres to allow the current to move freely throughout the system minimising uplift during high windBuilt-inconditions.LEDlighting, audio and heating elements create more atmosphere and prolong use. A damp-rated hand-held remote offers a traditional means of controlling your system. Set your favourite position for quick and easy means of enjoying your outdoor space. They are controllable manually or wirelessly with no additional electrician required. Via voice command, you operate your system through simple voice commands by integrating leading technology, including Amazon's Alexa, Google Assistant and more, or via an app.

Privacy

The Renson Camargue is an electric bladed roof for all seasons. Minimalistic design with seamless integrations including glass, sunscreens, louvred panels, heat, light and sound.

THE CAMARGUE, RENSON

A trellis roof allows you to hang vines, creepers and climbing plants for extra shade and privacy. String lighting and portable hanging lights look pretty and again prolong the usage.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September

THE WEDGWOOD GARDEN

WOODEN HOUSE: ANDRÁS VARSÁNYI, PÉTER POZSÁR & NORBERT VAS

TRENDS2022

The Modern Pergola is a new modular system to accommodate any size pergola. The premium quality materials provide a minimum of a 30-years life span. From £2400 modernpergola.co.uk

The Classic Outdoor Living Pod™ is a louvered pergola for the terrace/garden providing year round enjoyment and protection from the elements. From £11,990 (including installation and five-year guarantee) cbsolarshading.co.uk

Ultimately, the choice between pergola and gazebo depends on personal preferences. However, before deciding, you should consider your budget, design preferences, climate, and how you plan to use the space.

*all prices inclusive of VAT

From £24,000 renson-outdoor.com/en-gb

You can go the whole hog with an entertainment dream by adding a full kitchen, pizza oven, a fire, and a waterproof TV, projector and screen, as well as a mini cinema to sit back and watch a movie or a sports game with some friends. You can cover a hot tub or have a poolside entertaining area, outdoor dining, or simply a spot to get away from it all for a while, for a bit of peace.

Nic Howard's design for the David Harber & Savills Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show provides

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022

Depending on the scope of the project, you may need to get your plans approved. Other things to consider are the location. If you require a hard surface to walk on, you will need to lay a foundation. Do you need water drainage, plumbing, and electricity?

If the client has the space, you can commission a statement pergola. Options include metals, stone, laser-cut panels, fibreglass, and 3D options, as well as bamboo and bent wood.

Pergolas have multiple purposes, from creating a relaxing spot to sit in the shade to creating different zones and an extension of theYouhouse.canplay up the look and feel of your pergola by adding plants or vines from the overhead beams or hanging curtains along the sides for an outdoor ‘glamping’ vibe. How you dress your pergola will determine the style. However, where pergolas are adjacent to the main building, it will be more aesthetically pleasing if they are in keeping with the existing building's style.

The

Aesthetics

is your imagination. The countless options mean that you can fully tailor the pergola to your clients’ specific needs. youoptionscountlessmeancanfullytailorthepergolatoyourclients’speciﬁcneeds GARDEN

PALMIYE PERGOLA

Considerations

Away from the house, maybe the client wants a ‘home away from home’ holiday vibe, such as a Cabana style, or Boho with lots of fabrics and curtaining, swing seating, rustic with vines and creepers, or a simple minimal frame, a bar, a yoga or meditation station.

THE AUSTRALIAN

JOHN PAWSON VILLA, IBIZA

TRENDS

Yourflowing.onlyobstacle

much inspiration for creating a unique sculptural pergola. The 'VTB Capital Garden –Spirit of Cornwall' is designed by Stuart Charles Towner with Studio Evans Lane for Chelsea in 2018. The Wooden House by András Varsányi, Péter Pozsár, and Norbert Vas is incredibly inspiring and sure to get your creative juices

VTB CAPITAL GARDEN, SPIRIT OF CORNWALL

Internationally recognised interior architect and landscape designer, Anji Connell, is a detail-obsessed Inchbald graduate, and has been collaborating with artisans and craftsmen to create bespoke and unique interiors for a discerning clientele since 1986. Anji is a stylist, feature writer and lover of all things art and design. anjiconnellinteriordesign.com

ANJI CONNELL

Make a statement

ETANCO - Powder coated 50 μm xings provide additional protection against corrosion and changing conditions.conditions.weatherRubber grommet screws for extra weather resistance and sophisticated look. Perfect match to the colour of metal workUV-stabilizers guarantee consistent colour. Fixings High quality – CNC laser cut16 gauge steel components. Innovative E-coated (KTLelectrophoretic dip coating) ensures a perfect coating quality, also provides ultimate protectioncorrosion-weather and rustprotection - weather and resistant. The lacquer is shockproof, therefore stays unchanged for a long period of Bracketrytime. Metal Work UV+ factory treated Siberian Larch Timber pro les. The high resin content found in Siberian Larch makes it one of the most durable softwoodssoftwoods in the world, and also provides outstanding protection against blue stain fungi and biological attack. With a durability class 3, it has an anticipated service life of 30 years (untreated). Siberian Larch Wood Work • Garden designs & planting plans • All designs created with your company name and logo • Lead time of 4 weeks • Sign up for free • Book a demo • Free documents for business • View our business tips on YouTube • Instant online quotes • All information can be uploaded to our website 24/7 • Complete on your normal initial site visit • Mobile friendly www.mygardendesign.co.uk Tel: 0333 577 9886 THE ONLY SPECIALISTONLINEGARDEN DESIGN SERVICE WORKING DIRECTLY WITH LANDSCAPERS

Whether you’re replacing a tired old lawn at home, creating a fun, safe play area at school or giving a sports ground a much-needed makeover, we have the right artiﬁcial lawn for you. our 10-year product warranty gives your customers that extra peace of mind.

A Gronograss artiﬁcial lawn gives you year-round lush green grass with none of the hassle of mowing, watering or weeding. Our wide range of realistic thatch and blade lengths, and UV-resistant, natural tones makes Gronograss the ﬁrst choice for your outdoor space design.

And

0161 877 0929 Request a sample or ﬁnd your nearest stockist: Transformgrono.co.uk/landscape your garden with gronograss... of mowing, watering or weeding. Our wide range UV-resistant, natural tones makes Gronograss Whether you’re replacing a tired old lawn at home, or giving a sports ground a much-needed makeover, And our 10-year product warranty gives your customers 0161 877 0929 Request a sample or ﬁnd your nearest stockist: grono.co.uk/landscape

Gronograss comes in a wide range of realistic thatch and blade lengths, along with UV-resistant, natural tones, making it the first choice for your landscaping project. Whether you’re replacing a tired old lawn at a domestic property, creating a fun, safe play area at a school or giving a sports ground a makeover,much-neededGronohasthe right artificial lawn for the job.

With expert support from Grono’s dedicated customer service team, the easy-to-install products are available through a vast network of UK distributors, so your customer’s garden transformation is never far away.

Life has returned to the fast lane, so it’s no surprise that 70% of adults polled said they use their garden as a place to relax, with 42% using theirs to entertain family and friends (HTA 2021). But mowing the lawn regularly and cleaning up old slippery decking are just two of the jobs homeowners struggle to find time for when maintaining an attractive garden. So how do you give them the pleasure of a year-round, low maintenance, beautiful space on their own doorstep? Give them a Grono garden.

No more painting, treating or staining to avoid rotting and warping. The fencing and non-slip decking products are strong and hard-wearing, with UV stabilisers to reduce colour fade over time, allowing your customer to enjoy their Grono garden all year round, come rain or Gronoshine.iscommitted to supplying sustainable solutions without compromising on quality. The composite products are made of 90% recycled plastics and hardwood fibre

and the eco range of artificial grass is recyclable at end of life.

home, creating a fun, safe play area at school makeover, we have the right artiﬁcial lawn for you. customers that extra peace of mind.

GET MORE FROM A MAKEOVERGARDEN effortle ly

all seasons, and super straightforward to lay.

Ready to start creating your client’s dream garden?

View the full Grono range, find your nearest stockist or order some samples at grono.co.uk/landscape

With no staining or mud patches, no chemical weedkiller or pollen, Gronograss creates a clean play space for pets and children alike. The lawns are hardwearing and durable in

hile hasseasonholidaythisyearseentheworld

reopen for trips abroad and time away from home, Brits will always value their own private outdoor space too. Somewhere safe for the kids to play. Somewhere to entertain the neighbours for a BBQ. Somewhere to stargaze on a peaceful moonlit night.

that will wow your clients while being simple for you to install.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 77 PROMOTION

Summertime. And, yes, the living was easy. Especially for those embracing this year’s trend for a multipurpose garden with somewhere to eat, play and entertain. And a Grono garden is just that. An effortlessly stylish, multifunctional outdoor living solution that’s simple to install and leaves the homeowner time to relax and enjoy.

The composite decking and fencing products have all the aesthetic appeal of natural timber with none of the high maintenance of real wood.

Or if you have any questions about Grono products, you can call 0161 877 0929 or email sales@grono.co.uk.

For busy, style- and ecoconscious homeowners, Grono offers easy solutions that bring indoor comfort, style and colour coordination outside. With the extensive range of premium quality decking, fencing, artificial lawns and garden accessories, Grono has all you need to create the modern, practical, eye-catching garden

Grono’s durable, weatherresistant and rot-proof composite makes for a practical and appealing decking and fencing solution that adds a touch of class to any size and style of garden. You can fit and forget.

range of realistic thatch and blade lengths, and the ﬁrst choice for your outdoor space design.

Designed for versatility and maximum strength, FERN freestanding planters are fully welded for superior watertight performance. FERN’s 3mm thick steel construction provides a guaranteed 10-year lifespan; capable of withstanding heavy use in public spaces, with no chance of leaking, rotting, or bowing. Unmatched.Strong.Versatile. Get a quote 020 8378 furnitubes.com3200 FERN Made in the UK with recycled steel Quick lead timesChoose your shape: circular, rectangular or square 3 finishes: corten, mild steel or powder coated @FurnitubesUKFurnitubes Socialise with us Furnitubes International UK Scan me to standardIndustryenquire!gold specify@furnitubes.com

Landscape designer and TV presenter Mark Lane is offering a different perspective, and a necessary one

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberFEATURE2022 79

Nearly 20 years ago, though, Mark was involved in a car accident which led him in a different direction. “Whilst I was at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, I had the great pleasure of having a horticultural therapist. She was an incredible woman, who saw me sitting and staring out the window and said, ‘Come on, let’s get you

ark Lane had never envisaged becoming a TV presenter. But when a BBC researcher came across an article he’d written in Gardeners’ World magazine and asked him to audition, Mark had promised himself he would always say ‘yes’ to opportunities – so he did.

“ THERE NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSIONCROSS-DISCIPLINARYMORE ABOUT IT –THAT’S THE ONLY WAY WE’RE EVER GOING TO REALLY MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE”

Two days after the BBC had visited him, he was asked to help present the BBC’s coverage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and it spiralled from there. He went on to present at Hampton Court before joining the team on Gardeners’ World and has since been a regular presenter for gardening segments on BBC Morning Live. This summer, he was awarded for his efforts with an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent, which cited his ‘inspirational career in garden design and media’.

Despite never “in my wildest dreams” considering being a TV presenter, it perhaps wouldn’t come as a surprise to those who know Mark. Before retraining as a garden designer, he had built a successful career in publishing after graduating with a BA (Hons) in Art History, joining the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) where he worked his way up to publishing director. He then became the managing editor of Thames & Hudson, known for its illustrative books in areas such as architecture, fashion and film.

outside’. I wasn’t really that keen to go, but gradually she got me there and eventually I was out there every single day. I suppose she relit the flame of gardening for me and showed me that, even with my disability, I can still get out there and enjoy gardening and reap the benefits of being surrounded by nature.”

After a bit of consideration, having been less than convinced by the idea at first, Mark undertook a garden design course, but found many of the colleges “weren’t actually fit for anyone in a wheelchair.” This is potentially one of the barriers preventing horticulture from attracting a more diverse and inclusive pool of talent, says Mark. “It has changed over the last 20 odd years; I think people have become more aware of the fact that more and more people want to get into the horticultural business.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 FEATURE 80

Mark also had experience of publishing gardening books whilst at Thames & Hudson, so had already gained some horticultural knowledge and a passion, but the real push to embrace a new career came from his husband, Jasen. “He said to me, ‘You love plants, you’ve got an encyclopaedic brain for plants, you’ve also got an arts background, you helped with the design of many books that have gone on and sold tens of thousands through your publishers – why don’t you put it all together and become a garden designer?’”

"But I think lack of knowledge is the biggest barrier. By that, I mean – and Brits are terrible for this – people don’t like asking questions, so assume rather than ask. They will automatically assume that if someone’s in a wheelchair, for example, you always talk to the person standing by the side of them, or that they can’t do something because they’re in a wheelchair. It’s down to knowledge, and the more we can show people that we’re just like anybody else, whether on the TV or writing articles and raising that awareness, the more people will understand it.”

As the first Gardeners’ World presenter in a wheelchair, Mark is certainly showing how horticulture can be more

inclusive, and Mark praises the BBC for bringing him on board and giving him the opportunity to show that it doesn’t matter what level of ability you have, everybody can embrace gardening. It also gave him the chance to show his unique perspective on gardening.

“I’m always having to think outside the box because I’m always having to adjust my lifestyle. When I go to the shops, for instance, I’m always having to work out which is the best route for me to go, which way I’m not going to trip over a paving slab, which way has a drop kerb. So, I’m always looking out for different things. And because I’m at a lower height as well, I’m always looking through a garden, whereas people standing are looking down on plants and borders. So, I get this different perspective.”

“It doesn’t matter whatbackgroundtheir or ability is; it’s about Thereapproach,peopleoutcanreallyit,passionatethey’rewhetheraboutthat’swhatcounts.Ifwegetthatmessagethereandgetinterestedinthatthenallthebetter.havebeenchanges,

“We said, ‘Let’s ask the audience who here is in the horticultural industry and is from a different society, organisation or discipline.’ We had contractors there, people from the Landscape Institute, people from BALI –people from all different walks of life, and

design practice, Mark Lane Designs Ltd, he tries to put in small plants where possible with the “odd larger plant here and there for instant wow-factor” to emphasise how gardens need to be maintained, even if they’re low maintenance gardens – “there is no such thing as a no maintenance garden, you’re always going to have to do something.”

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberFEATURE2022 81

A boardingmattingthebutaterrainnotinstance,garden,muddyforisidealforwheelchair,findingrightorcan help and it also makes it safer for others on site too, says Mark, who recently became an equity ambassador for BALI, aiming to improve the diversity within the horticultural and landscaping industries. When on a recent panel in this role, one audience member questioned how the industry continues to talk about becoming more diverse and inclusive, but nothing seems to be happening.

1 Shadow line steps in sloped garden, Surrey

So, after the talk, I asked him why, and he said it’s because there was a dead flower. I asked him if he wanted to dead head it. He said, ‘No, I can’t do that.’ His hands were held tightly into his chest, and he had limited mobility, but I asked him, ‘Can you flick your thumb and your first finger?’ He could, so I said, ‘That means you can dead head a flower.’ I lifted up the plant to his fingers and positioned them around the flower then asked him to flick. He did, and the dead flower came off – the smile across his face said everything. So, I’m showing something that’s slightly different, and enabling people no matter what age they are, what level of ability, or physicality they have, that they can all get out there and have some fun and enjoy gardening.”

though; it is gradually happening.”

Working with the same contractors consistently has helped Mark, and them, to find solutions too.

4 Work for the BBC at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

that was the first thing we said that was different, bringing people together in one place and talking about it. That’s what needs to be done; there needs to be more crossdisciplinary discussion about it – that’s the only way we’re ever going to really make positive change.”Thebiggest problem to address, though, is getting young people into the industry, says Mark.

Part of Mark’s design approach is also paying attention to the smaller details which could be built into a garden. “It might be something the client says, like how they love the way that a particular handle has been crafted; that can start firing the neurons into thinking more about creating a garden that reflects that.

TV gardening could help persuade and entice young people through to the older generations to get into gardening, says Mark. Programmes such as Gardeners’ World continue to be hands-on, practical shows, but although Mark says he enjoys the more inspiration-focused programmes, he says they can be detrimental. “A lot of people assume that a garden happens just like that, and it suddenly has large plants in it. It’s again aboutWhenknowledge.”Markisdesigning gardens for clients of his award-winning landscape

2 Courtyard garden with year-round interest

3 Filming in his old garden for Leonard Cheshire

It's a perspective the Hertfordshire-born designer shares in his role as ambassador for numerous charities including Greenfingers, Groundwork and Thrive. “I was giving a talk for a charity to people with severe physical disabilities, and I kept seeing this man looking over at a plant I'd brought, a begonia.

“But more importantly, our approach is that we want our gardens to be sustainable and biodiverse. We also focus very much on the environment of the garden itself, but also the larger environment around it. We try, wherever possible, to make gardens sit within the landscape. Obviously, you’ll get some

I’m theypeoplesomethingshowingthat’sslightlydierent,andenablingnomatterwhatageare,whatlevelofability,orphysicalitytheyhave,thattheycanallgetoutthereandhavesomefunandenjoygardening

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 FEATURE 82

That passion comes across on screen, and it’s easy to see how such enthusiasm could entice more people to enter horticulture, whether school leavers or those looking for a change in career such as Mark himself. An honorary doctorate is surely just the start of recognising how Mark Lane is impacting the industry.

Balancing a wealth of clients, TV appearances and writing is not easy, and it has meant that Mark has had to become slightly pickier with the work the practice takes on. “As much as I would love to do some very small gardens and low budgets, unfortunately that’s not going to pay the bills for me; and at the end of the day, everyone’s in the business to make money in order for us to live. And I love that the TV stuff and other work gets me out and about. It means I’m not always focusing on design matters and that every single day is varied and different.”

“Interestingly, even now, I would say 90% of enquiries have no idea who I am, so they

clients who want a tropical garden in the middle of Lincolnshire, but ideally our approach will always look at the flora around and try to replicate that within the garden environment. We also then like to source locally, wherever we possibly can, which again gives that garden a real presence and a real sense of place.”

Around 70% of his practice’s work is domestic, with the remainder being hospitals, hospices and rehabilitation centres, creating green spaces for staff, patients and visitors to enjoy. He admittedly took a gamble when he left publishing and set up his own practice. “When I first started, I was twisting the arms of friends and family to let me do their outside space and not getting paid for it, just to build up a portfolio of work. And then it built up through word of mouth, and then a lot through our website.

What’s perhaps most interesting about Mark’s design approach is how long-sighted it is. He asks his clients how long they intend to be in that outdoor space, whether it’s five or 30 years or the rest of their lives. “I always try to design the gardens so that they’re going to be accessible and inclusive for that many years to come, which is quite tricky. If they want a sunken area, for instance, how will they get into that sunken area if they are unable to move around as easily in 30 years’ time? So, it’s thinking about the future and planning ahead. Can we adapt that sunken area in a few years to become a pool or something else?”

don’t know I’m on TV, which is lovely because they are basing my work on what I have done in the past rather than who I am. Don’t get me wrong, there are some who definitely want a Mark Lane garden, or who want their hospital to be associated with Mark Lane, but it’s mostly that they don’t know who I am and I really like that.”

alwaysBut related to gardening, of course. Even outside of work, Mark is an avid gardener and now has a blank canvas to work with having just moved into a new home. His husband recently joined the practice too, so Mark is now “dragging him along” to gardens and nurseries. “He’s loving it as well, which is good. For me, working isn’t working. I enjoy it so much. When I can experience something new when travelling, like a plant I’ve never come across before, I’m like a kid in a sweet shop. If you can find a career where you’re really passionate about it, then the work is never a chore.”

5 Recycled materials create elegant seating area 6 Malaysian-inspired garden and materials

If you can ﬁnd a career where you’re it,passionatereallyaboutthentheworkisneverachore

2022

Whatever you can imagine, we can make it a reality in metal To discuss your ideas, email outdoordesignmail@gmail.com or call James Booth on 07860 456159

Stand F82 See us at

to life

Morris & Co by Ruth Willmott Gold Medal Winner - RHS Chelsea Flower Show

vincentdesign.co.ukbyDesignunsplashonMcleanErikbyPhotoCollaborating closely for over 50 years with garden designers, landscape architects and commercial developers to create award-winning planting schemes. Palmstead offers real-time stock availability and a 10% discount for online orders. palmstead.co.uk @palmstead #PalmsteadLife

The 3 water rill sections fabricated from stainless steel featured concealed inlet blades and vertical outlet panels. The repeated laser cut pattern providing texture to the rills adding movement to the water flow.

This stunning show garden involved highly detailed and complex metalworking elements. The main pavilion had decorative laser cut panels each formed in a laminate of 3 aluminium panels, bonded together in contrasting Metallic Red and Metallic Gold powder coated finishes. The pattern was repeated in a reduced scale for the cladding of the pavilion frame again in contrasting powder coated finishes.

Bringingdesignyour ideasdesign

HUMAN NATURE: AT ITS BEST CREATE, MAINTAIN, SUSTAIN BETTER LANDSCAPES AND ENVIRONMENTSNATURAL Visit: www.ground-control.co.uk Call: +44 (0) 1277 650697 Email: info@ground-control.co.uk Scan code to BOOK YOUR PLACE or visit: www.europlants.net Alternatively book by telephone: 01707 649996 or by email: enquiries@europlants.net Europlants UK Ltd, Great North Road, Bell Bar, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 6DA 2022 AUTUMN SHOW 21st - 22nd September • Browse our 12 acre site bursting with choice • Enjoy our exciting promotions and offers • Network with like-minded professionals • Discuss a buying trip to Vannucci Piante Join us for a light lunch, refreshments and the perfect opportunity to… Pro-Landscape-2022_Autumn_Show.indd 1 16/08/2022 12:21:57

Difficult.Problematic.ncertain.These are

last two months; as the significant price increases hit, profits were worse than expected. With some working rates that were tendered two years ago Land Technology had “no option but to write to clients and request an increase.”Thecost-of-living crisis is seemingly making things tougher for businesses but how does this impact the landscaping boom seen after the pandemic? After the initial closure of work sites during lockdown, which was described by Oliver Hemson, general manager of Tony Benger Landscaping, as a “nightmare” as they tried to “keep ahead of

landscaping sector where companies heavily rely on fuel for not just travel but to power machinery too.

We explore the impact of sudden price increases on the industry now the pandemic's back log of work is coming to an end, and what businesses can do to prevent drowning in a sea of inflation...

CRISISCOST-OF-LIVING Could the burst the post-COVID bubble?

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 85

just a few words that could be used to describe the current state of the economy. The cost-of-living crisis has already marked itself as a key topic of conversation across the country as energy prices skyrocket and the UK announces plans to phase out Russian oil use by the end of 2022, due to the war in Ukraine. Businesses and employees alike are feeling the immense pressure. This is especially true within the

FEATURE

“Our main materials have increased by approximately 20% and labour and overheads have increased by approximately 10%,” advises Colin Smith, managing director of Land Technology. Colin tells us of how his company experienced a “steep decline” in the company’s margin over the

“We’re having to re-negotiate contracts […] We can’t fund inflation!”

Further increasing work in the landscaping sector; moves to rural areas and bigger houses to accommodate working and schooling from home were becoming popular. Property managers needed to upkeep gardens to attract buyers and new buyers wanted to personalise their homes. Landscaping demand was at a high. “It seems wrong to say COVID was positive,” comments Oliver; however, he becausepositiveexperiencedindustrylandscapingthatagreestheaimpactofCOVID-19.

Oliver also notes that the company had issued cost-of-livingcommuting.membershad“aboveaninflationpayriseearlyon,”butaddsthathefeelsitwasenoughconsideringtheimpactsfuelcostshaveonhisteamwhoareThecrisisisalso

Last year was the ﬁrst time in 27 years we didn’t print a brochure because we couldn’t commit to the pricing

that had once been unmaintained due to the busyness of general life were becoming of interest to homeowners again. “We found we could operate safely by limiting each vehicle to just a driver,” explains Oliver. “We also organised our own rapid response system so we could isolate any cases as quickly as andsociallyoutside,majorityandablebusinessesLandscapingpossible.”weretostayopencompletetheofworkeasilydistancing,withmoneysatinpeople’spocketsasmanyday-to-daybusinessesremainedclosed,it

the curve […] moving people around into other roles to avoid losing people.” The pandemic was surprisingly attracting customers to the industry. Landscaping businesses experienced a growing rough rate of 10% year on year with a peak of 12% in March of this year. Jobs that had been previously put on hold were able to be completed as restrictions lifted and the backlog of jobs contributed to services being monthsbooked theremarksOliveradvance.inongrowth the experienced:company “to date growth hasn’t slowed – we’re busier thanForever!”many, the garden would become primary greenspace and a therapeutic refuge from a strict masked society. Gardens

Richard Green-techGill,

became the perfect time to revampPropertygarden.the salesincreasedalso detachedCOVID-19,duringwitha58%increaseinthesaleofhouses.

“I think the landscaping sector weathered the storm very well.”

having an impact on the landscape industry’s ability to reach new potential employees. “New applicants and apprentices are very hard to find,” Oliver recalls, before hammering the point home. “Staff can earn more per hour selling ice cream than they can beginning a career in landscaping.”Aftermoving into external premises and increasing office staff due to business growth during the pandemic, it seems price rises will be affecting the Guildfordbased company The Landscaping Consultants too. “Long-term growth is going to be affected by the price rises. Lots of projects are more phased than they used to be due to rising costs. To keep costs down, so you can continue to attract customers, potentially the company might be

What is the COST-OF-LIVINGCRISIS?

FEATURE

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202286

a shadow over the industry with Oliver expressing a similar issue to Colin.

Despite this boom in business after the pandemic the cost-of-living crisis has cast

New applicants and apprentices are very hard to ﬁnd. Sta can earn more per hour selling ice cream than they can beginning a career in landscaping

Oliver Hemson, Tony Benger Landscaping

The phrase ‘cost of living’ refers to the money needed to cover housing, food, taxes, and healthcare. Currently the cost of living has risen dramatically caused by a fall in disposable income due to high inflation. This is then worsened by tax increases. The country has been hit by the highest energy rates in 40 years which is particularly affecting wholesale gas with petrol jumping to an average price of 161.8p per litre in April compared to just 125.5p per litre last year. Alongside the concern regarding wage growth not increasing, to accommodate inflation pace the UK enters a cost-of-living crisis.

Regarding TechnologiesLandefforts to sharing the information with people that work in the business

The cost-of-living crisis is also taking its toll on suppliers. Richard Gill, sales director of Green-tech, says: “It’s been a nightmare, because it's not just one of our suppliers but 100% of our supply chain. It’s been tough

Jake also advises that the company has experienced the need to alter prices because of the cost-of-living crisis. “For material prices, we’ve had to make changes too, so we’re just explaining that to our clients. They know things get revaluated prior to starting in terms of material costs and if there is a big increase we would obviously speak to the clients and explain the situation; they all seem to be fairly aware of what's happening globally, so it seems to beJakeaccepted.”adds:“It’s very difficult at the moment and the biggest thing people aren't paying attention to, or certain people aren't, is peopleopenstaffforlivingeverydayclients,talkingratherareandtheindividualstheinbusinesshowtheyaffectedthanjusttothecostofhasgoneupemployeesandmembers.Havingconversationswithabouttheirsituations

“We’ve been trying to prewarn customers of what the supply chain is saying. Our products are mainly UK based but we do bring containers in from right across the world and we bring in timber from all over Europe. If they have three months' notice it gives them three months to prepare for what's to come once they buy the products.”Itseems that the increase in prices relies on a lot of “forecasting.” “We’ve been buying a lot of stock in to try and beat the increase, so we’re stocking more materials than we’ve ever stocked at any one time. The customer can kind of manage the price because we know what we bought it at rather than buying stock in daily and the price could change from what you quote.”

One contributor is Brexit. It triggered a sharp fall in the pound which resulted in an increase in the price of consumer goods. Leaving the EU saw an inflation rise aggravating import prices, companies were also experiencing labour shortages as foreign workers left the UK and additional taxes were placed on households.

Having situationsconversationsopenwithpeopleabouttheiriskey,and also

Jake Catling, TheConsultantsLandscaping

“To manage it correctly, we did what we thought was best for the business but also what was best our customers, we didn’t want our customers working to pricing the brochure that we then couldn’t commit to.”

“We’ve been speaking to them, listening to

and it's been hard as a company to manage. Last year was the first time in 27 years we didn’t print a brochure because we couldn’t commit to the pricing. This was a really big thing for us; traditionally we do always have a paper brochure, so it was a shame not to do it.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 87

Like The Landscaping Consultants, Green-tech is also considering how the cost-of-living crisis impacts its employees.

The second big contributor is the Ukraine war. Ship ports in Ukraine are experiencing Russian blockades meaning crucial food items such as wheat and sunflower oil are facing shortages. Animal feed production is also being affected causing a rise in meat costs across the globe. Ukraine is the fifth largest producer of wheat and the largest sunflower oil producer in the world. The Russian invasion also causes a rise in price as production capacity is limited.FEATURE

working on slightly lower margins which is obviously going to influence growth,” director Jake Catling explains.

is key, and also sharing the information with people that work in the business. Things have gone up so it’s hard for clients to pay increased costs; it's everyone realising there is a bit of give and take everywhere.”

For tackling the crisis, Richard advises: “Preparation is key. The stock holding has been as high as it's ever been. You’ve got to be looking at different options in the market, looking at choice of supply chains so you’re not just using the same person you’ve always used; you might shop around a bit harder or look at different areas, for alternative products that might offer a cost saving.

Where did the CRISISCOST-OF-LIVINGCOMEFROM?

them and trying to support them in any way we can; obviously, we’re all in the same boat.” Green-tech also issues surveys to its employees which allow them to better grasp how they can help accommodate staff needs.

“We listen to what they’ve got to say, and we try and fulfil what the common themes are.”

• Conduct an equality impact assessment to assess which employees are most affected and to better understand how to help in these times, ensure equality is intensified.

FEATURE prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202288

tackle the crisis, Colin explains: “Our cash flow health is absolutely vital, having to deal with ever-increasing costs has a knock-on effect making it a nervous time to attempt to grow with ongoing demands in theHowever,industry.”he details that the company is “passionate about the future of the period.”staffandcontinueensurebusinessofthatprotected“We'veadding:industry,”elementthetowecantotraindevelopourthroughthisCharliePayne, director of Nic Payne Gardens Ltd, tells of how his company has been reviewing pay to ensure it’s fair, amongst other measures. “We offer as many opportunities to ‘car share’ as we can to staff and subcontractors. We are also in the process of providing a company

Our cash ﬂow health is absolutely vital, having to deal with ever increasing costs has a knock-on e ect making it a nervous time to attempt to grow with ongoing demands in the industry

are carefully considering the outcomes of the crisis and are trying to pre-plan where they can to ensure the landscaping bubble doesn’t burst.

Colin Smith, Land Technology

van to staff rather than using their own vehicle. We are not afraid to talk money! We do talk a lot about how all of us can save on food, fuel or even rent, sharing tips and ideas can be helpful.” He adds that the company has been careful to not offer contractsfixedand he says “the theredifficultfindingthedenominator:importantmostpartforusisthatcustomersknowyouarebeingtransparent.”Onethingseemstobeacommonindustryisthechangetonavigate.Butishopeascompanies

• Promote longer lasting products and services to customers where possible to help combat the economic situation and provide reassurance.

Charlie Payne, Nic Payne Gardens Ltd

• Increase wellbeing support for staff, creating an open and supportive environmentworkingincreasing staff retention during difficult times.

How can my businehelp tackle the LIVINGCOST-OF-CRISIS?

• Utilise renewable energy sources and make sustainable choices where appropriate to do so to alleviate pressure on specific areas of the company e.g., using renewable energy in areas that require high fuel consumption to help combat rising fuel prices

• Use fair suppliers that are striving towards sustainable and secure prices where possible.

The importantmostpart for us is that customers know you are transparentbeing

Pre-grown locally with cuttings from own nursery

Find your nearest OASE distributor here

FIND OUT MORE www.oase.com ProLandscaper_OASECONRTOL no phone.indd 1 16/08/2022 14:23:16

NEW!

MobiRoof ECO is a circular green roof system. The cassette is made of recycled material and fully recyclable. Visit our website for more information: www.mobilane.co.uk.

READY-MADE SUSTAINABLE SEDUM CASSETTE

Directly available from stock 17-8-2022 15:51:53

StandJ21Seeusat

Has adding water ever been easier?

MobiRoof ECO

The waterfall produces a continuous sheet of water that is both calming and mesmerising to watch. Create an eye-catching centrepiece for your client by placing it against a feature wall or on a patio. If you want to reduce the sound and minimise splashing, an OASE Silent Splash can be added. Furthermore, an additional LED light will illuminate the spillway lip and make the water glow throughout the evening and

OASEnight.

T +44 (0)203 741 8049 E ofﬁce@mobilane.co.uk

Adv Pro Landscaper 176 x 121 mm - Green Roof Introduction.indd 1

The OASE Waterfall can be purchased as a complete set and comes in three sizes: 30cm, 60cm and 90cm. These size options allow you to cater to any space. Encase the waterfall spillway with decorative elements, or have it free-standing when you purchase the wall version shown in the image. By burying a reservoir under the waterfall cascade (with a pump inside) and running the hose back to the feature, a cyclical effect is created.

How to: The OASE Waterfall

Planted with 6-8 different types of Sedum

OASE’s waterfall range enables you to add the beauty of moving water to even the smallest project. The design allows it to function alongside an OASE reservoir system or to be added to a pre-existing pond. This feature is easy to install, easy to maintain and is precision-engineered to ensure longevity.

Unique l ightweight green roof system

has taken engineering elements from our largest and most prestigious fountain installations, and scaled it down for your projects. OASE’s waterscaping prod uct range is easy to use, perfect for any space, and most importantly - reliable.

15 November 2022 16 November 2022 ExCeL RegisterLondonforyourfree ticket on our website, scan the QR code at the top of the page or contact the team on 01903 777570 WHEREWHENHOW Eventwww.futurescapeevent.compartners Scan here to register

OPINION prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 91

chance of a refund or replacement. Going to a reputable retailer, who specialises in a particular product, gives you more peace of mind, and someone, somewhere, to go to should you have any issues.

Now one thing that really shocked me was that the deck had been built just eight months ago and the contractor had replaced a couple of the deck boards only about six weeks ago. The ultraviolet light had completely bleached the older deck boards so much that they looked like a different colour range of the same product. The contractor admitted he’d seen how the boards were deteriorating and, to use his own words, his ‘headNowwent’.this isn’t the end of the story, as the contractor had bought the deck boards from a seller on Facebook Marketplace. Since then, the seller had disappeared off the face of the earth and was completely uncontactable. This meant the contractor had no warranty or any chance of getting compensated financially or by replacement.The clients stated they didn’t want the same decking again and went for an upgrade to Trex. Obviously, the contractor wasn’t expected to cover the upgrade to Trex, but he was expected to cover the original cost and labour which set him back just under £2,300. It may be tempting, as a contractor, to go for the cheaper products from these invisible online sellers, but you’ve got zero

pattern has started forming over the last few months which has seen so many landscapers contacting me at their wits' end and not knowing what to do. The cause of these issues is cheap imported products, but in particular composite decking boards.

Leaving college at 17, Gareth has worked in the landscape industry since 1989. Progressing onto high-end projects over the years, he has picked up 30 RHS medals, including Gold at Chelsea. Now a retained consultant to The Landscape Academy, Gareth is a member of multiple professional bodies. He provides technical and product advice to companies, mentors and trains landscapers across the UK, and provides arbitration and mediation services.

GARETH WILSON

find the deck had been installed using grooved hollow composite decking boards. In my book, these are very much the bottom of the pile when it comes to composite decking. Approximately 40% of the decking boards had cracked along most of their length, despite the contractor installing all the correct spacing to allow for contraction and expansion. And he hadn’t sent the screws home too far with the clips system either. Some of the boards were partially split, and I estimated that 80% of the deck boards would be in a similar state in the next few months.

I was called to a job to carry out a statement of opinion by a young couple who'd had some splitandbetterdecidedandwasuntilnon-responsivecontractorinstalled.deckingThewascourtactionthreatened,thenheitwastotoethelinehewent50/50onmyfees.Iarrivedonsiteto

As a general rule, the cheap, bottom of the range imported products are cheap for a reason. That reason is they are usually of a very poor quality – or as commonly known ‘up north’, cr*p.

A further piece of advice is always to use reputable suppliers and ask them, by email, for an installation guide or instructions. If they can’t provide either, I would be wary of the product.

gkwilsonlandscaping.co.uk

and not so cheerful

It may be tempting to go for the cheaper products from these invisible online sellers, but you’ve got zero chance of a refund or replacement

Gareth Wilson shares his thoughts on the common question of quality versus price CHEAP

Selling or renting a property

This is a hot topic at the moment. We are looking more at the source of our purchases, their sustainability and impact on the environment. Make sure you showcase innovative and thismaterialsandfriendlyenvironmentallyproductlinescontinuallylookforthatserveneed.

One of the game changers for me was when I learnt how to productise my services. I went from selling sessions of advice to business withseetangible.butwasprogrammes.developmentTheserviceessentiallythesame,theofferwasfarmoreMycustomercouldwhattheywerebuyingclearlydefinedoutcomes.Sohowcouldthisbeapplied to a landscaping business? Well, there are always changing needs in any market, you just have to do some research to find them. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Think about customers that might be either selling or renting a property. How could your product add value to their property and ensure a quick sale? Package up ranges and services for different customer needs and use real life case studies with photos your target market can identify with – e.g. Mrs Smith who

n business, we must standout and have a clear value proposition – the customer should understand what makes you different and how it will impact their life. The customer may not be able to really afford it, but they will have a stronger desire for your service or product, and succumb to the tempatation to buy. It’s all about seduction.

Alison Warner is founder of Evolve and Grow, a business coaching ﬁrm that specialises in the trades and construction industry. She is also the author of bestselling book ‘How to go from Tradesperson to Managing Director in the Construction and Trade Industries’ evolveandgrowcoaching.comhttps://amzn.to/2QIb467

To find out how Evolve and Grow can help you grow your business, take our free BUILD system scorecard, available on our website evolveandgrowcoaching.com

wellbeing. Getting close to nature we all know is a great way to do this. Why not introduce a new product for a wellbeing space or sensory garden? Paint a picture of a relaxing sanctuary where your clients can go and unwind.

Since lockdown, there is a big focus on looking after our mental health and

Sustainablity and the environment

ALISON WARNER

One of the game changers for me was when I learnt how to productise my services

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202292

Trades coach, Alison Warner, gives some tips to tempt your customers

Mental health and wellbeing

OPINION

Take inspiration from other industries Look at seasonal trends from other industries such as fashion and interiors. This will give you ideas for colours, materials and fabrics to introduce into your range. Garden and DIY TV shows are also great source for picking up tips and tricks.

THE ART OF IRRESISTIBLEBEING

recently purchased our ‘sell your house now’ package, sold her property within two weeks; previously the house had been on the market for six months with little interest.

enough small things make a differencePROVENDER The Landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS T: 01322 662315 W: www.provendernurseries.co.uk GOING GREEN Our specially collated range of organic, wildlife-friendly or predominantly natural products MonolithRockeryWalling Feature Stones Building & Masonry stone Sandstone & Limestone www.stonequarries.co.ukRestoration0159480871601386584384

sales@stoneworld.co.uk +44(0)1844279274 stoneworldoxforshire WaterFeatures Engraving Trafficcontrol PlayParks BespokeBoulders Naturalstoneforprivate andcommercialprojects See us at Stand D25

n 6 June 2022, a formal pilot study by 4 Day Week Global in partnership with Cambridge University and Oxford University commenced to explore the impact of a four-day working week in the UK.

Kumsal Kaleli and Kai Sammer of Oracle Solicitors cover the considerations for switching to a four-day working week

always be the case. Employers should consider piloting such a scheme before moving to a permanent four-day week; when doing so it needs to be clear from the outset that the contractual change is temporary and that the working week will return to normal at the end of the unlesspilot,there shouldEmployerscontinuing.thatinconfirmationiswritingitisbecareful

Whilst it is predicted that a four-day working week is appealing to employees, this might not

Normal working hours

FOUR - DAY WEEK anyone?

OPINION prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | September 2022 95

not to let temporary arrangements roll over, as it may unintentionally create a long-term contractual entitlement to a four-day work week.

Pilot scheme

Employers should be particularly careful that a reduction in working days does not translate into longer days when employees

If you are thinking of implementing a four-day working week, please get in touch. At Oracle we can provide expert advice and assistance on the full range of issues involved.

Extra care will need to be taken introducingwhenafour-dayworkingweek in a workplace that also employs individuals on a part-time basis. Under the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations (2000), employees have the statutory right, from day one of their job, to be treated the same as comparable full-time workers. It may be that the employer offers a 20% reduction of hours on a pro-rata basis, to stay in line with the 100:80:100 model.

SOLICITORSORACLE

A change to the working hours will invariably amendedcannotonareEmploymentcontractualinvolvechanges.contractsspecificandbindingeachemployeeandbeunilaterallybytheemployer.

Changes contractsto

Oracle Solicitors is an award-winning law ﬁrm with a deep understanding of the landscape industry and expertise in employment, commercial, litigation, property and contract law. Oracle Solicitors, founded in 2002 has since grown to include ofﬁces in London, Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Frankfurt, and Addis Ababa – please visit: oraclesolicitors.co.uk

The aim of this new paradigm shift is to improve job balance,teamwork,satisfaction,work-lifeandincreasecompanyloyalty

Continuing until the end of 2022, the pilot involves more than 3,000 workers at 70 companies adopting the 100:80:100 model, offering 100% pay for 80% work, conditional on 100% productivity. Several potential advantages have been mooted, from mental health to reduced carbon footprints, with positive feedback from countries that have adopted a four-day working week regime.

More and more employers are earnestly considering switching in order to remain competitive in today’s job market. For example, the Durham based online bank Atom has seen a 500% increase in job applications since making the switch in November 2021. But what factors should employers consider before dropping to a four-day week?

Part-time employees

Subject to any amendment clause contained in the contracts, as long as the change is agreed by the parties, it may be as simple as drafting an amendment letter or could take the form of a new contract with amended working hours.

are in work. Altering the standard working hours would be contrary to the 80% work being introduced by the reduced-hour model. Remember, the aim of this new paradigm shift is to improve job satisfaction, teamwork, work-life balance, and encourage company loyalty for employees.

www.lightprotrade.co.uk CONTACT 19 Ltd | 01276 903430 | sales@lightprotrade.co.uk The advantages of our 12 volt system: • Easy to connect (without an electrician) and quick • Energy efficient and sustainable • Cable does not have to be buried • Very safe for children and animals The Landscapers Outdoor Lighting Choice LP ADV Landscaper 198x128 Liggend_2021.indd 2 07-09-2021 12:16

We are all too aware of the current issues around vehicle supply, regardless of what is under the bonnet; but in terms of the inevitable we should be using this time to understand the future infrastructure requirements, as the vehicle is the last thing we should be concerned about –how we charge it is the biggest issue. The key areas you need to consider are where you are going to be operating from and does your building have the necessary electrical infrastructure to support vehicle charging? Don’t be surprised if you have to look at moving.

EVs are considerably heavier, so payload will be reduced; towing becomes a challenge as an EV uses more power, so range will be reduced.

You cannot underestimate the challenges associated with the move to an alternative power source; consider the changes due in 2030, if they come, and manage your business to fit the change and not the other way round. A sobering statistic I heard the other week is that we are looking to do in 120 months what we have done in the last 120 years. It was never going to be easy going green.

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberOPINION2022 97

I’m not even going to mention the initial cost or the inevitable changes in road tax which will come, but you may need to be prepared to keep vehicles longer, or even reduce your fleet size.

Whilst I said the vehicles were the last consideration, there’s a lot more to get your head around, especially where electric is concerned, like charge cycles and outputs.

connection at the front, not six-metre-long tippers where the charge point is where the fuel filler cap used to be.

So, I urge caution to anyone looking towards electric as the way forward and be prepared for changes to your operation based on how and where you get your power. You may have to move depots or even rebuild your existing operation around a new power source.

ome 2030 we will no longer be able to buy LCVs powered by internal combustion engines, and 2035 for HGVs (well, that’s as it stands at the moment), though I must admit to a certain amount of scepticism around the infrastructure required to service a complete move to electric, if indeed that is the fuel of choice. The same infrastructure and supply challenges are also hurdles for Hydrogen and HVO or synthetic fuel, which I personally feel are better options for commercial vehicles. Whichever route we take, we need to start planning now, especially where electricity is concerned.

With more than 27 years working for national contractors and responsible for managing 2,000 vehicles and 18,000 assets across the UK, Angus Lindsay – group head of assets and ﬂeet management at idverde UK – annually manages a capex budget of £5m and 300 vehicle replacements, a demanding and challenging role. angus.lindsay@idverde.co.uk

THE DAWNING OF A NEW AGE

The vehicle is the last thing we should be concerned about –how we charge it is theissuebiggest

If you are looking to use on-site chargers provided by a third party, are they suitable? Pulling up to a fuel station is easy as they are geared up for everything from a Smart car to an artic, but more and more charge points are turning up in multi-storey car parks with height restrictions or only cater for cars with a charge

ANGUS LINDSAY

There’s more to consider than you might think when it comes to switching to electric vehicles, says Angus Lindsay

How many vehicles are you going to operate and when are they all going to be charged? Twenty vehicles mean 20 charge points, unless you can stagger your operations; but in our industry that’s easier said than done. Do your staff take vehicles home at night and, if so, how are they going to charge their vehicle, especially if they live in a flat or somewhere with parking restrictions? Running an extension lead 200m down the building is hardly an option.

Whilst artificial grass companies remained silent when we sought comments for this feature, in a report we published in our April issue, 86% of the artificial grass companies we spoke to reported an increase in sales over the last year, suggesting the product is far from “in decline”. And the sector is striving to make its products more sustainable. Tigerup! has produced the product Ecocept, which it describes as having a ‘paved base layer made from recycled

ARTIFICIALGRASS:

Guy Jenkins, director of Johnsons Lawn Seed adds: “The installation of an artificial lawn sees a huge amount of wholly unnecessary plastic going into the environment. Many plastic lawns are not recyclable at the end of their life and either end up being dumped in landfill or even intoThenature.”government have also seen campaignerswhetherfavour,fallingpetitioningfortheintroductionofataxonartificialgrass.Withnocommentfromtheartificialgrasscompaniesthemselves,it’sdifficulttosayforcertainwhetherartificialgrassistrulyoutofanditwillhaveaplaceintheindustryin15years’time.Butsupplierswillnodoubthavetoworkhardtoturnthetide.

It's not the only one looking to boost its green credentials. Artificialgrass.com has released AIR artificial grass which it says offers “air cleaning, anti-bacterial benefits, preventing the growth of mould, moss and algae and breaking down pet urine odours. That means no subsequent use of chemicals and biocides to keep lawns clean and safe.” Could products like these be the future of artificial grass?

rtificial grass is on the decline for sure,” commented one of the respondents in our UK Landscape Barometer last month – and they may be onto something. The RHS, for instance, took the decision this year to ban the product entirely from its shows. Dr Mark Gush, head of environmental horticulture at the RHS, says: “At the RHS we know sustainability is hugely important, not just for nature but for people too. Because of its harmful effects, we banned the sale of plastic grass at our flower shows in 2018 and it was banned from being used in any way in our shows in 2021.”

Mark adds that the RHS “encourages everyone to use real grass and flowers in their gardens for the many benefits and enjoyment they provide us and the natural world”. It poses the question as to exactly what position the artificial grass market may be in as demand for sustainable, environmentally friendly products grows.

Companies offering products for ‘real’ lawns are perhaps nousage,towe’reInalternatives.byuplawnsasays:PeterCobra’sLawnweighingunsurprisinglyintothedebate.mowermanufacturermanagingdirector,Chaloner,“It'ssuchshametoseebeingdugandreplacedplasticatimewhenalltryingreduceplasticitmakessensefor

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 202298 PRODUCTS

gardens which are meant to enhance the planet, to be filled with unnecessary and unsightly plastic.”

As sustainability continues to be a top priority, how can artificial grass –a plastic product which faces fierce criticism – remain relevant?

plastics.’ The company suggest that the product is preventing 140t of material from entering landfill each time an Ecocept pitch is installed and that a pitch saves up to 190t of CO2 emissions.

Where will the industry be in 15 years? petitioning

OR A COLLEAGUE ENTER YOURSELF

The Next Generation is back for its eighth year. To date, we have celebrated 210 winners from a variety of sectors within the industry – from sales to arboriculture, from construction to design, from maintenance to landscape architecture. These awards should not only highlight the up-and-coming talent within the industry, but also the diversity of horticulture and those working within it. Why not put forward yourself or a deserving colleague for a chance to be recognised?

Who?Why?

The rules are simple. You can nominate yourself or a colleague, as long as the nominee was aged 30 or under on 1 January 2022 and currently works within the workedsector.designarboriculture,horticulture,gardenorlandscapeEntrantsmusthaveintheindustryfor at least one year.

How?

www. prolandscapermagazine/ May 2022 .comPro Landscaper ’S CONTACT DETAILS www.prolandscapermagazine.com/30under30 For more information on how to enter, contact 01903 777570 or email 30u30@eljays44.com

Simply email 30u30@eljays44.com to request an entry form. Fill out the form to the best of your ability, picking out key moments from your career and showcasing some of your best work Email the form back with a high-resolution (at least 1MB) headshot by 31 August 2022

Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30:

Entering Landscaper’sPro 30 Under 30: The Next Generation is a great way to gain recognition for your own work or the work of someone you know. Previous winners have expressed that winning the awards is a wonderful way to enhance their careers

The deadline is approaching! Don’t miss out on your chance to enter! Proudly supported by

Our leadingindustryTwinstak ™ technology means we can offer you high-quality topsoil for as little £54.99asper500Lbaginc.VATanddelivery Trade brochure & enquiries: 0333 400 ••harrodhorticultural.comtrade@harrod.uk.com1777GardenFurniture•Arches•PergolasObelisks•FruitCages•MetalRaisedBedsandPlanters•PlantSupports

Find the answers to some of the frequentlymostaskedquestionson resinpavingbound

- Abacus Playgrounds

- Addagrip

Resin bound systems offer a hard wearing, decorative, seamless paving that can be used for a wide range of projects. From domestic to commercial schemes, resin bound surfacing is suitable for car parks, access roads, cycle paths, pathways, courtyards, patios, driveways, and pool surrounds. Its excellent slip resistance makes it ideal for healthcare, education, leisure, and public schemes to offer a safe, decorative, low maintenance surfacing option.

- Abacus Playgrounds

Addagrip Terraco’s patented resin bound porous surfacing system Terrabase Rustic was selected for this prestigious restoration project in the historic Villa Hügel in Germany. The minimum dig resin bound system was installed on over 2,300m2 of pathways in the park grounds to retain the natural look of the original paving and cope with challenging gradients.

"Resin bound paving is porous, allowing water to run through from the top surface directly into natural earth below or can be directed into a soak-away or swale to reduce additional flooding risk. The larger the stone size used in the resin bound system, the better the flow rate. When installed onto a porous base, this ensures a fully SuDS compliant system."

Which types of projects is resin bound paving suitable for?

- Addagrip

GETTING RESIN right

"Resin bound combines aggregate and resin mixed together, which is laid, compacted down and trowel finish by hand. This gives a very smooth and porous finish due to the gaps between the aggregate. Resin bonded initially floods the base with resin, before scattering aggregate on top to bind to the coated surface. This is a nonporous system, and some aggregate may not bind and appear loose, giving a rougher, more textured surface finish."

How does it differ from resin bonded?

Project Villa Hügel

What is resin bound paving?

"Resin bound gravel is a seamless surface resulting from aggregate and resin being mixed together. When installed, this surface is porous, decorative and durable which makes it a great option for driveways, pathways and communal areas. All materials are mixed in specialist machinery and then hand laid onto the prepared base to give a continuous finished surface."

prolandscapermagazine .com Pro Landscaper | SeptemberPRODUCTS2022101

Case study ADDAGRIP

What makes resin bound paving SuDS compliant?

One of the benefits of resin bound surfacing is that it offers a low maintenance paving option, making upkeep simple and reducing ongoing maintenance costs. Apart from the occasional sweep to remove leaves, etc., general cleaning of the resin bound surface can be carried out by cold pressure washing up to a maximum 150 bar rating to remove dirt and grime and retain good porosity.

A huge benefit of the resin bound system is the fact it’s porous. It also has great aesthetics with many different aggregate choices available, and with the use of edge trims, different aggregates can be

Case study PLAYGROUNDSABACUS

This was a creative project to use resin bound gravel. The client was looking for a labyrinth layout to lay flush with the surrounding surface. Abacus supplied 53m2 at a 20mm depth with UV stable binder. Gunmetal grey and Titan silver were the preferred colour choices to blend in with the new landscaped area. Abacus completed a labyrinth design in resin bound gravel, level with the surface and an eye-catching design.

separated and therefore complex/bespoke designs incorporated. It’s extremely durable throughout all weather conditions and very easy to maintain, typically with a simple jet wash.

PlaygroundsAbacus

- Abacus Playgrounds

- Addagrip

How easy is it to maintain resin bound paving?

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 PRODUCTS 102

- Abacus Playgrounds

The porous properties mean the surface is SuDS compliant, allowing natural water drainage; this is supported by the Environmental Agency, which encourages resin surfaces to help tackle flooding issues across the UK. As the surface is hand laid, there is minimal waste which means less materials end up in landfill and delivery goods such as buckets and pallets can be recycled after installation is complete.

What are the benefits of using resin bound paving?

Project Cope Street, Coventry

What are its credentials?sustainability

The compliant,thepropertiesporousmeansurfaceisSuDSallowingnaturalwaterdrainage

LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES Renowned for the quality of our specialist soils and lightweight materials, which are developed with and tested to the British Standard and beyond by Tim O’Hare Associates. Our products are regularly specified by leading Landscape Architects and Designers and widely used by the Landscape and Horticultural Trades and Industries. Supplying orders from one bag to many thousands of tons, we can undertake the most challenging deliveries using our own fleet of Silver Fors specialist delivery vehicles. Please call us to discuss your next projects needs. SPECIALIST LIGHTWEIGHT SOILS DELIVERED EFFORTLESSLY REGARDLESS OF THE LOGISTIS! Tel: 01306 877540 or buy online www.buryhilltopsoilandlogs.co.ukatEmail:sales@buryhilltopsoil.com BUILDING AGGREGATES • WILDFLOWER TURF & SEED • DECORATIVE STONE•PREMIUM&CONTRACTSOILS•ERICACEOUS&SPECIALISTSOILS•LOWFERTILITY&BESPOKEBLENDEDSOILS •LIGHTWEIGHTROOFSOILS•SPORTSLOAMS&DRESSINGS•SOILCONDITIONER COMPOST&MULCHES•BARKS&WOODCHIP•PLAYSAND&PLAYGRADEBARK•LAWNTURF&GRASSSEED•• Manufactured under Licence granted by the Royal Horticultural Society. Registered Charity no 222879/SC038262 TREE PLANTING • LANDSCAPING • HORTICULTURE rootgrow.co.uk • info@plantworksuk.co.uk • 01795 411527 Sustained plant nutrition Better natural vigour Reduced plant mortality Improved drought tolerance Reduced replant problems Chemical free rootgrow professional www.cadmap.co.uk • info@cadmap.co.uk Surrey 01483 429385 London 020 81111 385 Brighton 01273 027327 Southampton 0238 2023881 Cadmap Ltd provide detailed Topographical Land Surveys for award-winning landscape design architects, many who have won Gold medals at RHS Shows and other prestigious awards around the United Kingdom. Cadmap Ltd are experienced at providing detailed Land surveys for landscape design compared to standard Land Survey detailing for housing developments. The company is a full member of The Survey Association, fully insured and holds 5m professional indemnity cover. If you require a Topographical Land Survey please contact us on the below details and Cadmap Ltd will provide a fee proposal free of charge for any size project you require. Landscape Survey Specialists

FENCING OPERATIVES

SOUTHERN LTD T/A ATLANTES LANDSCAPES

ALIGN JV (HS2 C1 PACKAGE)

For more details, please go to horticulturecareers.co.uk

SWIMMING MAINTENANCEPONDASSISTANT

Elmtree has a full-time permanent position for an experienced soft landscaping supervisor. You will be leading a team carrying out duties like planting trees and shrubs, turﬁng, and ground preparation on commercial and new build schemes. A person with good eye for detail is required, as is commercial landscaping supervisory experience. Applicants will need to be able to read site plans and have an CSCS card and a driving licence. They should also have good communication skills. Plant knowledge is desirable.

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 JOBS 104 For full details on all jobs, please go to horticulturecareers.co.uk Call 01903 777 570 or email mark.wellman@eljays44.com with your vacancy

SENIOR LANDSCAPE CLERK OF WORKS

People are Elmtree’s biggest asset; it has a high staﬀ retention rate and has been Investors in People since 2012. Elmtree has a great reputation and is in demand for its services. It has full-time permanent positions available for experienced landscape operatives. You will be carrying out duties like planting trees and shrubs, turﬁng and ground preparation on commercial and new build schemes we are currently working on. Commercial landscaping experience is required, as is a CSCS card. A driving licence is preferred.

COUNTRYSIDE

Glendale works with a number of long-term countryside clients managing and maintaining some stunning areas across South West England. The new contract manager will continue long-term relationships whilst developing Glendale’s people and its business in the area. Based at the Exeter depot, the role will be for an experienced and proactive contract manager, able to oﬀer operational management and support to customers and service users.

Location: Bristol

For more details, please go to horticulturecareers.co.uk

LANDSCAPE OPERATIVES

Location: Hertfordshire

GARTENART

TEAM LEADER

Location: Devon

For more details, please go to horticulturecareers.co.uk

ELMTREE GARDEN CONTRACTORS LTD

The ALIGN landscape clerk of works (LCoW) will be responsible for assisting with assurance of the successful delivery of various landscape packages across the ALIGN C1 project. The construction of the Chiltern tunnels and Colne Valley Viaduct are two of the most eye-catching and challenging engineering projects on the HS2 route. By joining Align you can become an integral part of this landmark project, with the opportunity to develop your expertise as the project progresses and leave a legacy to be proud of.

Location: Bristol

For more details, please go to horticulturecareers.co.uk

SOFT LANDSCAPING SUPERVISOR

ELMTREE GARDEN CONTRACTORS LTD

For more details, please go to horticulturecareers.co.uk

MAINTENANCEGROUNDSCONTRACT MANAGER

The ALIGN senior landscape clerk of works (LCoW) will work within the Environment Department reporting to the landscape lead and will be responsible for assuring successful delivery of landscape packages across the ALIGN C1 project. Scope of work includes ensuring high standards of quality control and supervision are carried out, and to check site conditions with contractors in advance. Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree/post graduate diploma/professional degree in Landscape Architecture.

Location: Bristol

ELMTREE GARDEN CONTRACTORS LTD

GLENDALE

Location: Devon

Atlantes Landscapes is one of the fastest growing, specialist landscaping and design companies in the South West. With customers ranging from highnet-worth individuals to property developers, it provides exceptional quality services that distinguish it from the competition. The business is looking to recruit a landscape team leader. You will lead a specialist team to deliver high quality projects for the company and help to develop the individuals within.

LANDSCAPE CLERK OF WORKS (LCOW)

Gartenart Swimming Ponds oﬀers a range of specialist services in the design, construction and maintenance of swimming ponds. It is looking for a motivated junior landscaper to join its swimming pond maintenance team. No prior experience is necessary; however, a willingness to work hard in a variety of weather conditions is essential. This is an opportunity to get established and take a long-term role working on high-proﬁle projects.

THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER

Location: Surrey, Sussex

Elmtree is a landscape construction and grounds maintenance company in Bristol, covering a large area around its base. It was awarded Employer of the Year and Supreme Winner at the Pro Landscaper Business Awards 2022. Elmtree has full-time permanent positions for fencing operatives. You will be carrying out duties like erecting close board fencing, gates, post and rail fencing on the high-end new build schemes it is currently working on. It is looking for a person with a good eye for detail to maintain its high standards.

ALIGN JV (HS2 C1 PACKAGE)

Location: Hertfordshire

Semi Mature Trees

Practical Instant Hedge™

Practical Instant Hedge™ is pre-grown in 1m trough bags, making it easy to handle and plant all year round. Since its launch Practical Instant Hedge™ has regularly been used in multiple award-winning gardens at the RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court flower shows. With over three decades of experience, we are the Instant Hedge Specialists.

Practicality Brown have been supplying semi-mature trees and instant hedges to bespoke UK wide projects since 1989. We work with designers, architects, builders and property developers to create natural screening and instant landscapes.

We also specialise in providing large semi-mature and specimen trees, offering a complete delivery and planting service, bringing instant impact to any garden or landscape. We select the best quality evergreen and deciduous trees each season from over 400,000 trees in over 240 varieties, so our clients have the best possible trees available.

Instant Hedges & Large trees PRACTICALITY BROWN LTD THE INSTANT HEDGE SPECIALISTS Swan Road Iver Bucks SL0 9LA Tel: 01753 652022 | hedge@pracbrown.co.uk Find more information at: www.pracbrown.co.uk PB_1/2 vertical - W85 x H248mm.qxp_Layout 1 21/07/2022 10:22 Page 1

HERETOHELPYOU createamazingspaces NEXTDAYDELIVERY LOYALTYREWARDS DEDICATEDSUPPORT T 5minsfromM3,J4|www.kebur.co.uk|01252517571 KeburContempoValleyGreyPorcelainandWillowProPorcelain PavingwithRedCedarslattedfencing.Photocourtesyof MistletoeGardenDesign Hundredsofnaturalstone&porcelainoptions Bespokesourcing,accessories,lighting&more www.access-irrigation.co.uk • sales@access-irrigation.co.uk 01788 823811 FOR ALL YOUR IRRIGATION NEEDS Design and Advice • Irrigation Parts Catalogue 24/7 Online Parts Ordering Creating Inspiring Streetscenes CIS Street Furniture offer a diverse range of street furniture which will complement any location.Asaresult of the built environment compaction can inhibit or prevent natural root growth of trees. CIS SUDs compliant resin bound tree grilles are a great way of enhancing the sustainability of your project for future generations. Find out more at our website below.Tel:01483 www.cis-streetfurniture.co.uk203388

Email jacquiefelix@gmail.com oasisgardendesign.co.uk

Oasis Garden Design

How would you describe your design style?

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring garden designer?

I like to mix it breakingup,alltherules!

We gravitateallto the style we enjoy; you need to know that so people can choose someone who ﬁts them

prolandscapermagazine .comPro Landscaper | September 2022 LAST WORD 106

Tel 07753 231 132

I've always enjoyed gardening. It’s calming, very creative and peaceful. It's something I've done organically over the years whilst I was working in PR communications and publishing. I retrained as a garden designer about five years ago after an architect friend suggested it as a career, and I thought. why not? It's very much an artisan thing for me.

I’m planning talks and writing and just getting stuff together. The hard landscaping has just been completed on one project, so I’m just guiding the clients through their planting plans.

What inspired you to pursue a career in horticulture?

A quick catch-up with the talented Jacquie Felix-Mitchell, the designer, speaker and BBC Gardener's Question Time contributor behind Devon-based Oasis Garden Design

I like to sit on my Steamer chair in the garden with my dog and he doesn’t realise he’s not a puppy anymore and he takes up half the seat, but we just sit there taking in the view.

CONTACT

Do a design course. Clients want to feel confident you’ve got something behind you and know your style. We all gravitate to the style we enjoy; you need to know that so people can choose someone who fits them. Have a business plan and marketing plan; you can learn from experience, but at least be aware of that at the start.

Five minutes with JACQUIEMITCHELLFELIX-

One project I really enjoyed doing was a walled garden in the New Forest. It was part of a bigger project; I did a memorial garden which was a new planting plan for them. It was quite exciting, and I particularly enjoyed that.

I like bold architectural lines and lots of evergreen structures. Once you’ve done that you can put in your ‘passing fancies’, as I like to call them, like English country favourites but also with tropical themes – I like to mix it up, breaking all the rules!

Do you have a favourite project?

What’s atofavouriteyourwayunwindafterbusyday?

What are you working on at the moment?

If you can see it, you can be it. It's about being visible. People need to see folk who look like them. Women and girls, and diverse groups can be encouraged into the industry by people like me giving talks, going into schools, and speaking to groups and organisations. As well as garden design and consultations, I give talks andandpresentations,writetoo.

How do you think more women could be attracted and welcomed into the industry?

Download the FREE PRO LANDSCAPER app today 1 Go to the App Store 2 Search ‘ LandscaperPro’ 3 Download the free app 4 Choose downloadandyour issue www.shadewww.shade solutions.comsolutions.comShade SolutionsShade Solutions        unfogable mesh eye www.meshsafetyglasses.comprotection01254377467 Tel 0345 230 9697 • www.lws.uk.com For all your golf, sportsturf and landscape irrigation needs. Buy online at www.lws.uk.com rootgrow.co.uk • info@plantworksuk.co.uk • 01795 411527 Design, Installation & Maintenance of Landscape Irrigation Systems and Water Features 01963 824166 info@waterscapeslimited.com@waterscapesltd CLASSIFIED

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

MEDITE® SMARTPLY® Building the Future

Dreamers welcome!

at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022

Gold and ConstructionBestAward(ShowGarden)

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

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