The Pro Landscaper Team
- Website Exclusive
Navigating Cash Flow Concerns in the Construction Industry
Cash flow is the lifeblood of any successful business. Cash flow is what allows a company to pay its staff, purchase stock, and ensure contractual overheads are paid on time. Once cash flow becomes squeezed, problems can quickly spiral, taking a once thriving company from a position of solvency to one which is struggling to meet its financial obligations surprisingly quickly. Cash flow challenges can arise for a variety of reasons, and in many instances, they are not caused directly by the actions of the company facing these problems. Late – and even non-payment – of invoices is rife in…
Read More » - Partner Content
When root barrier is the solution
Root barriers can prove a key asset in landscaping and construction projects. Used in a targeted way, long-term cost-saving benefits can be gained by eliminating maintenance repairs caused by root damage. However, they can also play a role in preventing legal disputes by stopping root encroachment onto neighbouring land. Installing a bamboo barrier at home, for plant containment, is a project many are now prepared to tackle. Protection & benefits At the heart of their functionality is protection, but root barrier membrane offers other benefits. They can facilitate the retention of valuable trees, curbing the need for removal and its…
Read More » - UK Landscape Barometer - Full Report
Barometer June 2023: Is a slump in the housebuilding sector having a domino effect?
The housebuilding sector has had a tough year so far, if Marshall’s half-year results are anything to go by. The building products supplier reported a 30% drop in its profit before tax for the first half of this year, compared to the same period in 2022, leading to it taking “decisive action” to save £9m a year. CEO Martyn Coffey blamed tough market conditions being “challenging” and announced that Marshalls had to axe around 250 jobs as a result. Commercial landscapers are also feeling the pinch; 60% are less confident this month than the same time last year. One commented:…
Read More » - Digital Editions
Pro Landscaper September
Whilst there’s an entire campaign to eradicate the use of artificial grass, the considerable carbon footprint of cement is slipping somewhat under the radar. Transitioning away from it might not be easy – or cheap – but alternatives are starting to hitting the market, so we hear from those who are trialling them and who are determined to reduce their use of cement. In this issue: Can the industry become cement free? A few alternatives were trialled at Chelsea and some companies are reducing their cement usage away from shows too. Healing with Horticulture. There are ways to make any…
Read More » - Partner Content
It’s time for “The Green Italy”
Horticulture, forestation and urban space represent a triptych of thriving sectors for Italy. According to ISTAT (the Italian National Institute of Statistics), the country boasted a relevant added value of 38.4 billion euros in 2022 (ranking second in the EU-27, after France) and the third highest value of agricultural production in the EU-27 (72.4 billion euros, +18.2% vs 2021). The next steps to take are closely related to structural and long-term governmental measures, aimed to improve the energy transition strategies. Those hot topics will be on stage at Flormart – The Green Italy, the international exhibition of horticulture, green space…
Read More » - Featured Slider
Voting opens for Pro Landscaper’s Unsung Heroes, in association with Landscapeplus
Fifteen finalists have been announced for Pro Landscaper’s Unsung Heroes, in association with Landscapeplus The awards were launched earlier this year to recognise the individuals who, under the radar, keep companies and the industry going. A myriad of people were nominated by readers of Pro Landscaper, from office administrators to operatives on the ground to small business owners. Readers are now able to vote for which person, of the final 15, they think should win the title of Pro Landscaper’s Unsung Hero 2023. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 22 November at the ExCeL in…
Read More » - Digital Editions
Pro Landscaper August 2023
It might be tough to consider when you’re the owner of a budding company, but building a succession plan from the start can help to ensure you’re leaving a legacy. Be it selling up, passing it down to a family member or opting for the ever-popular employee ownership trust (EOT), we speak to people who have chosen their exit plan and how their company will continue to thrive. Making an Exit. Business owners share their succession plans, including Robert Crowder following the recent acquisition by RSK. Let’s Hear It From. Holland Landscapes’ Paul Baker talks taking over from his dad,…
Read More » - UK Landscape Barometer
Barometer May 2023: Are nurseries feeling the heat from the hosepipe bans?
There’s little change in confidence from last month, it would seem. Only 20% said they were feeling more confident, whilst the majority (60%) of respondents said they felt the same. This includes nurseries, despite 60% saying that their quotes were up from the previous month. It might be down to relief that there’s “no sign of a slow down” as one nursery put it, adding that their enquiries and orders are “still on the way up”. Nurseries are facing a series of ongoing challenges, though. There’s the incoming peat ban, which is a “big challenge for UK nurseries, with many…
Read More » - Partner Content
4 questions landscapers ask us about natural stone & porcelain
As expert natural stone and porcelain suppliers and masons, we work with landscapers and garden designers to help them create unique and beautiful projects which use the best possible products. Often, we are asked questions around stone and porcelain, and how we can help ensure successful outcomes. We’ve summarised our four most common questions in this article, with some short insights into each. Thickness When it comes to natural stone and porcelain, there are a wide varieties of thickness available in the market, and which is right for which project can depend on a large number of factors. For…
Read More » - Supplier News
Provender Nurseries achieves FORS silver accreditation
FORS silver accreditation has been awarded to Provender Nurseries. The Kent-based business can now deliver to construction sites requiring this level of accreditation in and around London, which managing director Richard McKenna says “opens a new realm of opportunities.” The Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) is designed to drive up standards with operations and recognise best practice in safety, efficiency and environmental protection. Provender Nurseries’ transport manager Kevin Davies-O’Malley, who worked with team members to achieve the accreditation, says: “Running our own fleet efficiently and safely is of utmost importance to us as a business and to our clients. To be…
Read More » - Website Exclusive
Prioritising going peat-free
Professional horticulture might be exempt for now, but a ban on using peat is looking ever more likely by 2030. The government announced last August that sales of peat to amateur gardeners in England will be banned from 2024, and it pledged to help the professional horticulture sector speed up its transition to peat-free alternatives, recognising that it faces “additional technical barriers that will take longer to overcome.” There are growers, though, which are already taking the leap. Take Greenwood Plants, which says it is on track to be fully peat free by the end of this year. One in…
Read More » - Garden Design
Wellbeing Garden completed in Lewisham
The Wellbeing Garden at the University Hospital Lewisham (UHL) has been completed. The original concept for the garden began in 2020 when Maria Leong, an anaesthetist registrar at the hospital, applied to the Healing Gardens Programme, a collaboration between the RHS and the NHS to create green spaces at hospitals around the UK where “staff and patients can reflect and recharge”. Designed by award-winning landscape designer Adam Frost in consultation with the RHS and UHL community, the first phase of the Wellbeing Garden opened in June 2022, with the remaining elements scheduled to take place later. “The garden makes use…
Read More » - Supplier News
Vectorworks’ $10,000 design competition open for submissions
Vectorworks’ has opened up its 2023 Design Scholarship. The global design and BIM software provider’s competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students in major disciplines related to architecture, landscape architecture, landscape design, entertainment and interior design. Students can submit a new design or past project from any of their classes for the chance to win up to $10,000. “It’s clear that today’s student designers have limitless potential. We’re honoured to have the opportunity to showcase their creative talents and innovative designs but also help to foster their future careers through the exposure and financial assistance this competition can provide,”…
Read More » - Supplier News
Green-tech’s Jackson awarded Chartered Manager status
Green-tech head of sales Dean Jackson has been awarded Chartered Manager status after completing the accreditation at Leeds University Business School. He said, “The course provided the perfect opportunity to learn new things and enhance my existing knowledge. I started it in October 2021, and I have had great support from Green-tech over this time. It was certainly challenging balancing my new head of sales role whilst keeping up with the university work and getting married in the middle of all of it! There were points where it was incredibly stressful, but I do appreciate the support and time I…
Read More » - Landscape Architecture
O2 Centre ‘Masterplan’ approved by Camden Council
Landsec’s ‘O2 Centre Masterplan’ is set to go ahead after Camden Council granted planning permission in Finchley Road, London. The ‘Masterplan’, said to be the largest planning application in Camden since Kings Cross, will deliver a new mixed-use urban neighbourhood on a 14-acre site. “At the heart of the proposal is a plan to deliver new homes and green, public spaces on an under-utilised car park sitting behind the O2 retail centre, in a highly sustainable urban location well-connected by five train stations,” read a Landsec statement. According to Landsec, the development will bring 1,800 energy-efficient homes alongside 180,000 sq…
Read More » - Garden Design
Garden designer Rose McMonigall passes away
Rose McMonigall, designer of three RHS Hampton Court show gardens, has passed away at the age of 46. She had been suffering from an eating disorder for many years. McMonigall studied Classics at Oxford University, followed by Fine Art at The University for the Creative Arts at Farnham. This background complemented a lifelong passion for garden design, landscape and horticulture. Her award-winning show garden career included The Dream of the Indianos in 2019, The Pazo’s Secret Garden in 2018 and in 2016 The Route of the Camellia all in conjunction with the Spanish Tourist Office and Turismo de Galicia. Rose’s…
Read More » - UK Landscape Barometer
Barometer January 2023: Has the cost-of-living crisis hit the landscaping industry?
It was bound to take its toll eventually. Since 2021, the cost-of-living crisis has been a constant cloud hanging over the heads of UK consumers. And despite the news that Britain’s inflation rate could drop to below 2% by the end of the year–having reached a 41-year high of 11.1% last October – the landscaping industry is starting to feel the pinch. A trend of “phasing work” has appeared, says one domestic landscaper, “so that people can save funds for unknowns such as fuel bills and mortgage rises.” They added that more clients are now paying by credit card than…
Read More » - News
Pro Landscaper Business Awards 2023 shortlist announced
The shortlist for the Pro Landscaper Business Awards 2023 has been announced. 78 submissions have been put forward to the esteemed panel of judges. The winners of the 16 categories will be announced at Old Billingsgate on Friday 21 April 2023. The shortlisted entries are: Apprentice of the Year, in partnership with The Association of Professional Landscapers Maxwell Dingley-Butt, Artemis Tree Services Chloe Ryman, Azpects Ltd Tommy Garland, Graduate Landscapes Ltd Bailey Flood, Oakmore Green Ltd Max Nardone, Utopia Landscapes Owen Williams, Wright Landscapes Ltd Arboriculture Company, in partnership with Beechwood Trees & Landscapes Ltd Connick Tree Care Glendale Countryside…
Read More » - Sustainability
“A valuable opportunity”: HTA joins government’s red diesel advisory group
The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has grasped a “valuable opportunity” to become a signatory of the HMRC’s Memorandum of Agreement on rebated fuel. It follows the change in regulations governing the use of ‘red diesel’ in April 2022. “This establishes a formal route to engage on a policy change which has seen cost increases impacting HTA members and with key grey areas remaining,” read an HTA statement. Jennifer Pheasey, director of public affairs at the HTA, said, “This is a valuable opportunity and another step in increasing the role of horticulture in policy development. Becoming a signatory means that HTA…
Read More » - Nature & Biodiversity
Land Studio working with schools to reduce flooding and boost biodiversity
Land Studio is working with three schools in Wales to help them combat climate change. The landscape architecture and civil engineering practice is helping schools to combat flooding while also “educating children about the value of nature-led design and biodiversity”. The Chester-based studio said it has designed a sustainable drainage system for Ysgol Cedewain SEN School, a new £22 million school currently being built in Powys, Wales. Rain gardens wrap around the play areas, catching surface water and leading it to designated planting beds. These will be filled with wildflowers and ornamental grasses, which adapt to drought or wet conditions…
Read More » - IQ Features
“Stuttering” UK infrastructure could lead to missed economic and net zero goals
The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has said that the last year has seen UK infrastructure delivery “stutter further just as the need for acceleration has heightened” and that “in a range of areas, the government is off track to meet its targets and ambitions”. The NIC has published its Infrastructure Progress Review 2023 and has called for the government to make fewer, bigger and better-targeted initiatives to deliver the infrastructure needed to reach its long-term net zero and economic goals. It believes that “infrastructure is a key part of the solution” to reaching net zero because the climate is primarily…
Read More » - Website Exclusive
The green road ahead
The TV programmes of Sir David Attenborough, Chris Packham and the like have informed us that our future world must be greener and that we ought to be the technologists to affect this. So, we want to do the right things to journey ourselves, our clients and the public down this road. But do we know what the right things are, or are we just tinkering with minor items? Do we understand what sustainability is, what our most sustainable choice of materials are, and what is the impact of our carbon footprint? How do we foster biodiversity net gain? Surely…
Read More » - Supplier News
Hallstone relaunches as trade-only offering
Hallstone has been relaunched as a trade-only offering. The landscaping supplier, owned by Rolawn, said it is “taking steps to more effectively support the industry” by making products available only via stockists. “Having intentionally chosen to enhance its trade offering at a time when many in the industry are facing challenges, from supply chain issues to rising costs, Hallstone is confident it can help support its customers,” read a company statement. Ken Brewster, marketing director for the Rolawn Group, said, “Relaunching Hallstone is an important step for us in ensuring that we are moving in the right direction for our…
Read More » - Supplier News
UK Landscapes concludes Cut N Clear acquisition
UK Landscapes has completed its acquisition of woodland and arboricultural business Cut N Clear (CNC). The purchase, made possible by UK Landscapes’ investor Mercia, will “strengthen our footprint in and around the South West and integrate us into the local housing sector”, said managing director Leigh Preston. “With Mercia’s backing, we will continue our growth journey through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth whilst retaining our ‘family business’ ethos and continuing to directly employ 95% of our delivery team,” added Preston. “We believe there is a real opportunity to disrupt the landscaping sector and create a sustainable and reliable…
Read More » - Supplier News
LI “proud” as Landscape Character Assessment launches
The Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) database for the UK and Ireland is now available. The database, developed by the Landscape Institute (LI) with the support of Natural England, NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and DAERA Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), includes over 500 LCAs from local to regional scale across the UK and Ireland. It is designed to offer “a single resource for the landscape profession”, providing “a starting point for the sector”. The database includes information such as the scale of assessment, publishing authority, author, format of data and date of last update and is organised into…
Read More »
