Landscape Juice

Do you need a landscaping quote?

Here at Landscape Juice, I have this view that a company or individual cannot just say that it is good but also has to prove it.

It is so easy to be seduced by flashy advertising but it is much harder to find a team that can be lead by a good business person who will deliver to you, exactly what you require.

Up until now, there has not been a place where potential clients can run a ruler over the company or individual that they would like to employ.

Mother nature at her stunning best

I have been a nice 7 mile Fathers Day walk with my daughter this afternoon through the stunning French countryside.

The wild flowers continue to be an absolute joy to see and I would like to share these two in particular with you.

This first one looks like a small sweet pea like plant. It stands about eighteen inches tall and the colour is so intense. If there are any wild flower experts who can identify it for me I would be very appreciative. Click on picture to open up in larger window.

Landscaper - and APL offensive

The Association of Professional Landscapers, rocked by the heavy criticism it receives on this site, has come out and paid for a four page offensive and publicity drive in the Landscaper Magazine, in a bid to attract new members.

I applaud their efforts immensely but I wonder if it is a 'knee jerk' reaction to my criticism and a move too late?

First and foremost, I am pleased that I have brought about change in the first place and although I do not expect any credit, I know that this site is followed closely by the APL if only to see what 'bad' things I have said.

Are there too many landscaping companies?

Whilst television has been the catalyst for growth and excitement in the landscaping industry, the meagre and totally unrealistic budgets and time scales caused great harm to small businesses that were put under pressure to deliver more for less.

I feel that the message has slowly filtered through to the consumer - you cannot get a total garden makeover for £500 and have it completed in a weekend. In the last five years, some serious money has been washing around the landscaping companies as home owners spend to improve their home environments.

Own some Welsh rugby 'sacred' ground

Welsh rugby fans are being given the opportunity to own a little bit of history and purchase a piece of Welsh rugby memorabilia.

The turf from the Millenium Stadium, the venue for the Welsh victory over the French which saw Shane Williams go into the record books with his forty first Welsh try, has been lifted and stored rather than composted.

Garden machinery prices are set to rise

Agricultural Engineers Association chief executive Roger Lane-Nott has warned that rising costs in commodities and fuel will lead to an eight to fifteen percent rise in machinery costs.

Speaking to Hort Week, Lane-Nott said that rising copper and steel, coupled with a strong Euro means that manufacturers will have to raise prices.

Allotment for hire - one previous careful owner

I have not had a great deal of time to do a round of gardening blogs of late so it came as a rather large shock to read that Jane Perrone had given up her allotment.

Those that follow Jane's Horticulture blog will be aware that she had a baby daughter and recently started back at work part time; a combination, regardless of passion for working the soil, that will leave little time in which to keep the plot in order.

Why gardeners must look for alternative fertilisers

I am guilty as a lot of other gardeners for broadcasting artificial fertiliser over the veg plot or around my Poplar trees instead of finding an environmentally friendly alternative.

Farmers are really feeling the squeeze as fertiliser prices continue to climb but gardeners should have no excuse because there are many high value free nutritious alternatives that will let you produce better tasting and far more controlled and healthy growth.

Below are a few examples and feel free to add any to the list that work for you.

Free beer for gardeners and landscapers

I have a message from one of the sponsors of Landscape Juice.

Anders Plus are giving away a free case of beer or £15.00 worth of Marks and Spencer's gift vouchers if you recommend a friend and that friend goes on to complete a minimum of two weeks temporary placement.

The Landscaper Magazine brushes up its image

The Landscaper Magazine has shrugged off its rather boring internet image and relaunched itself on the internet with a whole new look.

What is more, TLM has come out fighting with some bullish talk about becoming an industry heavyweight and we will be able to track this claim because TLM has joined Audit Bureau Circulation ( ABC).

After speaking recently with editor David Curtis, I was aware that The Landscaper was preparing for change.