Landscape and garden expert

Rammed Earth is a sustainable landscaping method

'Sustainable' is becoming a very cheap word. It is now so overused that I am finding it hard to distinguish between reality and marketing hype.

There really are too many materials, production methods, packaging and foods that are called sustainable but are clearly costly in terms of resources consumed to get them to market, that their sustainability 'label' is devalued by a lack of carbon neutrality.

I am always on the lookout for methods of landscape construction that would allow the consumption of materials without a high cost or heavy impact on the environment.

How to choose a landscaper, designer or gardener

Here at Landscape Juice, great emphasis is put on being open and honest. I don't vet our members because they are more than capable of doing that themselves.

Every single member of the public or trade has access to the Landscape Juice Network and we don't hide anything behind a log-in.

If you are looking for a contractor to design or build a new garden feature or entire garden, or a gardener to maintain your existing garden, then you have to opportunity to pop into the site and read through a contractors profile page.

What does landscaping cost

If you are planning to have your garden landscaped in the near future you will need to do your homework on the potential costs involved.

If you are looking for a definitive hourly charge-out rate or a set cost per metre or perhaps a menu of garden features then you are going to be disappointed because such a thing doesn't exist.

It is fair to assume that as a consumer you are looking for the best possible service at the lowest possible price but, if you are looking for a deal based purely on price alone and does not take the skill or the experience of your contractor into consideration, then you could be on a slippery slope.

A landscaping association without boundaries or fees

There is a quiet revolution going on in the United Kingdom, and some people and organisations don't want you to know about it.

Just over one year ago the Landscape Juice Network was softly launched following on from the success of the main Landscape Juice blog. My ambition has always been to provide the tools and the platform for horticultural linked businesses to network together in solidarity for mutual benefit.

I have felt for a long time that the existing landscaping associations have failed and continue to fail their membership and are doing nothing in broad terms to further the industry or influence the landscaping market for the benefit of all.

Stock markets and running your business

I have been following the stock market for a long time and there is no denying that it has not been a pretty show these last few months.

When gauging what might come next as far as the UK economy is concerned, I tend to look broadly when making decisions that are likely influence my future.

I am under no illusions that there is still a huge amount of pain to come as far as the economy is concerned and indeed, there are small to medium sized businesses that will fail - not to mention some larger ones who will not be able to survive this turmoil.

The storm before the storm

You can be forgiven for denying that things were going to get tough two years ago and possible a year ago there was room for a wry smile that perhaps those of us who were anticipating a slump to recession, were going bananas.

After all, we had never had it so good. Low unemployment, money to spend on anything we wanted. House prices rising and therefore underwriting our credit debts. We were seemingly invincible.

The party had to end, and this week, the evidence is plain to see, that we have indeed passed the point of no return for some individuals and businesses.

Understanding chargeout rates and business costs.

Settling your hourly rate at a level that is profitable is extremely difficult to get right but it is the single most important aspect of any business that should get the closest of your attention.

Make a howler with your calculations and trading will come in below your expectations and if you are relying on profitability for expansion, you could easily waste a whole year as your competitors, who may have been more diligent, pass you by.

What does a gardener charge?

This is a very common query on Landscape Juice - What does a gardener charge per hour or how much should I pay a gardener.

A lot depends on who you are employing, what their level or experience and competence is and what qualifications they have - I would put experience and competence way above the qualifications as a prerequisite.

They may have a brilliant learned mind but often, if a student spends four years making very high grades at horticulture college it can mean that they are very limited for practical ability - they may know their Latin plant names but may not know what the hell you do with them.

What should I pay a gardener per hour?

I have been noticing from my stats that an increasing number of searchers coming to Landscape Juice are wanting to know the going rate for a Gardener or Landscape Gardener.

In 2004 we had a basic rate of £18.00 per hour plus VAT. To this we added some variable starting prices. For example, we could not justify sending a van and two men to a property for just one hours work so in cases such as these, two men working on a job for an hour, would have been charged at £50.00 plus VAT (£25.00 x 2) instead of £36.00. This made up any losses due to extra travelling and lost time and of course fuel and added overhead costs.

Even though £50.00 seems a great deal of money, running a maintenance fleet was an extremely challenging occupation and feelings were that the hourly rate for skilled labour should be at least £30.00-40.00.

What troubled me greatly was that a householder seemed to accept a plumber or electricians price of £60-120.00 per hour but would never give a thought of paying more than £10.00 for their gardener - it was a constant challenge to educate clients.