Landscape Juice

Trade associations should operate a blind trust

I am as uncomfortable today as I have been for the last six years of the privileged position our incumbent landscape trade associations have assumed, unchallenged, in a bid to determine hierarchy and policy for the UK's landscape and horticulture industry.

It is essential to our industry that close scrutiny is kept on all who lay claim to shape our respective futures, if non-members don't stand up and be counted then there's a danger, not too far down the road and whether they like it or not, they will have to comply with legislation that doesn't suit them or their business.

In my view:

It is essential that trade associations who operate a self-regulated vetting scheme should operate a blind trust so its executive officers should not be allowed to trade commercially whilst in office.

It's 'onwards and upwards' for LJN member Andy Doughty

Since joining the Landscape Juice Network in May 2011, gardener Andy Doughty has become a regular visitor and a friend to many on the site.

After six years of running his garden maintenance business, Andy looks set for a cracking 2012 after recently announcing his engagement to his soon to be wife Gina and further expansion of his business.

But it hasn't always been easy. Being a single parent meant Andy had to spend time at home with his daughter when she was younger. When she was old enough to go to school it gave Andy the freedom to venture out and set up a gardening round.

"being at home all the time when my daughter was young I spent a lot of time in my garden with her, and I really loved it. When my daughter started school I wanted to use the freedom that I hadn't had for 5 years."

Not having a driving license Andy pushed his tools - left to him by his grandfather - around his village in a wheeled cart. Six years on, having passed his test, Andy is building a solid business. He now has several commercial contracts and a 'brilliant' job at the local manor house.

Grow the Game of Golf aims to help course owners boost numbers

EUROPEAN golfing groups are aiming to encourage and inspire golf clubs and other golf organisations to help develop the game, particularly at grass roots level.

The Grow the Game of Golf will look to provide advice and information to golf course managers, secretaries and green keepers on how to draw more people to the game with initiatives such as family days and junior golf competitions.

The site has been up and running for just over a year, but Tarav Badhwar of the European Golf Course Owners Association is keen to take it on to the next level to help boost the sport.

Are BALI playing by their own rules?

"Our members' contracts are as keen as they can be and they get increasingly frustrated when they find the work they hoped to get has been taken by people who are not VAT registered and not fully aware of the legislative position. The world has changed so much - with Work at Height Regulations, for instance, that are not just affecting tree work. You have to adapt work practices to conform to legislation.

The above is a quote by the then BALI CEO, Sandra Loton-Jones, in an interview given to Hort Week - I wrote about it here.

Fast forward two years and it seems as though it's its own members who might not be playing it fair either.

I spoke yesterday with a landscaper who has designed a garden and then provided a quotation to carry out the work.

After submitting the price, he learned they'd not been successful only to find that a BALI company won the work by being 30% cheaper.

The person I spoke to conceded that they weren't the cheapest company around and if they'd been beaten by 5-10% then it would not have been a big deal but at 30% less he felt the contractor was 'buying the job' and couldn't possibly be making a profit.

The landscaping associations have been urging members not to devalue themselves by reducing prices. This case - and I'm sure it's not isolated - is evidence that members might not have a choice.

Have you lost work due to unreasonably lower quotes recently?

New CEO for British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association

There is a new name leading the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) after the appointment of Jim Croxton as the organisation's CEO.

He comes to BIGGA from the PGA, where he served most recently as sponsorship manager, and he previously served as regional secretary of the PGA North region and national tournament director.

Landscape industry set to be further polarised?

In a statement set to cause further concern amongst landscapers and garden designers, APL chairman Mark Gregory has called for the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) and the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) to join together and form one unified landscape association. Gregory also said that they [APL] should forge closer ties with the Society of Garden Designers (SGD).

A combined APL and BALI would only represent less than 5% of the whole of the landscaping industry but close association with traditional horticulture trade press means only those who operate within these organisations will be promoted.

In an article on the Hort Week website [it's no good linking to it because the page is now behind a paywall] Gregory called the unregulated landscaping industry 'a tramps' trade' and said: "Anyone can call themselves a garden designer or a landscape contractor and charge whatever they want."

Avant Tecno are coming to Creating Landscapes

It's been another good week at the Landscape Juice HQ after receiving confirmation that Avant Tecno will be attending our Creating Landscapes trade event in October.

It was at the Saltex show last September where I first spoke to Jukka Vaattovaara and since then, Stephen Ingram has continued the discussion.

Stephen recently met up with Jukka at The Hire Show, asked to see the layout plan, pointed at a particular stand area and said, "Stephen, put us down for that one”.

Avant Tecno will occupy an island area of 100m2 close the demonstration area.

Exclusive interview with APL chairman Mark Gregory

Mark Gregory has had just over five weeks as the new chairman of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) and made contact with me here at Landscape Juice after I questioned whether it will be 'same old same old' during his tenure.

Mark and I spoke for just over and hour on Friday morning in what turned out to be one the frankest discussions I've had with anyone from either of the UK's landscaping and horticulture associations.

Mark talks candidly about how dissatisfied British Association of Landscape Industries' (BALI) members, under the leadership of Alan Sargent, broke away to from the APL and why he wishes he was 'mature enough' to talk Sargent out of the move and encourage him to sit down and work out their problems and how the APL is not able to operate without the financial support of the Horticulture Trades association.

The Good Gardeners' Association

Here's a little blast from the past for all you organic gardeners. I've been sent this image of a Good Gardeners' Association newsletter dated 1 December 1972 - it starts off:

My Dear Fellows,

Greetings at this festive season! May you have a blessed Christmas with lots of Compost-grown Vegetables to eat and lots of Compost-grown Flowers in your vases. I shall even have a Compost-grown Goose!

The Landscape Juice Network - its aims and objectives

The Landscape Juice Network (LJN)

What is it?

LJN is an open association of individuals and companies involved in landscaping, garden maintenance, horticulture and garden design.

The site is free to join. There is no restriction to being a member and all information -with the exception of that exchanged within a few specialist groups - is available for anyone to read and comment upon.