Archives: Portfolio
The Garden Consultant’s Handbook Chapter Eighteen: Distance Reports
Distance Report – An Example of a Discussion Document to Aid a Dispute Resolution Distance reports are written documents provided by an Expert Witness for use when visiting the site is impractical due to distance. Courts allow an amount of £750.00 as compensation for such reports, which is not sufficient to cover a two-day commission … Read more
The Garden Consultant’s Handbook Chapter Seventeen: Domestic Garden Landscape Disputes
The following article has been reproduced unabridged from The Expert Witness Journal, written in late 2019. It is the only such document for use in the field of expert witnesses, being the first to be commissioned. Although many of the comments and much of the advice has been repeated elsewhere in the handbook, I have … Read more
The Garden Consultant’s Handbook Chapter Fifteen: Extant Reports
Extant, meaning existing or still in existence, is a particular type of report, usually commissioned by a client who is looking for a snapshot-in-time record of whatever exists at the time of the consultant’s visit. They are therefore very straightforward in general, although there are times when confusion reigns, and all you can do, is … Read more
Business Referrals
How To Use Business Referrals Business referrals are recommendations about your services or products made to others by satisfied customers. They are a personal endorsement of your company. This guide looks at how to generate and utilise referrals for the benefit of your business. Why Business Referrals Are Important Many forms of advertising and PR … Read more
Warranties And Guarantees For Landscape Projects
Some contractors are only too keen to offer a warranty or guarantee to their clients, using the perceived benefit as part of their sales and promotional campaigns. ‘All works guaranteed for one year/two years against faulty workmanship and material defects’ ‘Materials and labour warranty valid for twelve months from completion’ ‘We are proud to offer … Read more
The Garden Consultant’s Handbook Chapter Fourteen: Working Practice Surveys
One of the most lucrative commissions available to Garden Consultants are those that involve Management. Working Practice Surveys and Working Practice Guides specifically designed for a particular site are extremely valuable to land owners and Management Companies. I have worked for several major Estate Agents who have specialist departments set up to manage and run … Read more
Lone Working In Various Scenarios
The subject of lone working has been problematic for many years, although recent technology has greatly improved matters, from the ‘old days’, certainly when I started out 54 years ago! I thought nothing of carrying gelignite, cyanide, petrol, arsenic and similar lethal materials in my van in the late 60s. Add hydrochloric acid to that … Read more
APL information on a Full Accredited membership
The first criteria of joining are 2 years trading as the business applying. If ltd status is achieved during this time, sole trading periods are considered. If you fit this criterion, your next step would be to fill out the APL Accredited application form. Submit this with 4 references, a copy of your cert of … Read more
Becoming an APL Member
Thanks for enquiring about membership to The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) as an APL Designer (MAPL). Firstly, I thought I would take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Phil Tremayne and I manage the APL. APL Designer membership is applicable to any business that is supplying a professional design service. Preferably applicants … Read more
Border Detail Separation
Over the last few months, I’ve had many calls and queries regarding perimeter border detail, such as linear paving and setts separating from the main patio.This issue is generally associated with clay soils, but can happen due to many other circumstances. The main cause is that the border detail is laid separately from the main … Read more
How To Lay Porphyry Setts
Recently, I went to a house in Bowden, Cheshire, and saw one of the most spectacular driveways I’ve ever seen. It was laid in Italian Porphyry, laid in mainly 100mm x 100mm x 50mm setts. But it had larger units for the pathways and features. Speaking to the client, she told me a team from … Read more
The Garden Consultant’s Handbook Chapter Thirteen: Gardens Open To The Public
I have had the privilege of acting as Consultant to several large gardens over the past few years, helping to develop the sites into becoming more ‘commercial’ or profitable/less expensive to run through a host of different, yet related, methods. Not simply by improving efficiency, but by providing a raft of proposals and solutions to … Read more
Delegation
As a business leader or manager you will have to assign or allocate work to other people in your company or team. In other words you will have to delegate work. The dictionary definition of delegate is: Delegate (v. tr.) 1 to entrust ) e.g. a duty or responsibility) to another. 2 to appoint (somebody) … Read more
Civil Justice Council – Guidance For The Instruction Of Experts In Civil Claims (Cpr Pt 35)
‘Although the Court’s permission is not generally required to instruct an expert, the Court’s permission is required before an expert’s report can be relied upon, or the expert can be called to give oral evidence (CPR Pt35.4)’ When we are called upon, or commissioned to produce a report on a project, it is important to … Read more
Planting Selection – Designer Responsibilities
A major benefit of becoming a subscriber to The Landscape Library is the opportunity to ask any questions, or request an article on any topic that you feel has not been sufficiently addressed in a manner that suits your needs. These are mostly dealt with by personal individual email conversations as they are ‘site specific’. … Read more
Garden Maintenance Working Practice Letter Of Engagement
Within the Landscape Library – outside the Paywall, under Useful Industry Information – I have produced three sets of Terms & Conditions for use by Garden Maintenance Contractors, Garden Designers and Landscape Contractors, all progressively formatted for use in legally binding contracts. They are widely used by the industry – especially those for Designers and … Read more
Claims Against Contractors Using Household Insurance Cover (How To Avoid Them)
It is becoming increasingly common to find that householders are taking out home insurance policies that include legal cover that enables them to have use of solicitors and representation in the event of a situation arising from any complaint against a contractor, as part of that cover. Many such complaints concern potential claims involving allegations … Read more
Self Binding Gravel Paths And Driveways
The term ‘self-binding gravel’ is widely used in the landscaping industry as meaning a surface dressing material that is bound in position by means of fine particles of natural material, usually clay based, laid as a cosmetic and practical ‘veneer’, providing a uniform colour for use as pathways and driveways. I have been using self-binding … Read more
Negotiating – part one
I often encourage my landscaping clients to improve their negotiation skills – any discount you get on your inputs can go straight to the bottom line. In other words, you will make more profit by paying less for your materials and overheads! People negotiate every day of their lives and so whenever we are attempting … Read more
Negotiating – part two
In part one I introduced the concept of negotiation and considered the qualities required to be a great negotiator. Now I consider the process that you can take to pay less for your inputs. The Give Get principle Compromise can have a negative meaning for some people. For other it describes the necessary give and … Read more
Sunset Clauses In Designers’ Contracts
Strictly speaking, a Sunset Provision or Clause is a point at which certain elements of a contract draw to a pre-agreed close. In Parliamentary language, a sunset clause has an expiry date, which may be added to a piece of legislation that needs to used or tested by a certain time, and thereafter such legislation … Read more
Tree Roots And Their Effect On Paving/Driveways
Whilst I have been constructing gardens, including patios and driveways for over fifty years, mainly in the South East of England, during the past ten years or more, I have been dealing with failed projects that have become the source of Court disputes and claims. I act as a consultant and expert witness in such … Read more
Project Management Or Project Monitoring?
Garden Designers who work in a free-lance fashion, for their own clients engaged by their own practice are frequently called upon by their customers to ‘project manage’ a scheme, working for and on their behalf. Designers who work for a Design & Build company may also be charged with looking after a project that they … Read more
The Occasional Planter (A Working Practice Guide)
This article is written for the information and advice for all gardeners involved in maintaining gardens, and ‘hard’ landscapers who may not carry out planting projects under normal circumstances. The advice should be adapted to suit the nature of your relationship with the customer. If you are working on a regular weekly basis, managing and … Read more
Which Natural Stone Paving Is Right For You?
With porcelain paving taking over the world it’s safe to say it’s not every client’s preference let alone every contractor’s choice either. So, let’s discuss the paving choices and their positive and negative sides. This is a very personal set of comments – we all have our favourites! Indian Riven Sandstone Paving On the positive side … Read more
Disputes Involving Insurance Claims
A substantial number of homeowners carry insurance against all manner of misfortunes that may befall their property, including a policy designed to protect them from litigation by a third party, or to enable them to pursue legal action against a person or business who they hold responsible for any contractual issues that may arise during … Read more
Mobilsation Payments For Landscape Projects
Every landscape project should be carried out under a fully detailed, written, signed and agreed contract with both contractor and customer holding a copy for reference. The complexity of each scheme will vary, as will the cost. The format of the breakdown of the costings will depend on the ratio between various elements, including site … Read more
Modern Marketing Methods (Making The Landscaping World Go Round)
To many people, the very idea of marketing your business conjures up a vision of advertising and printed promotions – placing yourself in the eye of the target audience you wish to attract to your services. As landscape contractors, it cannot be denied that we do have a very attractive product to sell. Photographs and … Read more
Controlling Clients To Protect Your Finances
I have been designing gardens professionally for around thirty years, mainly in Britain, but also several in various European countries, although I have always considered myself a landscape contractor first and foremost. I believe it is because I have always thought and acted as a ‘contractor’ that I have (almost) never had any problems with … Read more
How To Cover The Costs Of Working With A Project Monitor
A very common scene nowadays will feature a garden designer – working under CDM Regulations 2015 – acting for and on behalf of a customer. Having completed the design stages of a project, the designer is commissioned on a further contract, by the customer, who has requested that the designer act on their behalf to … Read more
Dealing With Serial Non-Payers – An Action Plan
Although there are other articles in the Landscape Library covering Professional Non-Payers in various forms, there is one type of customer who manages to go well beyond the realms of simply being a poor payer, venturing into the depths of criminality due to their deliberate and persistent intentions to defraud others involved in landscape design … Read more
The Garden Consultant’s Handbook Chapter Nine: Garden Consultancy
Offering your services, skills and knowledge as a Garden Consultant to the general public is straightforward. Whatever medium you choose to advertise yourself will depend on the type of service you are prepared or able to offer. In the early days of setting up your business, image and style is everything. Designing attractive advertising material … Read more
Types Of Grouting Material – Making The Right Choice
Recently, there have been many issues and debates regarding grout gap widths and the best grouts to use and installation tips. When it comes to porcelain, my absolute go to products are Flowpoint slurry grout, two-part epoxy. It has to be GFTK and actual exterior grout wise Fuga Pave CH Flex and Fugabella. Fuga Pave … Read more
Contentious Ownership Of Materials On Site
‘A person steals, who, without the consent of the owner, takes and carries away anything capable of being stolen, with the intention, at the time of such taking, to permanently deprive them thereof, notwithstanding that the person, at the time of such taking, believed they were the owner, or part-owner thereof’ When I was at … Read more
New Products
Being an East Anglian by adoption and a great fan of the region, I am very interested in the companies in this region that display real excellence and how they achieve it. Once such company is the Southwold based Adnams Brewery, and another is the Norfolk based car manufacturer, Lotus. In an inspired move the … Read more
Landscaping Projects Halted Customer Insolvency
The recent war in The Ukraine and subsequent asset freezing of hundreds of wealthy Russians residents of, or owning properties in the UK, has highlighted a problem that has been under the radar for some years. With the Government intent on cracking down on fraud and money laundering, with so much revenue being lost to … Read more
The Garden Consultant’s Handbook Chapter Eight: Client Confidentiality
As consultants, everything we do should be confidential in the broadest of terms. We are being commissioned by our client/s to provide them with advice and qualified information and solutions to their request for our services. For this reason, I always insist on working to a written brief, with the name and address of the … Read more
Screen Fencing (No. Two)
It is difficult to know quite where to begin to describe this project. Screen fencing, using reasonable quality treated timbers, the contractor seemed to have very little experience in erecting fencing of any kind! Note the MetPost fixings bolted to the brickwork. (This was their second attempt – the first time, using 100mm screws, the … Read more
Screen Fencing (No. One)
This project involved erecting a timber screen around three sides of a rear garden, to a height of approximately two metres. The contractor offered a design and build service, with no independent designer’s specification. Presumably, the contractor won the project on price, as the quality of materials – whilst no doubt robust enough, and new … Read more