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 large properties or groups of gardens.
Working Practice Surveys are the initial foundation reports upon which all future recommendations are made. They set the scene for the management structure at ground level, and require the co-operation of the owners or Agents in providing further and future reports that lay out the working methods to be used moving forward. Therefore, it is vital that the original reports are as thorough as possible.
Crucially, having completed one of these surveys, it may be used as an example – in redacted form – of your work. Once you have undertaken a successful commission, the resulting document can become a passport to other sites. There are very few people with the practical experience to cope with high-profile management surveys, and are a definite niche market.
The Working Practice Survey set out below is genuine, and involved a London Management Company who were anxious to understand how the Gardens Department was operating, as it appeared to be ‘drifting’ with many long- outdated practices and working methods, that were not achieving successful results – and costing a lot of money (as well as complaints from residents about low standards).
The Consultant must be provided with full access to all areas, including sheds and offices, together with details of staff, their skills and abilities assessments and to time sheets and other staff related documents. The first part of the survey may be carried out working with a staff member, or on your own initiative, depending on the site and your own inclinations.
EXAMPLE OF A WORKING PRACTICE SURVEY REPORT
It recognises the potential variations between traditional working techniques and those proscribed herein. London Square gardens, in common with other communal City gardens, are often challenging environments in which to perform normal tasks, as there may often be variances that must be taken into consideration. This Policy aims to set out those variations, including (on occasion) within the same garden, together with standard good practice notes, clearly showing the differences and reasons for any recommended treatments.
NEW PLANTING, INCLUDING BULBS
It is recognised that some residents wish to see new, replacement or additional trees, shrubs, herbaceous and bulbs to be planted within their communal garden space, even offering to supply items personally. Whilst you may welcome their interest, it should not be permitted to accept these items or plant them without the express written approval of The Gardens Management Team.
The gardens were originally designed and planting schemes adopted. Over the intervening years, other plants have been introduced in an ad hoc manner, and the original scheme was partially lost because of these unplanned items; henceforth no more additions are to be made unless they form part of an approved scheme.
The ad hoc nature of some recent planting has diluted the original scheme as envisaged by the Landscape Architect, and in future years, as plants reach the end of their natural lives, it is recommended that areas are cleared – either wholly or partially – and replanted as an entity, taking the original scheme and intent into consideration, so that eventually, the aspirations and concept are returned. Therefore, careful and strict control over planting and planning are required.
LAWNS AND LAWN-CARE
As each garden area is different from the others – either due to root systems
e.g. trees growing within the lawn areas, or areas of bulb planting, depth of shade, general health of the grass/es, mowing regime and type of mower used (and number of cuts per year) – a host of variations even within the limited area of a London Square garden, each lawn should be subject to an approved care programme.
In general terms, simply mowing the lawns either as part of a regular working pattern, or working to a time table or diary, may not be the best maintenance regime for the health of the grass. Similarly, simply applying a variable range of fertilisers (including specific moss killers, weed killers etc as a dual or multi- purpose application) should be reviewed, and a specific programme produced for each site. Whilst recognising that several individual lawns will require the same treatment, undertaking a garden-by-garden analysis before any chemicals are applied in the Spring, will ensure bespoke treatment for each area.
*Consideration should be made of light/shade, tree root systems and proximity of roots to the surface (visual only), together with known bulb areas, existing general condition of the lawns, compaction of the surface, likely use by residents, areas of high level of use (pedestrian desire lines) etc during the drawing up of the individual programmes.
Areas of poor growth, obvious compaction or overuse, should be examined and a localised programme adopted. This may include the use of ‘Ground under repair’
signs and appropriate neat tape/bunting to discourage pedestrian use, especially when sowing or overseeding with the appropriate grass seed (to suit use and shade tolerance as required), and attendant watering operations. Avoid sowing too much seed, as the resultant growth may be too dense and the seed will fail. Similarly, avoid over watering or allowing the seed and new growth to dry out, and the seed/young plants will also fail through fungal rot or dehydration.
Taking tree roots into consideration, the use of a hollow tine spike machine may be required to increase the amount of air in the soil, the depth of each treatment to depend on the likely depth of tree roots. If an invasive, spike treatment is not possible, a thorough scarifying treatment may be required to improve the general condition by removing dead thatch and stimulating root growth.
It is proposed that one person be appointed to establish the requirements and programme as described, and to oversee the maintenance regime for the whole season, carefully monitoring the dates, times and details of the various treatments and application rates. That person should also be responsible for producing the materials/chemicals schedule required and maintaining the records of use, ensuring that sufficient stock is held for that season only. (Shelf life/storage of chemicals should generally be no more than one year, subject to type.)
MOWING AND EDGING
The bespoke nature of each garden should also be taken into consideration when mowing. Dependant on the site, the condition of the lawn/s and general use, it is advisable to adopt a policy of alternating the direction of the cut to avoid continually following the same track cut after cut. This activity will result in ‘rutting’ of the soil surface, even if this is not obvious on visual inspection. Similarly, the grass plants will tend to grow in one direction, making the cutting height of the operation uneven.
It is advisable to change the direction, not only reversing the direction i.e. cutting from left to right or right to left, but also by mowing diagonally, across the lawn i.e. North to South as well as East to West on occasion. In certain areas, it may be advisable to travel from corner to corner of the lawn i.e. forty fi e degree angle from the usual cut.
These changes in direction are important to the health of the lawns, as they ensure that each grass plant is cut to an equal length over a given period of time.
During particularly wet weather, or if the grass is very wet, the grass cutting machine should be set at a higher cutting height to avoid scalping the ground. It may also be advisable to work more slowly, avoiding sharp turns and too great a speed thereby causing physical damage to the surface either by the heel or ball of the foot or the sliding action of the mower when changing direction.
During periods of drought or extreme heat, mowing operations should either cease until conditions improve, or a decision is taken in consultation with the Gardens Management Team that mowing is necessary to maintain high visual standards.
In the event of mowing being considered desirable for reasons other than general maintenance, the cutting height should be set at the minimum required to tidy the lawns, and not too low as to scalp the grass plants thereby damaging the grass plants at root level.
All lawn edges should be maintained in good order, using sharp edging shears, held at or about ninety degrees (i.e. upright) when cutting to avoid sloping edges. If necessary, existing edges should be reinstated using a sharp half-moon to create new ninety-degree edges. All clippings should be removed as far as practically possible, to reduce the likelihood of seed heads germinating in the borders, and to maintain tidy beds.
WATERING (ESPECIALLY ON NEWLY PLANTED AREAS)
Each individual garden will have its own requirements for water. Some gardens have more trees than others, whilst others have greater lawn areas, or larger shrub beds. Therefore, it is not possible to prescribe a watering regime as a general rule.
However, it is suggested that each garden is subject to a watering monitoring regime, to recognise the day-to-day requirements of that site. As some gardens will requiremorewateratcertaintimesoftheyear, subjecttoawiderangeofconditions or reasons, it is recommended that the use of water should be controlled and applied with a degree of specific logic, not simply relying on the use of sprinklers or weep hoses.
It is suggested that a plan of each site is marked showing areas that require extra water at certain times of the year (e.g. some herbaceous during the height of their growing season) or less volume due to variety or species (e.g. lavender etc), and an ‘intelligent’ programme is devised.
These comments do not include any maintenance programme already in place regarding the condition of, or routine maintenance of the actual systems e.g. irrigation pipes, pumps and control equipment. The fact that an irrigation system is available and in good order is a different subject from the application and volume control of that system. It is helpful to note and record all matters regarding watering, as any variation noted may indicate a fault in the system, and require additional action by secondary means.
PRUNING
The pruning regime suggested for use in the gardens may/will be at variance from traditional techniques, and this advice recognises that fact. Please see attached schedule showing the major species to be found in the Gardens, together with one or two sets of pruning methods; one showing the ‘text book’ technique, the other describing pruning methods to be used in the gardens.
The primary reason for the variances – and the apparent contradictions even within that schedule – is the specific and peculiar nature of the individual sites, and the uses to which they are put.
For example, some areas of growth – shrubs, shrubs/trees, shrubs/herbaceous or a combination of all three – are performing more than one task. Whilst they are part of the overall planting scheme, they also act as a deterrent, either as a barrier to discourage unauthorised desire line footpaths or to serve as screening.
Screening may be desired by residents to block out a certain view, from their windows, looking into the garden, or from those residents who are using the gardens and wishing for greater privacy. Therefore, certain shrubs (and tree growth, although trees are not included in this Policy document) will require a different logic and pruning techniques, not necessarily recommended in ‘text books’.
It may be presumed that all dead, dying and diseased material should be removed as the first priority. If in any doubt, check with the Gardens Management Team.
Barriers may be supplemented with additional physical methods including tape or by weaving hazel pea/bean sticks within the undergrowth to permit the shrub growth to recover and secure the pathway.
Security, screening and physical deterrents to very specific or general areas must be recognised at all times. If in any doubt, before undertaking anything other than general approved pruning you should seek authority from the Gardens Management Team, as there may be a sound reason for not carrying out the work in the traditional approved manner.
FERTILISING AND SOIL CONDITIONERS
The use of any chemicals is to be carefully monitored. It is understood that weedkilling operations are undertaken by registered approved contractors, and therefore is not included in this schedule. However, the use of fertilisers and other generally innocuous chemicals should not be carried out in an unplanned manner. Too much of one chemical may upset the balance of another, and even the use of the everyday fertilisers such as bone meal and Growmore NPK are to be kept to a minimum (If in doubt, refer to the Gardens Management Team as soil tests may be advisable).
No chemicals should be applied except under the right conditions regarding temperature, wind speed and rainfall/atmospheric moisture content. All chemicals must be stored correctly, and any time limited materials disposed of in the approved manner and not used.
Check condition of products prior to using, removing any clumps or lumps of congealed material. Ensure that Risk Assessments are completed before operations commence.
It is recommended that the beds in all of the gardens are in need of a substantial mulch (75mm) of spent mushroom compost, to improve worm activity and the general condition of the soil. However, as this will be a time-consuming project, it is proposed that forty cubic metres be purchased annually, (subject to Annual budgetary constraints) and used around the various gardens on a rotating basis, year on year. This is an important part of the Horticultural requirements of the Gardens, and will help with the appearance and general wellbeing of the grounds. It will reduce the water requirements and the need for chemical fertilisers.
LEAVES AND LEAF FALL
Leaf fall, and especially areas where leaves will collect due to wind direction or natural barriers encourage the build-up of leaf material, should be monitored throughout the year. Obviously, Autumn is the time when the majority of leaves fall to the ground, and a period of one or two months will see much activity in the various gardens.
Leaves should not be allowed to build up in any area, and must not be permitted to smother plants or lawn areas. They should be collected on a regular basis and removed to the site compost/green waste area.
The use of mechanical blowers, whilst essential to normal working practices, should be limited to blowing leaves only, and not used as a ‘cleaner’ or in place of a rake or broom. Too much high-pressure wind around the roots of plants, especially herbaceous specimens and grass plantlets will damage the health of these living materials by scouring the roots and exposing them to dehydration. (This potential problem may not be obvious to the casual observer).
Whilst it is tempting to use a blower to remove leaves from in between herbaceous plants, care should be taken to reduce the intensity of the wind speed to a minimum.
Similarly, using a blower to clean granular pathways will result in scouring the surface, removing the ‘fines’ that bind the path material together, resulting in a loosened surface layer prone to migration and areas of ponding where the levels have been altered or reduced. Try to avoid using the blower to achieve a final finish, but limit its use to that for which it was intended.
BULBS
In general terms, bulbs require little by way of maintenance. All existing areas and groups of bulb plantings should be recorded in the Estate records, including, if possible, their varieties and dates of planting.
No new bulb planting should take place without the express permission of The Gardens Management Team, and as part of a wider programme to ensure that the overall design of the gardens is not affected.
Bulb management is limited to feeding and the removal of the dead and dying growth following flowering.
Feeding should be a regular part of the annual works schedule, comprising of a single application of 38g Bone meal applied as a granular feed to the area of bulb planting and well-watered into the soil (as it may attract foxes and other vermin).
Maintenance per se is restricted to the removal of the green leaves of the bulb plants. It is important to leave the green material untouched until the leaves have become brown and dead. The nutrient content of the greenery should be permitted to return to the bulb for the future health of the plant. If the ground shows signs of ‘holes’ where the leaves have died back, these should be top dressed with fine soil or prevent the incursion of narcissus root fly (unlikely – but it will prevent the bulb from dehydration).
END OF REPORT
You will have noticed that the difference between sound horticultural practices and those proposed in the report recognises the specific requirements of the site, and attention is drawn to the reader of that fact. This is because the staff are expected to read and understand the report, and not argue or dispute the validity of the points raised by the Consultant.
Both sides of the garden as seen during the survey. The fence and bank on both sides are in danger of collapse. The ground is clay, the ground levels to both neighbouring gardens are higher than the inspected site.
When the fence falls over, or the bank collapses, both neighbours can claim from the owner. The owner is liable as they did not instruct a Principal Designer (Structural Engineer) and will have to settle any claim. The owner can then claim against the contractor.
It is not the remit of a consultant to make any recommendations regarding liability. Indeed, you should refrain from doing so unless specifically asked by the Court for an opinion.