Forum

Replies

• PRO

  Nick @ NM Garden Services Ltd September 13, 2014 at 5:55pm

  We supply operatives to keep Heathrow Airport open when it snows. We clear snow from the taxiways, runways, aircraft stands at all 6 terminals as well as the airside roads.
  
  We are actively recruiting for more people for this winter after we were granted an extension of the contract which we have had for the last 2 years.
  
  See my discussion here for more info: http://www.landscapejuicenetwork.com/forum/topics/unique-winter-wor...
  
  Nick.
• 

  Peter September 14, 2014 at 7:42pm

  Good example of diversification in your business, I knew a farmer who had a contract to mow the grass areas at Stansted airport. He made more money doing that than harvesting thousands of acres of arable crops.
• PRO

  Simon Land September 14, 2014 at 7:55pm

  Hi Peter,
  
  I'm doing a course shortly in traditional hedge laying. I see this as an area I would slowly like to become more specialised in, one as it can provide good, interesting winter work, and secondly I see it as a bit of a dying art. Like most things in this industry there are few young people doing it so I see it as a skill that could become more sought after (and hopefully profitable) in time.
  
  I would also be interested into diversifying into traditional willow/ hazel sculptures for many of the reasons I have mentioned above.
• 

  Gary Hedges September 14, 2014 at 8:25pm

  I looked into this Simon I really think this is a good skill and as you say possibly lucrative, unfortunately the course was not at a convenient time of the year, it's certainly something I intend to do in the future.
  
  
  Simon Land said:

  Hi Peter,
  
  I'm doing a course shortly in traditional hedge laying. I see this as an area I would slowly like to become more specialised in, one as it can provide good, interesting winter work, and secondly I see it as a bit of a dying art. Like most things in this industry there are few young people doing it so I see it as a skill that could become more sought after (and hopefully profitable) in time.
  
  I would also be interested into diversifying into traditional willow/ hazel sculptures for many of the reasons I have mentioned above.
• PRO

  Simon Land September 14, 2014 at 10:33pm

  Well my understanding is that hedge laying season runs from roughly October to March. The hedge laying society I am having the course with begin running these in October, so maybe this is something you could look into - end of the day it's only a day or two out of the work schedule at a time when maintenance would be starting to slow sligtly
  
  
  Gary Hedges said:

  I looked into this Simon I really think this is a good skill and as you say possibly lucrative, unfortunately the course was not at a convenient time of the year, it's certainly something I intend to do in the future.
  
  
  Simon Land said:

  Hi Peter,
  
  I'm doing a course shortly in traditional hedge laying. I see this as an area I would slowly like to become more specialised in, one as it can provide good, interesting winter work, and secondly I see it as a bit of a dying art. Like most things in this industry there are few young people doing it so I see it as a skill that could become more sought after (and hopefully profitable) in time.
  
  I would also be interested into diversifying into traditional willow/ hazel sculptures for many of the reasons I have mentioned above.
• 

  Peter September 15, 2014 at 5:26pm

  There's a days course hedge laying near me, £85 for the day including lunch, seems a bit steep but I suppose there's not too many places you can learn it.
• 

  Gary Hedges September 15, 2014 at 7:32pm

  Depends how good the lunch is :)
• 

  Freshscaped September 15, 2014 at 10:03pm

  sounds cheap to me - tutors, accommodation, materials have to be paid for plus overheads, how many on it, hundreds?
• 

  Peter September 15, 2014 at 10:53pm

  maximum of 12 people, there's 5 booked on it at the moment. Think I might do it as it's in late November, always fancied having a go at it.
• PRO

  Simon Land September 16, 2014 at 6:53am

  Prices will vary by mine is £40 for the day (no lunch). What sold it for me is that 12 people on the course but 6 tutors, so with one tutor to a pair of students it should give us plenty of 'teacher time' rather than getting lost in a bigger group with just one tutor.