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British landscaping an...
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Cornwall Landscaping's Discussions
Water towers
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Quite an engineering feat, assuming this is not mains water. What is the angle of ascent? How much water flow is required? In theory it is possible to do by way of siphoning, but this just won't work over any time and the storage tank and downward...
I hate spiders. But if this rain keeps up its going to be jellyfish and sharks we need to look out for.
Count youself lucky one of the commercialestaes we look after has Pratts Bananas next to it! when we have hot summers you should see some of the spiders about. I havent been biten yet and hope im not. Had the bloody horse flys, ants etc. and evry ...
what about Calais?. Hop on Eurostar every day.
Mole Valley Farmers and presumably their equivalents across the UK do the 'Camelot Horse Manure Compost'. You can usually get 5 bags for £10. This is great stuff as it really is well rotted. I hate to say it but often the roadside or friend of a f...
Surely the web has done the damage, which is not a bad thing. So many magazines have faltered by sticking to a journalistic thread which simply doesn't appeal. The majority of Hort Week now is simply exact copies of quango and NGO press releases w...
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- Cornwall Sustainable Landscapes
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- Cornwall Sustainable Landscapes are a co operative of likeminded professionals covering a wide range of disciplines in the landscaping and environmental management industry.
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Retaining Stone Walls in Cornwall - Failure in Older Structures
Following the recent adverse weather some older Cornish retaining walls have collapsed and there have been several enquiries relating to this, there have also been some real problems for clients with regards dealing with the insurance companies. Assessors tend to have a knowledge only within the construction industry which consequently leads to confusion and then often refusal of payment, this subsequently leads to the loss of a historical and traditional feature of the region. However often the… Continue
Posted on November 18, 2009 at 7:30pm — 2 Comments
Contaminated Soils. Bunding and Landscaping for Sustainable Development
Further to an earlier blog and the subsequent comments by John Honeyman.
This blog is to highlight a compromise in the dealing with contaminated soils, which is already well established across the EU and US and has been approved for several schemes in the UK. It is a simple but very cost effective method of dealing with soils, which would normally have to be removed at high cost. T… Continue
This blog is to highlight a compromise in the dealing with contaminated soils, which is already well established across the EU and US and has been approved for several schemes in the UK. It is a simple but very cost effective method of dealing with soils, which would normally have to be removed at high cost. T… Continue
Posted on October 10, 2009 at 4:30pm —
The EC Landscape Convention and The Future of the UK Landscape Industry
This all encompassing title is perhaps a shade too grand for what I am to write, which may be added to in terms of the way the UK, (which has now ratified the ELC), make headway within its guidelines.
The Treaty in Full -… Continue
The Treaty in Full -… Continue
Posted on October 4, 2009 at 10:30pm —
Quay Construction. Traditional quay build with dry stone in Cornwall
We are currently in the middle of two adjacent contracts constructing quays on the edge of the Fal estuary in Cornwall. When we first quoted and tried to gather as much information about quay construction as possible it was difficult to discover much at all. The BS information is based la… Continue
Posted on August 14, 2009 at 8:00pm — 7 Comments
Feng Shui and Landscaping.
Feng translates simply as wind and Shui translates as water.
The following is an abridged brief paper by Dongsu Jang, (Dept. of Landscape Architecture, Hankyong University, South Korea). It does negate the now inherent view of Feng Shui as an 'interior designer led, sandals and lentils, buzzword' but is in fact a real science taking into account all the factors needed to design large scale landscaping or woodland.
The paper was delivered to the International "Cultural Heritage and Sustainable… Continue
The following is an abridged brief paper by Dongsu Jang, (Dept. of Landscape Architecture, Hankyong University, South Korea). It does negate the now inherent view of Feng Shui as an 'interior designer led, sandals and lentils, buzzword' but is in fact a real science taking into account all the factors needed to design large scale landscaping or woodland.
The paper was delivered to the International "Cultural Heritage and Sustainable… Continue
Posted on July 20, 2009 at 12:00pm —
Comment Wall (17 comments)
- At 12:17pm on February 22, 2009,
dgeorgea said… - In many ways accessibility, in terms of getting to the location is not really your issue to deal with. Accessibilty once there is of course a major issue for you.
Public areas need to be accessible to all, this can bring some very interesting challenges if you think about who may use the area, it's location etc. Wheel chair use is an obvious one, but even a short walk for someone with back problems can be challenging. The ability to stop and sit down at times helps a great deal. This doesn't have to 'seating' as such.
A major side issue with accessibility is encouraging people from deprived areas to want to go to/use these facilities. Here is where you are probably struggling. From talking to TMOs around the country I know there are areas where people spend most of their lives in their own community, going to the local town is a major excursion that needs planning and most people don't bother.
I don't know your experiences, and it may be that you will need to do some rethinking. Many contractors are used to getting a contract and doing it. With government bodies, trusts etc this may work on small projects but not on larger ones. Think about the way public policy is going, it is about local empowerment, involving residents/service users. What are the main issues? Education, health, capacity building - buzz word meaning giving local people the knowledge and skills to do things for themselves - and worklessness.
Do some research, what are the aims of organisation/quango, who are the top people? what are their particular hobby horses? Because these will be filtering down.
Bottom line, you need to bidding for the contract, but you will also need to be adding in something to involve local people/communities into your calculations. Possibly even to the extent of employing a community worker.
Yes it would be quicker and cheaper to just do the job yourself, but large organisations like the ones you are talking about are probably looking for more, because that is what is expected of them.
Getting local communities involved helps to give them a sense of ownership and pride, which in turn makes the project more community friendly, sustainable and used.
Lets take the forestry commission. One aim could be to encourage more families/children to use the area. Look at involving schools, toddler groups, family groups. Even think of producing a booklet that encourages children to look for particular features, and gives some facts. You don't have to produce the books, just supply them to the client in pdf format or whatever to distribute. Many secondary schools struggle to find opportunities for work experience. If the project is due to take place during this period that could be another way.
If they are wanting to encourage minority groups then approach the local mosque, or other group which these people use regularly.
Disability? get the local special schools involved, or liaise with Contact a Family.
Think about how you can use these groups, both for the project and when it is completed. On a large project you may decide to do a butterfly walk. After you are gone it will need to be maintained, a local school may be interested in taking it on long term. Or it may you will be required to maintain the project afterwards, long term local involvement might certainly help.
But what about the other end of the project, how involved are these various people in design stage? Who is making the choice between which materials to use? who is designing the rest area? Deciding what options to use? Your client has probably got a duty to consult and are looking for partners who can work with this.
Other things to consider is that various people use spaces differently. For instance there is a wealth of research on how young people use open spaces. Anti social behaviour is often inappropriate behaviour in the wrong place. Playing ball games where young people are likely to make a nuisance of themselves or break windows in anti social. Therefor you 'legitimise' their behaviour by providing areas where they can play ball without causing so much disturbance, or break windows. You will still get young people playing ball in the wrong place, but you minimise the problem. The same with open spaces. By involving local people you will get to learn their expectations and aspirations. These can in turn be fed back to the client.
You might also want to look at other resources you can tap into. For instance if you are working with a council estate you might want to link them up with Trafford Hall where they can learn skills like planning community gardens. Training is free for social tenants, and they will help with travelling costs.
In effect you are now covering all the main bases, education, health, local consultation, empowerment, capacity building, worklessness. You are getting the local communities engaged with organisation and probably helping to meet one of its core aims. You have created a huge press opportunity and advertising that would be expensive to pay for. You will probably find you are also able to tap into other funding opportunities for the project to meet some of the objectives. If you do use Trafford Hall what you won't see advertised is that you will be tapping local groups not only into a range of training opportunities but also a funding stream they can use. Trafford Hall offers grants of up to £3000 for groups who use their training.
It may take a lot of work on your part and it will probably mean a different way of working for you, but it would certainly put your bids head and shoulders above those who are simply applying for the project. I would be very surprised if you had a couple of successful projects that it didn't start opening other doors to large contracts, and also smaller community projects.
Another thing to consider, and this is just starting to catch on is participatory budgetting. On a large project you will set aside part of the area and let the users decide what will go there. For instance you may find in a largish forested area there are people who want to use it for cycling. Remember what I said about anti social behaviour? They might decide that they want a cycle path which will test them. So you put aside part of the money and you approach the cyclists and ask what they want, and work with them and your client to create an area where they can do their thing without causing a nuisance or possible accident with pedestrians. They get their say in its design and possibly location. They are happy, your client is happy other users are happy.
Hope this helps.
- At 5:43pm on February 23, 2009,
Jonathan Hall said… - No problem, my pleasure. Let me know how you get on.
- At 6:51pm on March 17, 2009,
Invicta said… - Hello,
elgarparadigm@aol.comshould work?
Hope this helps,
Bern
- At 9:01pm on March 29, 2009,
RJ Landscape said… - hay thanks 4 message pipastalis hope alls well with lindsey and speak soon ....roge
- At 4:19pm on April 2, 2009,
Neil Petrie BSc Landscape Mgt said… - Hi there
I've just been reading through some of your website and find it most interesting. Although most of my work is in grounds maintenance I do have past experiece in the wider landscape and the countryside. You seem to have your finger in many different avenues of what I would generalise as 'landscape'.
Are these all areas that you have simply picked up on as you journey through the years or did you have specific experience in certain aspects of landscaping and landscape management?
I am currently reviving a woodland that makes up the majority of the grounds of a large house in troon, south ayrshire that was once designed with paths, tennis courts, raised islands and many other features that are now nestled in years of leaf mould. This was referred to me by the window cleaner who is a friend.
What avenues did you go down in order to be able to offer such wide array of interesting services?
Your reflections and ideas would be very much of interest to me.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Neil
- At 8:33pm on April 12, 2009,
pete said… - Hi CSL, I've got something I hope is quite dramatic to say on Dr Shigo - I have a photo but can't stick it to the text, I've been trying for a month, on and off. Took me ages to write this tiny bit (cos I don't know what I'm talking about really) but now you've put this up, I'll make a concerted effort. Good for you CSL. Too much talk of work on here.
- At 11:49pm on April 15, 2009,
dgeorgea said…
- Thanks Pip,
Don't worry too much about the amount of bumpf, I've got very good at reading through papers and drawing out what I need.
Hope you had a good Easter.
- At 10:57pm on June 2, 2009,
Cat Fereday said… - Wheel out the joke, then - we're both fairly new to this Morris dancing lark, so you're fairly safe that we won't have heard it! Fereday will be pleased to be stunning French folk - he lived there as a child.... BTW, there was a French Folk side over 'on exchange' with White Rose MM recently....and thanks for the positive feedback on the blog - can get a bit disheartening when you don't get any comments under them and there are no counters... feels a bit like confessing to cyberspace!
- At 5:53pm on June 3, 2009,
Cat Fereday said…
- I love the joke! Thanks for the huge laugh!!!!
- At 9:08pm on June 22, 2009,
Helen Nock said… - Thankls for the feedback CL. Fingers crossed.
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