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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…
As Blue Monday is fast approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to give a small reminder to our community here on Landscape Juice to remember to tell people about your worries and if you’re having negative thoughts. Talking about emotions…
“Gardening programmes tend to be very ‘traditional’ white middle-class in their attitude towards gardening”, Julia Sargeant said in an interview after she won gold at Chelsea Flower Show in 2016. She was the first black gardener to design…
Studies report that burglary is one of the most emotionally impactful crimes to be a victim of. The prevention of being succumbed to it is always at the back of our minds – is anything on show? Are all the windows closed? Did you definitely lock…
Dan never knew that he would be orchestrating a ten-man-band five years ago when he packed in…
This series isn't just for landscapers and gardeners starting out: it's also a refresher for existing…
Open forum activity
"I have a 6ft pair of Niwakis, wish i’d had them years before I did. I initially got the 8fts and immediately realised they would be a pain for the majority of hedges I used to cut. I think they are brilliant just make sure they are seated properly.…"
"I wouldn't cut a hedge without one. Anything over 6' you should get with 3 adjustable legs, otherwise they can be unstable if you lean - but positioned correctly they are the only way.
Befrore retirement I had an 8' and a 4; . The 4' went in the…"
Befrore retirement I had an 8' and a 4; . The 4' went in the…"
"Yes had that scenario where you can't reach a fiddly bit no matter what ladder and have to balance on the apex of a shed roof or do best job painstakingly with a long reach pole pruner . "
"We've just finished our second week, so that's a full round of all customers now, and didn't have a single one we couldn't do. It's been a really good start here in the north west and now with nice sunny weather coming up this week it's a great time…"
"I'm very wary of these tripod ladders, I took a life changing fall from the top of a 12ft tripod. Now I only use them myself with great care. The issue is that they are very unstable at the top if you lean to either side, and they go with no…"
"Done a couple of second cuts already this last week would you believe. It's almost as if the grass has a memory of last year's drought and is making up for it now plenty of moisture available"
"the tripods are good but in some scenarios the wide base and the fact the 3rd leg has to be placed some distance away from the step part for stability makes this large foot print impractical eg when cutting hedge behind a shed or greenhouse with…"
"Never tried these but always thought they look a bit of a pain to cart about. Looking at the picture, seems you're quite away from the hedge so you have to reach out more? I just use ordinary aluminium extension ladders that you can easily adjust…"
"Tripods are better than any other ladder that's a fact. You can cut hedges that are lower than the ladder but it is more awkward, I have a 6ft amd a 12 foot been using both for the last 15yrs and haven't come stuck yet. Believe me once you've had…"
"I agree with HB. 12 foot Henchman with 3 adjustable legs are fantastic and we use them all the time."
"You won't regret it, they are most comfortable ladders to use. Worth every penny."
"Increase prices every year, costs go up every year both on business and at home so otherwise your taking a pay cut, i dont get greedy i make small increases annually but as I do it every year and customers have learned thats part and parcel of it,…"
"i have two sizes and couldnt be without them, as use the smaller set for lower hedges so ladders never in the way and ive never bothered with the platform ladders"
Does moss always = full renovation
Hi.Does a mossey lawn always equal a full lawn renovation? Once you kill (or control) moss the customer is left with brown / black dead moss all over their lawn. So then its needs scarifying to rake it up, then usually a preseed fert, seed and top…
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Views: 397
Tripod ladder user? Your advice sought please!
How do you get on using a tripod ladder taller than the hedge you're cutting? Are photos using them like this practical?I cut a variety of heights and only want to buy one new ladder to rule them all. I currently use a folding combination ladder…
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Views: 328
Ride on mower/ ride on plant are you covered?
Some of you may not be aware that your public liability insurance does not cover you for accidents/ damage whilst driving ride on machinery across car parks or on private roads. A separate policy "Road risks" is required regardless of whether the…
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Views: 74
Sick pay insurance
Hi all. Hope everyone is getting off to a good start this season.Can anyone recommend a decent sick cover or work injury company. There's a lot out there so solid suggestions welcome pleaee
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Views: 65
Comments
On the flip side, the vision of you all cycling to the job towing a small trailer, cutting lawns with a scythe and doing all reshaping jobs with just a shovel does not come easily.
It's something we want to feature a lot at the show as it's a fascinating debate - for example, the growth in gravel and grass stabilisation products have created far more hard surfacing options than when I was contracting in the paving business, the famous front garden drainage legislation and, of course, the cost implications to all of this which I suspect are at the heart of many decisions - will your customers pay you to do all trimming, cutting and digging without using any power tools?
It would certainly do something to stimulate employment but one imagines the minimum wage would have to be reviewed PDQ?
The feedback I get is the consensus view seems to be that often eco legislation is conceived in what might best be termed an economic vacuum - too often the practitioner feels totally remote from what he or she reads.
Or maybe `i'm wrong?
industry the sustainablity issues can be mitigated by ensuring that the relationship with the 'soft landscaping' remains strong. This parellel is vital to the industry and would be strengthened if hard landscaping backs off a little from the construction industry as a whole.
I think the great 'greenwash' debate has been truly warped by politics and particularly the subsequent reporting by the media - for example: Planting a tree to offset CO2 - the UK government have allowed a position to develop where CO2 sequestration by way of planting can only be recognised through multi national trading. This has meant that the fact that if you planted your own CO2 offset it is not official and therefore doesn't seem to count. This is nonsense - plant 6 young trees a year to offset your vehicle's emmissions, (in your clients gardens or your own).
The present state of the industry requires an industry based show, the PR drive of the last two decades has left a lot of the shows and media in a position where they have deliberately created an echelon to the industry which is both no longer relevant to the masses of smaller outfits, (the core of the profession), and truly unsustainable. With the new force that is the LJN together with the shows and media stepping in to replace the old traditionals that now appear to simply further polarise the whole issue there can now be a real showcasing of landscaping and its sustainable credentials.
As such I believe the traditional industry media can now be very easily ignored by the average practitioner, it is simply been left behind and as such most of the legislation is also. There are now many smaller outfits discovering and sharing sustainable techniques, (the Rammed Earth blogs an example) and subsequently the legislation is also being pre empted by the practitioners in many cases from the simple fact that there was a void before.