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Is exterior landscaping ready for a makeover?
10 May 2006
If you thought exterior landscaping was all about hanging baskets and window boxes, think again!
When it comes to crafting the great outdoors, it seems that a taste for the unusual is definitely on the increase. As Anita Young, National Sales Manager for UK’s leading exterior landscaper, Greenscene, explains, this change in taste is not limited to the trendier areas of the South East: “More and more hotels, pubs and other public venues are gearing themselves up for a possible smoking ban later in the year; so the focus for exterior landscaping is definitely on providing an ‘outdoor sanctuary’ for smokers to escape to. Let’s face it, the last thing hotels and pubs want to do is make their smoking customers feel ostracised. By creating a sheltered, screened area for them using, for example, exotic bamboos and other architectural plants, they can make ‘the great outdoors’ a great place to be – and hopefully keep their smokers coming back!”
But creating these oases of greenery is not for the faint-hearted and companies often find they need to bring in experts to achieve the desired effects, especially if they don’t have the time, inclination or green fingers to create these gardens themselves.
All in all, this is good news for the exterior landscaping industry in general but means that specialists like Greenscene, who have been providing garden excellence for over 20 years, need to think even more creatively! Anita believes the influx of garden design programs and a desire for more green living is fuelling this demand for creative use of outdoor spaces; “I’ve worked in this industry for over eight years and I’m still amazed at what we’re asked to create, from the smallest roof-top gardens, through to landscaping projects. Everyone, it seems, has a desire to create something different and unique.”
Even the more traditional landscaping forms - using hanging baskets, window boxes and containerised schemes - haven’t escaped this desire for a makeover, as companies realise that attracting more customers is about making their premises look as inviting – or as different - as possible. “Hanging baskets, window boxes and planters not only provide year-round interest, they make a positive statement about a business too, and can look as traditional or contemporary as customers want them to be.” explains Anita.
Drought-hit areas such as the South East can still enjoy colourful hanging baskets without having to worry about hosepipe bans and other watering restrictions with Greenscene’s stunning new range of replica hanging baskets. Despite looking almost as good as the real thing, though, there are still those die-hards who really can’t resist the allure of a real basket! But how do you keep a basket looking its best in a drought area, when we all know how much water these guzzlers need' Once again, Greenscene has the solution. By carefully selecting more drought-resistant plants, such as Decora, adding more water-retaining granules to the soil and inserting a Smart cushion at the bottom of the basket to prevent leakage of water, their baskets require less water than traditional counterparts.
Following their acquisition by interior landscaping experts PHS Greenleaf in Spring 2005, Greenscene have gone from strength to strength and are now seen as one of the most experienced landscaping companies in the UK. With over three fully functioning nurseries, a national workforce in excess of 350 staff and the financial backing of a well-respected interior landscaper, the company is well-placed to meet these latest exterior trends – however unusual they may be.
For more information about Greenscene, please contact Anita on 0845 345 9808.
Greenleaf