August Round Up | Chris' Trip And New Training Days

August Out... September Incoming!

August, does anyone else feel like you blinked and missed it? September is on the horizon, and with that comes a new season and always exciting opportunities. 

This month has been bustling with activity, which includes new product launches, dates and venues released for upcoming training days, planning for FutureScape as well as building a creative space at Landscapeplus HQ and more... 

Chris even took a trip across the pond, heading over to visit Kasco in Minnesota and Aquascape in Chicago for Pondemonium® 2024.

Pondemonium® 2024.

Aquascape announced at the beginning of the year that Pondemonium (often referred to as Pondo by the cool kids) was to return IN-PERSON for the first time since 2019. As excitement built in Chicago, it wasn't long before 9 of the 27 UK CAC's (Certified Aquascape Contractor) had booked their flights to join the event which would take place at Aqualand, the home of Aquascape. Chris joined them for 4 days of action packed Aquascape madness including pond tours, seminars, award ceremonies, wild swimming, networking with the worldwide TRIBE, a pond build competition (which was proudly won by the UK & International team), and plenty of time in the pub, of course! 

Once he's caught up on his sleep and shaken off the jet lag, we'll get a full debrief from him! So keep an eye out for that. 

 New in-lite products in stock! 

We have had two new in-lite products hit our shelves this month. The AIM & the MICRO SCOPE. You can check out full reviews of both these products over on our YouTube channel >> 

Journey's End 

Colby and Josh from Aquatic Landscapes had their hands full turning an existing pea-green pond into this absolutely stunning work of art. Measuring a whopping 750,000 litres, they installed a lot of kit to achieve their clients wishes of gin-clear water, including 2x Oase XL drum filters, 6x Oase moving bed modules, 2x Oase discharge chambers, 6x Oase 180 watt Bitron UVC pond clarifiers and an Oase fleece filter (the first to be installed in the UK). We were lucky enough to visit this project and the pictures don't show just how incredible it is. The sheer size of the pond and the clarity of the water is mind-blowing! Colby and Josh have done an exceptional job - well done! 

2024/2025 Training Days  

We are excited to announce that we will be restarting our training days and events in October. This time we'll be focusing on irrigation and water feature systems, along with a few other events sprinkled in along the way. We have teamed up with friends from within the industry to host and be involved in these days. We may release more dates and events over the next few months so please keep an eye out on our website and social media. You can find out more information and book online via the "Training Days & Events" page within the Knowledge Centre on our website. 

KENT - Wed 30th October 

DURHAM - Wed 6th November 

SURREY - Thurs 12th December 

LEICESTERSHIRE - Wed 15th January 

MANCHESTER - Wed 12th February 

Other Training Days 

As well as a selection of Irrigation and Water Feature training days, we are also running an Outdoor Lighting Seminar at The Glasshouse Collective in Surrey on Thursday 31st October. This event will run in the evening, and will be a great opportunity to see a variety of light fittings at night. 

Our Meet The Supplier event will also be making a return this Autumn, also at The Glasshouse Collective, on Thursday 3rd October, so keep an eye out for more information on the event coming soon! 

Chris's Pondo 2024 Highlights 

• Everyone was willing to share their tips and tricks, which you don't get anywhere else. 
• The pond tours on the Saturday were a personal highlight. The home owner's faces were beaming with delight and pride showing off what Team Aquascape had done in their gardens. 
• Aqualand - Yes I have been there before but it was -10°C weather. This time is was 30°C and the plant life, animal life and ecosystems were at their peak. It's breath-taking! 
• Winning the regional build. Working with the best of the best in the UK and Australia reinforced my appreciation for what these guys do on a daily basis.  

Chris's Kasco Trip 

• The factory blew me away with how innovative the factory lines were. Parts are 3D printed when required rather than outsourced which could become expensive especially if something is discontinued. 
• I've never been to a factory where they are so happy for me to take pictures and videos. Everyone was so friendly and they all took time out of their day to talk through the processes they go through when making, servicing, photographing and packing products. 
• The two days were full of amazing hospitality and a great insight into the daily running of Kasco. 

Overall it had been a pretty full on month, and we are excited to see what September has to offer us!