Landscapeplus Events 2020 - January/March

Hitting the ground running would be the understatement of the year (so far!), with New Years celebrations a distant memory the team have been as busy as ever with events far and wide. In this months blog we've highlighted some of these events...

Hunter HQ, San Marcos & Production facility, Tijuana

Over the past few years we have seen huge interest in irrigation systems from tap based to tank and pump with particular growth in large irrigation systems. Our brand of choice for many years has been Hunter for a variety of products from controllers to pop-up sprinklers. Hunter are family owned and are world leaders in the irrigation market with their head quarters in San Marcos, California.



Our own Ryan and Paul have recently been lucky enough to hop over the pond and take a look at the Hunter facilities in both San Marcos and Tijuana. Upon their return they explained to the Landscapeplus team just how impressive the trip was, seeing firsthand the detail, development and testing that goes into each product. Be sure to ask either Ryan or Paul next time you talk with them, they'll be happy to share their thoughts.

Oase HQ, Germany

With Ryan and Paul heading off to Hunter it's only fair that Chris and I had a little trip (we'd only moan otherwise!). Over recent years the aquatic side of Landscapeplus has really gone from strength to strength, with more aquatic specialists than ever choosing Landscapeplus as their go-to supplier.




In our eyes there is only one brand within the aquatic market... Oase have a reputation for Germany quality and innovative products. We jumped at the offer to visit their HQ to see their manufacturing and testing facilities. Oase pride themselves on 'handmade in Germany' and I can confirm this is very much still the case.

Our tour started with a look at the indoor and outdoor testing facility; a vast space packed with ponds each with different fish stock and filter sets being monitored daily to ensure the products are checked in all situations. After this we took a look at a testing area for the Oase Fountain Technology range, where there was a £150,000.00 setup being tested for a cruise-ship installation that performed to Lionel Richie 'All Night Long', impressive to say the least! Finally we had a behind the scenes tour of the production process seeing everything from skimmers to pumps and even drum filters being built.

Live Lighting Workshop
Following on from the success of our first lighting demo towards the end of 2019, we have already had two more great sessions this year! When talking about lighting design it's always difficult to explain the different effects of light fittings... we can of course give our opinion on the correct fittings for a situation but who's to say this is what the designer has envisaged? Giving customers an opportunity to get 'hands on' with real working systems has proven invaluable and provides designers with the opportunity to see first hand the range of effects different fittings give. This is a form of training we are keen to roll out so keep your eyes peeled for the next session and contact us if it's of interest!

Hands on Irrigation Workshop
Continuing with the training theme... Irrigation has always been the cornerstone of what we do; a well planned irrigation system has huge horticultural and environmental benefits. With the constant development of new technology and products, we've been out and about keeping customers up to date with the latest systems. Most of our customers feel at ease installing tap based systems but are weary of the larger systems feeling that a tank and pump system is beyond them; we've been working hard to eliminate these concerns. We've carried out several 'hands on' training sessions and will be continuing to do so, give us a call if you'd like to learn more!

Without doubt two highlights of the industry year that I’m sure we all look forward to! We will be joining industry professionals to celebrate another great year in Garden Design and Landscaping. Both events are brilliant for catching up with customers and making new connections. I'm always taken back by the overall quality of work involved and massively proud to play our small part. Keep an eye out for me and Paul, and do say hello!

‘Supporting the industry’ is a phrase that is widely used amongst Landscaping and for great reason. I truly believe that as an industry we are brilliant at looking after each other be it simple advise, a helping hand, some of the great work that our industry bodies do or the amazing support offered by industry organisations such as Perennial, Go Landscape or World Skills to name a few. In recent years we’ve pushed a new initiative to help train the industry in Lighting, Irrigation and Water Feature systems this has been both with customers and at Landscaping & Design schools.

We’ve recently been to Nottingham Trent University to talk with their 2nd & 3rd year design students and we’re looking forward to visiting Inchbald School of Design. In my opinion there is nothing better than helping someone who is at the start of their journey, seeing them develop and grow in the industry. There has always been a feeling that the industry has an age gap; I believe it does (in my opinion, largely due to the public undervaluing the skills we have within the industry - a topic we could talk about all day long!) however the talent and creativity that we see when carrying out training is a huge reassurance that we are all in safe hands moving forward.

Planning is fully underway for this years Chelsea Flower Show. we’ve been lucky enough to support some great gardens over the years and this year is looking no different! As we all know, planning would have started long ago for all of the 2020 RHS shows, but around this time of year is when it all really kicks into gear for us.



Paul has been out and about meeting with designers and contractors, talking about this years lighting schemes along with a few water features too! Chelsea aside, we have the pleasure of working across the country on most of the RHS shows. They offer a great opportunity for designers to experiment and inevitably lead to some amazing schemes! If you’re planning a show garden and would like to include water features or lighting then feel free to give us a call!

We’re heading North!
Once again we will be packing the van up for a week long trip on the road! Along with customer visits, Paul is going to be hosting a couple of great events.

The first, on Tuesday 18th of February at Johnsons of Whixley. We will be teaming up with The APL and Marshall's for a day of Natural Stone, Lighting and Bio Security - If you're interested in joining there are still spaces available, so give us a call to book your space!

We're then heading back to Scotland!
We don't venture into Scotland as much as we'd like (the 800 mile round trip might be one reason why!) but on Wednesday 19th of February we will be hosting a Skills workshop on Water Feature design and build followed by a Lighting session to include a live demo. Once again we will be joined by The APL who will round up the day with a Bio Security debate. The event is to be held in Linlithgow and has limited spaces left as it has booked up fast! Give us a call if you're interested and we'll do our best to squeeze you in.

Are you looking to organise a day out for your staff? Looking to learn some new skills? Get advice on a build or want to give your students a more hands on experience? We can help!

From organising educational days to training in Ponds, Irrigation or Lighting we are always looking for opportunities to help build knowledge within the industry.

For more information on training days, to organise one of your own or arrange for us to visit you, feel free to call us on 01666 577577 or send an email to help@landscapeplus.com.