2010 started with the worst January in recent memory, which prevented us doing any meaningful work until the end of that month
However once the snow had been brushed aside we resumed services with a project for Brunswick Park Primary School Barnet. This involved the installation of railway sleeper planters on a difficult sloping site, with a self sufficiency brief  to encourage the children to grow their own produce. Alfie Bines Gardens put in some permanent planting (all edibles and herbs) leaving the school to infill all kinds of vegetables and flowers grown from seed. The garden has been a great success and in the summer gained top prize in the National Children’s Garden Society awards and also an award in the Barnet in Bloom competition. A credit to the children and staff at Brunswick Park Primary.

Chelsea Flower Show

Spring saw the preparation and build up to our second year at Chelsea Flower Show. This year Tomoko Osonoe, the designer had teamed up with her partner Kei Iwata to produce a modern Roof Top garden, named “The Waterless Water Garden”. Our senior landscape foreman, Richard Brisbin headed up the construction team and despite some obligatory “challenges” such as generator breakdowns and missing plants, the build came together in time for the deadline and secured a Silver medal to add to our Silver Gilt in 2009.
Tomoko and Kei have now returned to Japan to further their horticultural horizons and so unfortunately Chelsea will not be an option for us this year, but the experience has been so enjoyable that I am sure we will return at some stage.

Take a look at our pictorial record of the build.

After Chelsea some normality returned and we have completed some pleasing domestic projects; amongst a whole variety of work we have undertaken our first ever artificial lawn as part of a small child friendly garden project in Alexandra Park; a state of the art planting installation designed by  Chelsea award winning designer  Kate Gould for one of our garden maintenance customers in Finchley; a comprehensive redesign and build of a garden in Muswell Hill involving a York stone terrace and natural plantings, and the transformation of two gardens into one for regular clients in Crouch End, who have accordingly converted two houses into one.

Notable among our commercial landscape work has been the re-vamp of a Children’s story telling garden for “Discover”, Stratford. Discover www.discover.org.uk is a splendid activity centre for kids with story telling props both inside and out, and our job has been to redefine the layout, with new plantings and the re-directing of pathways.

And so the year has ended in a similar way to the beginning, with the worst December in recent memory. But as always we look forward to the new year with optimism and take the opportunity to wish all our valued customers and suppliers a splendid 2011.

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