In this episode I speak with Tim Davies from Tim Davies Landscaping, a landscape design, construction and maintenance company based in Perth. Tim started in the industry almost 40 years ago at King’s Park botanical gardens in Perth and has built his business up to now have 120-130 full time employees. No surprisingly, Tim has got plenty of advice to share from his time in the industry, and while I usually have three or four valuable ‘clips’ to choose from to post to Instagram from the chats with...
Oct 02, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In this episode I speak with Glenice Buck from Glenice Buck Designs. Glenice runs a landscape design, garden maintenance and tree consultation business based in Young in NSW working with herself and her husband in the business. She first knew she wanted to work as a garden designer when she was 7-8 years old, so her passion for the industry is obvious. We talk about the importance of designing a garden for the space it's in, the benefits of proving her consulting clients with to-do lists, and al...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 37
In this episode I speak with Adam Hompas from Adam Hompas Landscapes, a landscape construction company based in Melbourne. Adam started out working in Commercial Landscaping before moving to domestic landscaping projects and starting his own business, so he talks about the differences between the two sectors. He's currently working with Landscaping Victoria to launch a wellbeing hub, which will be a resource centre for landscapers to go to to be able to get help or education about improving thei...
Sep 18, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 36
In this episode I speak with Eden Hill from EHL Landscaping, a construction company based on the Central Coast of New South Wales. Eden has been landscaping since he was 14 and running the business since he was 19, which was only 4 years ago. The things he's doing inside and outside of his business are what many landscapers who've had their business for 10+ years aspire to do, so it was an awesome chat to have with Eden. He employed a business coach early on, and has clear goals set out for the ...
Sep 11, 2022•1 hr 31 min•Season 2Ep. 35
This weeks episode is a different format to the usual schedule. Previous guest Dan Foreman was the landscaping ambassador at the recent Melbourne Home Show, and part of that included designing and building a display garden, and he also organised to have a heap of different designers, landscapers and suppliers come in to be interviewed by him on stage. This episode is my chat with him where we discussed things like choosing the right landscaper, the importance of making a plan prior to starting l...
Sep 04, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 34
In this episode I speak with Nick Conley from Nicklaus Landscaping, a landscape design and construction company based in Northern California. Nick has been in business for around 6 years, and something he did early, which he's no doubt benefited from, was obtaining the services of a business coach. Specifically one who previously worked in landscaping, so we discuss that. Nick also talks about the reason why he wants to build a successful business that will allow his employees to support their f...
Aug 28, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 33
In this episode I speak with Hoppo from Hopkins Construction. Andrew runs a construction company with a landscaping and carpentry crew in Melbourne, and has been doing so for the past 5 years. I first met Hoppo on The Block in 2019 so we discuss our time there, as well as some business tips that he's learnt along the way, such as employing people to do the things you're not good at. We also discuss charging for quotes, getting budgets off clients and whether you should have clear boundaries betw...
Aug 21, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 32
In this episode I speak with Dean Herald form Rolling Stone Landscapes. Dean runs his landscape design and construction company in Sydney, and has done so for more than 30 years, starting out on his own before building the business up to a super high end company building some of the best landscapes in the country. Dean shares plenty of tips and advice in this chat, and it's all achievable for any sized business, which I found fascinating. Simple things such as turning up on time make you stand o...
Aug 14, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 31
In this episode I speak with Sam Langham from Outside Indulgence Pools and Landscapes. Sam runs a design and construction company based in South West Sydney and operates with 6-8 staff. Throughout this chat I realised that Sam does a lot of the 1%ers really well, things like putting time into customer service/communication, ensuring staff are taught and teach things the right way, lots of small things like this that seem obvious, but not a lot of companies do. We also discuss potential benefits ...
Aug 07, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 30
In this episode I speak with Tim Pilgrim of T.P Gardens. Tim's company is based in Central Victoria and he does Landscape Design, Installation and Maintenance. He describes his style as Naturalistic gardens for a modern Australian context, and his Instagram page illustrates this brilliantly. While researching Tim, I saw on his website that he lists a 'from' price for the services he provides. I thought this was a great idea so we discuss the benefits of this. I also brought up two stunning garde...
Jul 31, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 29
In this episode I speak with Matt Hiner from Hiner Outdoor Living, a landscape design and construction company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Matt designs and builds some of the most amazing natural water features in the world, with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop to many of them. In this chat we discuss how he started out working for himself, with just $300 to his name, and how he built his business up to where it is now, turning over around $5,000,000 annually. He shares some advice on...
Jul 24, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 28
This week I speak with Josh Hooper from Landscape Techniques. Josh runs a design and construction company in South Australia, working in the top end of the market on some of the best properties in Adelaide and the surrounding suburbs. In this chat we talk about the challenges of growing your staff numbers, advantages of using/buying the best equipment or tools for the job and the importance of a healthy body and healthy mind. You can follow along with Josh on Instagram @landscape.techniques You ...
Jul 17, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 27
In this episode I speak with Alistair Kirkpatrick who works for Stratis Landscape Architecture. He was previously a joint owner of AKAS Landscape Architecture. Alistair is a Landscape Architect and also teaches at RMIT, Melbourne University and Melbourne Polytechnic and has been proactive in teaching the Architecture students more about plants and horticulture than they'd otherwise learn. We discuss Alistair's first interaction with horticulture and the path he took as a student and then startin...
Jul 10, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 26
In this episode I speak with Inge Jabara from Inge Jabara Landscapes. Inge runs a design, construction and maintenance business around Melbourne. My favourite part of this chat is when Inge mentions the systems and procedures 'bible' she's produced over the years, which is a document which lists almost every procedure done within the business. We also talk about how Inge started in the industry as well as Inge's time working on TV shows like The Block. You can follow along with Inge on Instagram...
Jul 03, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 25
In this episode I speak with Simon Davies from Manuka Gardens in the Australian Capital Territory. Simon and his wife run a full service company which includes design, construction and maintenance, and he has a team of ten staff. Simon is another guest who has mentioned the impact his early employers have had on his career/style/knowledge. Simon comes across as very employee focused and is proactive in looking after his teams mental and physical wellbeing, so we discuss that in this episode and ...
Jun 26, 2022•40 min•Season 2Ep. 24
In this episode I speak with Shaun Laurie from Laurie Landscapes, a design and construction company based in Melbourne. Shaun has been running the business for around 5 years, employs 9 full time employees and is only 26 years old! When he explains the types of companies he worked for during his apprenticeship and as an employee, you'll be able to see these styles mirrored in his own unique style of the projects he designs and constructs today. We discussed what Shaun does to look after not only...
Jun 19, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 23
This week I speak with Bethany Williamson from Bethany Williamson Landscape Architecture which is based in Melbourne. Bethany is one of the top landscape architects going around and a visit to her website or Instagram page will prove this, as some of the projects she designs are simply beautiful. Bethany shares her story as a student and landscape architect prior to starting her own business, and has some great advice for anyone looking to do the same, such as deciding who it is you want to work...
Jun 12, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 22
This week I speak with Jayden Weatherley from Greener Visions Landscapes, a construction company based in Melbourne. Greener Visions has been a company I've admired for many years, as they're one of the top landscape construction companies in the country so it was great to have Jayden on. He talks about what it was like building a show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show as an apprentice, how that compares to building show gardens at the Melbourne Flower Show, and he also gives some great insight ...
Jun 05, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 21
This week I speak with Renee Reiter from Invidia Landscapes. Renee is a designer working in and around Melbourne. Although already working in the "Green Industry" straight from school, Renee decided to head back to school in her early 30's to study design as a mature aged student and started Invidia Landscapes from there. She was recently involved in the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show so we discussed what that was like and the success she's experienced from it. Renee also mention...
May 29, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In this episode I speak with an icon of the industry in Bruce Winstanley of Great Ocean Pools and Winstanley Landscapes. Bruce was a late starter in the industry but has had a huge impact on the professionalism and profitability for fellow landscapers through educating not only his employees, but also anyone in the industry who's wise enough to listen. Bruce has a great acronym that he measures his overall success by using WHIRL (Wages, Health, Investments, Relationships, Lifestyle) and goes int...
May 22, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 19
This week I speak with Andrew Smith from Warners Nursery in Melbourne. Andrew has worked at Warners since he left school 36 years ago, and shares some of the tips in this episode about how Warners is so good at retaining staff. Warners are also a significant contributor to the success of The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show each year, and Andrew is hugely involved in that too, so he explains some of the benefits of being involved. Andrew is also one of the great plant nerds, so the...
May 15, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 18
This week I speak with Tom Humphrey from Landscapists in Berry, New South Wales. Tom is one of four directors at Landscapists, and last week I spoke with Lloyd Sharpe who's one of the other directors there. Tom controls the office/design side of the business and has an interesting and varied path to get to where he is today, including working in garden maintenance, remedial building, studying art and travelling to the UK, before coming back to New South Wales. Tom shares advice on the benefits o...
May 08, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 17
In this episode I speak with Lloyd Sharpe of Landscapists, a landscape design, construction and maintenance company based in Berry, New South Wales. Lloyd is one of of four directors of Landscapists and is in charge of the construction side of the business, and on next week's episode I'll be speaking with the director who looks after the design side of the business, Tom Humphrey. Lloyd explains how and why Landscapists started as well as what he was doing prior to then, and we also discuss some ...
May 01, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In this weeks episode I speak with Mitch Kushturian of Exotic Living in Sydney. Exotic Living do Landscaping design and construction, but also Carpentry and Garden Maintenance, and while Mitch runs the Landscaping and Design side of the business, his brother runs the Carpentry and their best mate runs the maintenance. So we discuss how that all works. We also talk about Mitch's two times working on The Block. And Mitch explains how when he started out, he had a particular type of project he want...
Apr 24, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode I speak with Mon Palmer from Bare Cabo based in Perth. Mon also has a number of other business she runs including SGO Outdoor Showers, a luxury accommodation experience called Sebatikel, and she also runs a SkethUp course. So she's clearly knowledgeable about business and shares some tips in this chat, including that she's still learning despite being in business for more than a decade. We discuss the benefits of starting out how Mon did in construction, prior to moving to design...
Apr 17, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In this episode I speak with Dan Foreman from Danscapes. Dan is a landscaper and designer based in Melbourne and we've had this chat planned for a few months, but I wanted to wait until he'd built one of the show gardens at this years Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show before chatting to him. The garden he was construction manager for won the Mark Bence Construction Award. Dan seems like one of those people nobody could say a bad word about and I've had a smile on my face every time ...
Apr 10, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this episode I speak to Sean Collinsgru of Premier Outdoor Living in New Jersey, USA. Sean runs a successful deck and patio business of which he attributes about 90% of the source of work from his hugely popular social media accounts. He currently has 82,000 Instagram followers, 165,000 on TikTok and 196,000 YouTube subscribers. Throughout the chat, Sean gives some great advice about his most popular videos/posts and also explains the target audience for each platform. Sean also hosts a great...
Apr 03, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode I speak with Ben Hutchinson from Ben Hutchinson Landscapes based in Melbourne. Ben is a great example of how you can be a landscaper and not do all of the various roles within landscaping. Ben's niche is native/natural gardens, usually featuring an amazing water feature/pond. He's a certified Aquascape contractor and has travelled to the USA to hone his skills and make valuable contacts. I love talking to people who are passionate about their work and Ben is another lucky person ...
Mar 27, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In this episode I speak with Ian Barker from Ian Barker Gardens and it's one I thoroughly enjoyed recording. Ian runs a landscape design, construction and maintenance business based in Melbourne and will celebrate 25 years in business later this year. Ian has designed and built multiple show gardens at both The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and the Chelsea Flower Show, winning Gold at both events. We talk about them as well as Ian's experience meeting the Queen. Ian shares some ...
Mar 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this episode I speak with Clint Adams of Hectogon in South Australia. Clint runs four different businesses under the one umbrella including an irrigation supply store called WaterPro, landscape supply yard called Railways, lawn fertiliser business called LawnHub and is about to release an app called Dirt Cart. So with all of this in mind, it's obvious Clint knows a thing or two about business, and businesses related to the landscaping industry. Clint is also a current board member of the Mast...
Mar 13, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 9
