How I got into landscaping
I always wanted to become a landscape designer. To achieve this I thought it would be a good idea to gain some physical experience of the industry. I’m still gaining that experience through working at Johnstone Landscapes’ as a foreman for over 15 years.
Why I love landscaping
I get to work on various exciting projects such as adapting 2500sqm of a concreted padded roof above an enclosed reservoir in the heritage City of Bath as well reinstalling a green roof on a hangar in a protected conservation area just off of the M4. I love the process of taking an empty and poorly used spaced and transforming it into something that looks like it belongs there. The satisfaction of improving an existing landscape is hard to beat. I lead the teams on both domestic and commercial projects and during the last 12 months have managed to get involved in more engineer based work – with a strong biodiversity angle. I also love my job because my dog Brian accompanies me everywhere and when not at work, I enjoy a scotch – along with a Instagram blog under jake_and_bri #pawmanswhisky
My advice to tomorrow’s landscaper
Keep improving at maths, it’s crucial. Also, take photos of anything and everything that catches your eye. Inspiration and detail can be found in all aspects of life and transferred to the landscape.
