Category: Projects

Transforming the ‘Hanging Gardens’ of Basingstoke

 

Basingstoke, a town in Hampshire, England, boasts more than just its historical charm and convenient location. Nestled within its boundaries lies a unique architectural gem – Mountbatten House, also known as the “Hanging Gardens of Basingstoke”.

Originally named Gateway House, this six-story building was constructed in the 1970s for paper manufacturer, Wiggins Teape. What truly sets Mountbatten House apart are its cascading roof terraces, designed by renowned horticulturist James Russell. These lush green spaces not only add a touch of nature to the urban landscape but also contribute to the building’s environmental sustainability.

Currently undergoing renovations, Mountbatten House is poised for an exciting future. The project aims to create a green workspace, incorporating modern amenities while preserving the building’s heritage and unique character. It is set to become one of the greenest workspaces in the southeast of England, attracting businesses seeking a sustainable and inspiring work environment.

 

 

We are tasked with supporting this big venture. With work due to begin in just a few weeks, we are busy making provisions. During our time on site, we will:

  • plant 88 trees across a variety of levels including terraces.
  • install a variety of gardens to add versatility and personality to the open spaces (these gardens will allow us to plant a wide variety of species of trees, shrubs, and plants).
    • a garden designed for the winter
    • a Japanese-themed garden
    • a vine-covered garden

This is an exciting project for us. We will post again during the work and again once the project is complete. Please be sure to follow us on LinkedIn if you are not already to be on top of the latest updates in the industry and with Panoramic Landscapes.

 

STIHL Working Wonders

 

Planting and Turfing at the new GB HQ for STIHL in Camberley, Surrey.

We were absolutely delighted to work on this soft landscaping project for Glencar. STIHL is a well-known name in the landscaping industry and due to their product’s popularity and continued growth, they had outgrown their previous premises.

Their new state-of-the-art headquarters is a behemoth with an area of more than 11,500m². The building is to be home to over 100 employees, where they will get to enjoy both the new building and the beautiful surroundings.

As per the STIHL website, they announced that “extensive planting will take place on site, so the building will be surrounded by landscaped gardens including native shrubs and trees and a wildflower meadow”. This is where we came in.

 

 

We planted an abundance of trees, shrubs, whips, and seeding throughout the site. In addition, we laid turfing in certain sections to segregate and introduce multiple zones to the area. Notable mentions from this project include the stunning inclusion of Tillia Tormentosa (Brabant) trees, as well as using Aber Sustain seed – a new product from Germinal Seeds.

Our team as always worked diligently and achieved a great finish. The Contracts Manager Alfie Winter worked closely with our Project Manager, Joel Bridger. A great team effort.

Panoramic is still the number one choice.  To discuss similar and other soft landscaping projects with our team, or to obtain a quotation, please contact us.

 

Our Project Recap for 2023

 

As we head towards the end of another successful year here at Panoramic Landscapes, we are taking this time to reflect on the twelve months just gone and some of the more significant projects we have completed.

Our team continued to grow, achieve great milestones, and secure several large and interesting soft landscaping projects. We’ve picked out some of our favourites that we have covered in posts.

 

 

Feb 2023 – Making the Connection in Swindon

Working with Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd, we lined the sides of a new connector road linking two area of Swindon. Throughout their time on site, our team planted over 800 trees, 40,000 shrubs and hedging, and more than 98,000 square metres of seeding.

 

Mar 2023 – Preparing Plots in Peacehaven

Worked with Boutique Modern Ltd. to help deliver a modern and landscaped housing area for Lewes Council. Works included more than 600 tons of topsoil, 1,000 tons of subsoil, 1,000 metres of turf and meadow mixture seed mix, and more than 4,000 shrubs and hedging plants.

 

May 2023 – Seeding New Life in Southwark

Rejuvenated an inner-city space with repeat client Guildmore Ltd. Implemented 40+ trees including multistems, 700+ hedging plants, 4000+ shrubs, and 500m² of turfing.

 

June 2023 – Making Movements at Mole Business Park

With the project headed by Collins Construction Ltd, we provided the soft landscaping works to support the expansion of an existing business centre. A sizeable project with more than 7,000 plants and 22 trees installed.

 

July 2023 – Memorable Memorial Gardens

Large project with main contractors WW Martin Ltd, transforming the Memoria Faversham & Mid Kent Memorial Park & Crematorium. The works consisted of 217 trees, 4,000 ornamental shrubs, 3,000 native hedgerows plants, 1,000 bulbs, 3,000m of turf and the addition of aquatic plants to the ponds.

 

September 2023 – Taking Trees to Braintree

Working with Horizon Construction Group, we provided turfing and trees for a multi-million-pound residential care home. This included 871 metres of turfing (70m of which was WFT34) and 36 trees. We have a partnership with Wildflower Turf Ltd and made use of their Landscape 34 product in this project.

 

October 2023 – Working Wonders at Winscombe Court

Working with Kentish Projects, we installed more than 60 trees, including a Quercus Robur, planted at this luxury housing development in Kingswood, Surrey.

 

Swanley High Street

Working with Guildmore Ltd., we supplied and installed trees, shrubs, hedges, turf, sowed amenity seed as well as providing ongoing maintenance.

 

Hemel Hempstead Crematorium

Working with Buxton Construction, we installed 33 trees, hedging, shrubs, turfing, sowing amenity, and wildflower seed as well as providing ongoing maintenance.

 

We have thoroughly enjoyed working on these projects. The hard work from our foremen, site supervisors, and office staff has allowed us to consistently deliver the high-quality workmanship our clients now expect of us. We look forward to seeing what projects 2024 has in store for us.

If you have a project in mind for us, please get in touch with our team to obtain a quotation. https://www.panoramiclandscapes.co.uk/

 

Working Wonders at Winscombe Court

 

More than sixty trees including a Quercus Robur planted at the luxury housing development in Kingswood, Surrey.

Winscombe Court is a prestigious development of two-bedroom apartments in the heart of Surrey’s sought-after London commuter belt. The area boasts easy links to London and has the rolling hills of the North Downs on its doorstep. This prestigious development required a luxury landscaped surrounding to suit. Credit goes to our Business Development Manager Dan Trendall for securing this wonderful project.

Our teams have produced a fantastic finish with a scheme made up of sixty-one trees including four Liquidambar Grandifloras, and a 20-25 cm girth Quercus Robur (English Oak) which can be particularly hard to source. Our talented team headed by Alfie Winter delivered without issue. Alongside the trees, clean lines of hedging interjected with flowering shrubs and pollinating plants help elevate this project. This is married with a vast lawn allowing for a natural journey through the landscaping for the residents.

 

 

Working with Kentish Projects who understands the importance of the landscaped space and allowed us to show the knowledge and experience we are lucky to have within our site teams. It was a real pleasure to work with a management team that had a clear focus on providing an outstanding space and who took such enjoyment as the scheme took shape, so thank you to Kentish Projects for allowing Panoramic Landscape Contractors to be part of this exciting project.

Always nice to get to say thank you to a client for supporting and working with us to produce such an essential part of any project.

Kentish Projects specialise in creating high-quality homes that fit seamlessly into their surroundings and breathe new life into established communities. See their website for further information.

 

To discuss similar and other soft landscaping projects with our team, or to obtain a quotation, please contact us. Please be sure to follow us on LinkedIn if you are not already to be on top of the latest updates in the industry and with Panoramic Landscapes.

 

Taking Trees to Braintree

 

Turfing and trees for a brand new multi-million-pound residential care home in Braintree, Essex.

The £8.4 million care home project that was awarded to Horizon Construction has been developed to provide quality accommodation for up to seventy-five residents. It will be Avery Healthcare’s first care home in the Essex area. The home is set within grounds that we had the pleasure of transforming.

 

 

Following the securing of the project by our contracts manager Michal Kurek, our teams worked diligently to complete all tasks within the agreed period.

 

Our team were on site for just four weeks and installed:

  • 871 metres of turfing (70m of which was WFT34)
  • 36 trees.

WFT34 is the shortened name for ‘Wildflower Turf’s Landscape 34’ product.

 

We have a partnership with Wildflower Turf having used their products on several projects. Their unique soil-less system is weed-suppressing, easy to handle, and delivers a guaranteed wildflower environment every time. The turf is laid differently to normal turf – a process that our foremen are trained in, with two members of the team also being accredited installers.

The success of the project and the day-to-day management reflects the hard work put in by our foreman Marcin Jankowski and the talented soft landscapers.

To discuss similar and other soft landscaping projects with our team, or to obtain a quotation, please contact us.

 

Memorable Memorial Gardens

 

Landscaped gardens at a brand-new memorial park and crematorium in Faversham.

Late last year, contractors WWMartin were awarded the Design & Build contract for a brand-new crematorium facility located in woodland on the outskirts of Faversham, Kent.

 

 

Our Business Development Manager Jackie Hynes managed to secure the soft landscaping works with us starting activities on site in February 2023. We are pleased to say we have finished on schedule. This is thanks to the hard work of the team who were on site and our foreman Oleg Medulics who managed the project from start to finish.

 

Another larger project, with the installation works consisting of:

  • 217 trees
  • Over 4,000 ornamental shrubs
  • Over 3,000 native hedgerow plants
  • Over 1,000 bulbs
  • Over 3,000m of turf
  • Aquatic plants to the ponds

 

The new Memoria Faversham & Mid Kent Memorial Park & Crematorium offers cremation facilities and the Garden of Remembrance which we helped bring to fruition. The site boasts manicured gardens and relaxing country views in a beautifully landscaped setting.

We are pleased to have been able to meet the vision set out by the client. To discuss similar and other soft landscaping projects with our team, or to obtain a quotation, please contact us.

 

Making Movements at Mole Business Park

 

Soft landscaping works to support the expanded business centre.

As part of the Mole Business Park expansion project headed by Collins Construction – which saw new steel-framed office and warehouse buildings erected along with additional parking spaces, there was a need for new soft landscaping works.

The soft landscaping, designed by Turkington Martin was set out to complement the existing surroundings whilst maintaining an understanding of the practical function. Jackie Hynes, our Business Development Manager secured this project for the team.

Works began in January 2023 overseen by foreman Mandi Bushaj and involved the use of specified subsoil placement to form a free-draining structure to support the planting of beds and topsoil. We ensured the beds had sufficient planting depths to sustain the volume of planting required to allow settlement and amelioration.

 

 

The team completed on-site in March 2023 after having planted:

  • 7,000 plants
  • 22 trees

Meticulous site planning allowed for the space to be broken down into smaller phases – helping to ensure planting gaps were consistent and to address the slight changes in construction on site alongside the main contractor and design team.

The success of the installation draws from the communication of the site team involved and the allowance by our client to plan and implement with clear open space. A good job all round.

 

To discuss similar and other soft landscaping projects with our team, or to obtain a quotation, please contact us.

 

Seeding New Life in Southwark

 

Rejuvenation of the inner-city space at Tissington Court.

We were recently appointed by repeat client Guildmore to carry out the soft landscaping works for the grounds surrounding Tissington Court in the Silverlock estate in Southwark.

Tissington Court, an existing building is being redeveloped to provide 35 properties for social rent, 14 one bed flats, 12 two bed flats, and 9 three bed flats. The rejuvenation project includes the redevelopment of the landscaped grounds which is where we come in.

 

 

Our business development manager Dan Trendall has been overseeing this project and the soft landscaping works which included the implementation of:

  • 40+ trees including multistems.
  • 700+ hedging plants.
  • 4000+ plants including shrubs, herbaceous, climber, grasses, and more.
  • 500m² of turfing.

 

The Panoramic Landscapes team worked efficiently under the supervision of our Foreman Alfie Winter and have now completed the first phase of what will be a larger project.

To discuss similar and other soft landscaping projects with our team, or to obtain a quotation, please contact us.

 

Preparing Plots in Peacehaven

 

Working with Boutique Modern to help deliver a modern and landscaped Cripps Avenue for Lewes District Council.

Boutique Modern were appointed by the council to deliver hundreds of council homes across the Lewes district and the local area, including for a new set of homes on Cripps Avenue in Peacehaven.

They specialise in high-quality, sustainably built, affordable housing that is manufactured offsite before the completed homes are transported and installed onsite, reducing the impact on the environment and the build-time of developments whilst also ensuring quality and certainty of cost.

Our business development manager @DanTrendall secured the contract. This is our first time working with Boutique Modern and it has been a smooth project.  This is due to the good relations we have built with the client, our talented grounds team and our foreman on site @JamesHead, who is overseeing the project. Completion is anticipated to be just around the corner.

 

 

Works began in December 2022 and across these past four months, we have provided and installed:

  • More than 600 tons of topsoil
  • More than 1,000 tons of subsoil
  • A selection of trees around the site
  • Over 1,000m of turf and Meadow Mixture seed mix.
  • Over 4,000 individual shrubs and hedging plants consisting of edible plants, native hedging, climbers, and many others.

To discuss similar and other soft landscaping projects with our team, or to obtain a quotation, please contact us.

 

Making The Connection in Swindon

 

Lining the new Southern Connector Road with trees, shrubs, and seeding.

The team here at Panoramic Landscapes were recently awarded the work for the soft landscaping lining the Southern Connector Road in Swindon, which is currently in development

Congratulations go to Jackie Hynes, our Business Development Manager, Jackie worked with our Client Buckingham Group to ensure the transition to the operations team allowed a great start to the project.

The Southern Connector Road is a two-way single carriageway that is one and a half miles long and will provide a vital link between the New Eastern Villages and the roundabout near the Great Western Hospital. Further details on the project including the planning documentation can be found on the Swindon Borough Council website.

 

 

Our on-site teams began work on January 23rd, 2023, and have already made great progress. Over the course of their time in Swindon, they are scheduled to plant over 800 trees, 40,000 shrubs and hedging, and more than 98,000 square metres of seeding. The site is being overseen by our experienced Site Foreman – Thomas Childerhouse.

To discuss with the team or to obtain a quotation on your next soft landscaping project, please contact us.