Employing Landscape Architects for Outdoor Venues

When it comes to hospitality events and planning, having the right venue is essential for the success of your event. From the table settings to the landscaping, every detail matters. For hotels, manor houses, and estates hosting gatherings, parties, or corporate events, large-scale landscaping can be crucial.

Professional landscape architects can help you create an elegant and wonderful space for your event, taking both safety and practicality into consideration. Our blog is here to explore how landscaping professionals can impact your hospitality venue, helping you create the perfect event with your planners. Whether it’s a birthday party, corporate event, or any other gathering, our blog is going to dive into the benefits and appeal of utilising outdoor venues with proper landscaping. To learn more, keep on reading.

What Is A Landscape Architect?

Landscape designers are professionals who work to create outdoor spaces that offer both functionality and wonderful aesthetics. They work with clients to design outdoor spaces that meet their requirements within a specific budget. The types of properties that landscape designers might work on include:

Residential Properties - Homeowners looking to maximise and enhance their garden spaces may use a landscape architect or designer to help them plan and design an improved garden space.

Commercial Properties - Commercial spaces such as offices, businesses, and other organisations with outdoor areas may enlist the help of landscape designers. They may be after a certain aesthetic to match their brand image and give a professional look.

Educational Institutions - Educational institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities may need landscaping to help them make their spaces aesthetically pleasing, while still being functional and practical for pupils, visitors, or staff. Aesthetically pleasing educational spaces can also be more enticing for parents and pupils who are considering attending.

Hospitality Venues - Hospitality venues such as hotels, estates, manor houses, and other venues with outdoor space may require the help of landscape professionals to help them curate their outdoor space, making it look aesthetically pleasing.

The Role of Landscape Architects in Shaping Outdoor Venues

Landscaping professionals can enhance a property or venue massively in a range of ways. Read below to understand how landscape architects help with shaping outdoor venues.

Creating A Unique Venue

One of the key roles a landscape architect plays in outdoor venue enhancement is creating a wonderful and unique venue identity. The use of plants, pathways, and even water features can reflect a venue's natural charm or help it achieve a more modern or rustic look. Through the careful selection of materials, plants, and the layout of the outdoor space, architects can create visually pleasing and memorable event settings.

Optimising Space

Landscape architects will design spaces that optimise the flow of people for an event, depending on different activities. They will ensure easy access to various event areas, as well as larger spaces for mingling. They consider how to best use the outdoor space in a way that makes a property adaptable to different events.

Natural Elements

Landscape professionals will be experienced in utilising natural features and existing natural elements on your property. Bodies of water, plants, and trees can be used by your landscape architect, combined with new flowers and plants to enhance the venue's aesthetic. Architects will typically use low-maintenance plants and flowers for these spaces so that there is minimal upkeep and year-round appeal for venue owners or event planners.

Adding Value with Bespoke Features

Adding value through bespoke features is another way that landscape architects can help make your venue special. From pergolas, gazebos, and even water features, landscape professionals can incorporate bespoke elements to enhance your hospitality venue for event organisers and guests attending.

Long-Term Planning & Maintenance

Landscape architects will choose materials and structures with long-term planning in mind. The materials and structures they decide to use on your property will be carefully considered and built to last. This helps to reduce the amount of maintenance needed for certain elements of your outdoor space. They may also provide you with maintenance plans or guidance, ensuring that your venue stays in proper condition and the aesthetics of your space are maintained.

Safety Considerations for Outdoor Venues

While landscaping professionals take aesthetics and practicality into great consideration, another key area that they focus on is safety. When designing and working with outdoor spaces, especially event spaces, safety is a crucial consideration that needs to be made.

Tree & Vegetation Health - Tree assessments and other evaluations are crucial for outdoor spaces to ensure the site is safe from falling branches, toppling trees, and other hazards.

Pathways - Pathways need to be slip-free, especially in high-traffic areas during events. Textured stones and good drainage can help pathways become less slippery and much safer for guests.

Accessibility - For event spaces, ramps and pathways need to be accessible for everyone, considering those with mobility issues.

Drainage - Good drainage is crucial for outdoor event spaces as it prevents water from collecting and creating slippery surfaces, which can cause falls or accidental slips.

Weather-Proofing - Adding pergolas, trees, and shaded areas for sun protection can be a great addition, especially during the summer. These structures and décor elements should also be fitted with extremely secure foundations to withstand windy conditions.

Outdoor Venue Spaces: The Benefits

Outdoor events are often a popular choice, especially during the summer months. A well-maintained and properly landscaped outdoor venue can offer natural beauty and many other benefits. Read below to learn more about why outdoor events can be beneficial with the right venue.

Natural Scenery

A well-designed outdoor venue can make the most of natural scenery, allowing the landscape and plants to act as décor. This can be great for event spaces and various properties. For hospitality venues, natural landscaping adds both visual appeal and gives more flexibility to guests. By emphasising the venue's natural elements, such as greenery, plants, and open space, venue operators can take a 'less is more' approach, allowing the space to be the decoration.

Space for Guests

Outdoor venues are a valuable part of hosting events for hospitality venues. Outdoor spaces are great during summer and autumn, especially for larger groups, giving them the space to move around freely and socialise. Spacious outdoor settings allow guests the freedom to explore in an inviting environment. For large corporate events or social gatherings, large outdoor spaces provide more flexibility and freedom to accommodate larger groups.

Memorable Experiences

Outdoor events have the advantage of being more memorable, especially with the right landscaping. There are endless ways that hospitality venues can utilise natural scenery to enhance the aesthetic appeal of their property, making it a memorable and special event for guests.

Lizard Landscape Design: Landscaping Professionals

Our blog has looked at several ways in which hospitality venues can enhance their outdoor spaces to create wonderful and memorable special events. Whether it’s for corporate events, birthday parties, or other gatherings, there are several ways that hospitality venues can enhance their property and ensure a safe event for everyone attending. Working with established, professional landscape architects is an essential part of enhancing your property for your next event.

Here at Lizard Landscape Design, we offer full landscaping services for a range of different projects. We bring expert care and attention to detail with every project we work on, taking aesthetics and practicality into careful consideration. If you're looking for comprehensive landscaping services, from the design process to tree assessments, our team is here to help. To learn more about how we can support your project or venue transformation, visit our website to see examples of our previous projects or get in touch with our team today.

The Ultimate Guide to Professional Tree Risk Assessments

Trees can be wonderful additions to any property, adding that touch of nature needed to create a visually welcoming environment. As living things, however, trees do require some care and attention. From regular pruning to inspections for decay, overlooking these maintenance tasks can put your property at risk, with a tree becoming steadily more likely to fall into the property itself. In this article from Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology, you can discover how tree risk assessments can be used to ensure your trees remain in good health. 

What is a tree risk assessment?

A tree risk assessment is carried out to survey the condition of a tree, helping specialists to identify defects that could later result in an accident or hazard. An expert will look for specific concerns in particular, helping them determine the immediacy of an issue and how any problems need to be resolved. 

Who carries out tree risk assessments?

For a thorough tree risk assessment, it’s important to always employ experts. Specialists known as arboriculturalists have expertise and knowledge about the maintenance of trees and shrubs, making them qualified to investigate the level of risk a tree poses to a property and its other surroundings. 

What issues can a tree risk assessment identify?

If you have a tree on your property, it might be worthwhile to discover more about its condition and whether it poses a risk to your building. In this section, you can discover some of the problems a tree risk assessment can unearth, from rot and decay to underground root issues.

Structural Weakness

When an expert carries out a home survey, they’ll often look for structural issues such as cracks that signify there is something awry with the property’s structure, impacting whether it is stable and safe to live in. When it comes to tree risk assessments, a similar step is taken to check stability and structural integrity. The expert will look for cracks and splits, which show something has caused damage that has impacted the structure of the tree. 

Construction Damages

To keep a home or property functional and updated, it’s often important to have construction work carried out. From renovations to repairs, construction work can be quite invasive, and in some cases can result in damage to the plant life on your property. This includes any trees you have, so if you fear damage may have been caused as a result of construction work it may be best to seek a tree survey carried out by the experts.

Decay and Disease

One concern many overlook is the health of their tree in terms of decay and disease. Trees can quickly become unwell, impacting the way they function overall. An expert arboriculturalist should be able to provide advice and recommendations if decay or disease is discovered, helping to prevent the risks it currently poses to your home or other property. 

It’s important to note decay can often be found inside a tree or within its roots, so while many forms of decay are immediately obvious, some types of decay can go unnoticed. Cavities inside of a tree caused by decay can lead to trees unexpectedly collapsing. An expert arboriculturalist should be able to identify internal decay, as well as external decay. After discovery, the expert can then provide recommendations and advice for improving tree health, helping you to ensure your property stays safe.

Pests

Many animals naturally find habitats in trees, making it their home. Most creatures do so without intrusion, however, certain species can have a damaging effect on a tree. One harmful species found in the UK is known as the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle, a pest that mostly lives on dead trees but can spread to living ones. 

This eight-toothed spruce bark beetle causes damage during its reproduction process, where eggs laid within crafted galleries inside the tree hatch and the subsequent larvae create pupal chambers. These chambers harm the channels within the tree, damaging its ability to transport the nutrients and water it needs to survive. Additionally, if this damage wasn’t bad enough, these beetles can sometimes carry a pathogenic fungus which can discolour the tree bark, impacting its appearance.

Other species of pests to watch out for include:

• Elm zig-zag sawflies

• Great spruce bark beetles

• Horse chestnut leaf miners

• Oriental chestnut gall wasps

• Oak processionary moths

Root Problems

The roots are a key part of the tree’s anatomy, essential to keeping it strong and upright. The roots can become weakened, however, due to environmental issues such as compacted soil and surface rooting. These problems are known for restricting the affected tree’s ability to grow and strengthen itself properly. A weakened base can lead to further problems for a tree, often increasing its risk of falling. 

Proximity to Structures

As with any plant, trees will continue to grow when in good health. Unfortunately, trees can grow closer to structures and electrical lines, interfering with their function, if left unchecked. An expert arboriculturalist can determine whether the tree is growing too close and becoming a risk to the structure.

Weather Damage

After storms and other types of extreme weather, your tree might become damaged. While many times of weather damage is obvious, sometimes the damage is deep-rooted, hidden beneath the surface. A professional can discover this type of damage, determining how it will impact your property in future.

Types of damage caused by weather can include drought stress, where long periods of drought have prevented the tree from obtaining water successfully. A lack of water can have disastrous impacts on a tree, drying it out severely and making it more vulnerable to structural failure. If you have experienced long periods of drought in your area, it may be worthwhile to call in the experts to check if your tree has survived in good health. 

Why are tree surveys important?

Tree surveys are a key aspect of a property owner’s responsibilities, helping to keep a property protected from the risks a sick tree can pose. In this section, you can discover the reasons why tree surveys are important for all properties with trees on-site. 

Protection for Your Property

Worrying about your property can be overwhelming, with fears of burglaries and fires plaguing you as you go about your life. One thing you shouldn’t need to worry about, therefore, is the risk of your tree harming your building by falling. Tree surveys can be used to help you feel confident in the strength and durability of your tree, removing one worry about your home.

Tree Health

Beautiful additions to both rural and urban properties, trees need looking after to remain aesthetically pleasing and to last a long lifetime. Just as with humans, it’s important to look out for signs of illness and to address the conditions quickly with the help of an expert. 

Prevents Surprise Costs

Letting your trees get out of control can lead to major issues that will need to be addressed later on. Spiralling issues can steadily become more and more expensive to fix, leading to costly repairs to your home and the removal of your trees. To keep ahead of expensive resulting issues, it’s best to stay informed about your trees at all times.

Safety

Damaged trees can be dangerous, with loose materials falling off and potentially harming those living inside the property. Large trees can also fall into a home, causing damage directly to the property and leading to expensive repairs that are difficult to afford. Falling trees can pose a risk to your loved ones too, potentially striking them as the tree falls, so it’s essential to keep ahead of these risks with an informative tree survey. 

How can Lizard Landscape Design help?

Based in Worthing, Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology are here to help you with all of your landscaping and tree care needs. Our arboriculturalists are experts in tree care, taking pride in our customers to ensure the trees found on their property are healthy and pose no risks to their homes. 

Our Arboriculture Services

Interested in arranging for a tree survey to be carried out on your property? At Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology, we can offer you multiple services related to trees, ensuring all your arboricultural needs are met. To benefit from these services today, please reach out directly to our team to find out more.

Reach Out to Us

Interested in sourcing tree risk assessment for the experts? Please visit our website to learn more about our work and our services at Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology. Alternatively, please contact us directly for a quote.

The Impact of Landscape Management on University Students

Effective landscape management can be used to completely transform a commercial space, whether that’s through an efficient handling of natural resources or via the hosting of lucrative outdoor activities. All these factors can be negotiated with an eye on sustainability, where effective landscape design also relies on a promotion of local biodiversity.

Landscape management is especially important in and around universities, where these campus spaces provide homes for thousands of students every year. In addition to offering a place of learning, universities must also support the wellbeing of their cohort, where working on an appealing outdoor space can contribute to this.

In this way, university landscapes can be harnessed to achieve multiple goals, where land can be utilised to support local wildlife populations whilst also creating space for essential outdoor activities.

Read on to find out more about the impact good landscape management can have on both university students and the local environment.

What Does Good Landscape Management Look Like?

When considering the benefits of landscape management on a student population, it is important to consider what success might look like in this context. There are numerous signs that a campus is looking after its grounds in an effective way, where these include:

●     Regular maintenance - a well maintained outdoor space is likely to be safer and more attractive, helping to encourage students to immerse themselves in nature.

●     Flourishing wildlife populations - an abundance of birds and insects shows that the grounds have been planted with the right mix of greenery to support local populations.

●     Natural planting - grounds planted with native species and rewilded areas are ideal for boosting biodiversity in the area, where these also help to reduce maintenance costs.

●     Sustainable energy investment - campuses should demonstrate a commitment to generating renewables or using low energy solutions to be truly environmentally friendly.

●     Well used spaces - successful campuses will feature multi-use spaces that are consistently in use, showing that landscape design efforts have been successful.

●     Effective waste management - sustainable grounds will also have strong waste management and recycling systems in place to keep the area clean.

●     A happy cohort - when students are showing high satisfaction rates with the campus, this is a clear indication that the landscape has been well designed and managed.

Direct Benefits For Students

When all these factors have been implemented, students will be able to benefit in a direct and tangible way. Some examples of this may include:

Improved Mental Wellbeing

Numerous studies have shown that time spent in nature can have a positive impact on common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. For instance, the Wellcome Trust commissioned a range of studies in Summer 2020 to look for active ways to tackle the surge in mental illness in young people living in urban areas aged 14 to 24.

One key result from this research indicated that young people experienced a 14-19% reduction in anxiety from just 15 minutes walking in an urban park, compared to walking along a busy street. Even more notably, participants described a 23-31% reduction in anxiety from 15 minutes walking in a forest instead of a busy street.

Everything You Need to Know About Ecological Assessments

In the world of landscaping and development, it's crucial to understand the site you're working on/ Preserving ecological systems, and a site's natural elements are key. But how can businesses, designers and landscapers achieve this? 

Ecological assessments are an essential part of any development or landscaping project. They are an excellent tool and resource for designers, property developers and other professionals to use. Our blog dives into everything you need to know about ecological assessments! Whether you've never heard of them before, or you're wondering why they are so important, our blog is here to dive in and explain everything. To learn more, keep on reading! 

What Is An Ecological Assessment? 

An ecological assessment, or ecological impact assessment (EcIA) is the process where potential impacts of a project are identified and assessed through an ecology survey. A professional ecologist will carry out the ecological assessment, no matter the size of your project. 

There are two main types of Ecological Impact Assessment to be aware of: 

Environmental Impact Assessment - An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a systematic process used to look at the potential consequences of a proposed project/plan. It involved a professional ecologist identifying, predicting and assessing the environmental impacts of the proposed project. The report will also advise and suggest potential measures that can mitigate the damaging effects. In doing this, ecologists and professionals can promote more sustainable development. A new development might be a: 

• Personal residential building project

• A new commercial site

• Adding a development to an existing property

Non-Environmental Impact Assessment - Non-EIA projects are those which are outside of sensitive areas, and consider factors that are not directly environmental. These might be more social or economic impacts, and applies to: 

• Small scale residential development 

• Urban industrial development projects 

• Small roads

• Permanent campsites 

How Are They Used In Landscaping? 

The main thing to take away from ecological surveys is that with any new potential land developments, these surveys are carried out to assess cost, insurance, structural warranty and planning permission. Depending on the nature of your project, you may need to carry out various site surveys before you go ahead. 

So, how are ecological surveys used in landscaping? Landscaping projects typically focus on creating spaces, or amplifying them with plants and gardening practices. Landscaping can be carried out in a range of scales, from small domestic projects to large commercial sites. 

Ecological surveys are not only necessary, but beneficial to these kinds of projects, for various reasons: 

• These surveys are crucial for architects and landscape designers to understand the ecological conditions of a site before any planning or construction can happen. This would include the soil, types of plants and topography of the area. When it comes to landscaping and designing structures, architects and professionals want to ensure that the project works well with the site's natural features. 

• Conserving as much biodiversity as possible is another great reason to use ecological surveys. It allows professionals to work and design while being mindful of plants and animals. Using the ecological survey, professionals can also find ways of enhancing biodiversity and embracing the wildlife on a site. Many habitats and species are also protected, so these areas need to be conserved. 

• Ecological assessments also help professionals to understand the constraints or tricky parts of the site being worked on. This could be habitats for protected species, sensitive areas and other constraints the area might have. Abiding to any legislation or protected areas is crucial for landscaping projects. 

• Managing the area and maintaining it after the landscaping has been complete is also something an ecological survey can help with. From water management to plant maintenance, an ecological assessment will help architects and designers to ensure long-term stability on the project. 

What Happens During An Ecological Assessment: A Step By Step Breakdown

An ecological survey isn't just a simple report, it takes into account a range of factors to understand the ecosystems within a particular site. There are two main stages of an ecological survey, which we are going to dive into below. From initial sites to mitigation strategy, there are various aspects of an ecological survey, read below to learn more about the steps of an ecological assessment. 

Stage 1: Preliminary Ecological Appraisal

The first section of the survey that is carried out is the Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) or a Phase 1 Habitat Survey. This assessment is considered a 'rapid' survey and is mostly a walkover, or initial desktop survey. The aim of the phase 1 survey is to identify either the presence or absence of habitats, different species, and the degree to which they will be affected by a certain development. 

The recommendations and constraints determined by the survey will depend on what types of habitats are found on your site. The study will look closely at any ecological constraints on your site, or the potential opportunities for new habitats! This initial assessment will also recommend any future surveys that are needed based on the results of the initial survey. 

What Happens Next? 

If there are no problems or issues raised within the first appraisal, then no further survey work needs to be carried out! The report will be submitted for planning. In the case that your report indicates a problem of some kind, or further work might be needed, this will take precedence. More surveys may need to be conducted, or other precautions put in place. 

Stage 2: Ecological Impact Assessment 

The second stage of an Ecological Survey is the Ecological Impact Assessment. Sometimes called an EcIA, this assessment includes a more detailed ecological report. It is an essential document which details the potential impacts that a development may have on surrounding habitats and species. Based on the findings of the preliminary appraisal, the EcIA will go into more detail about the potential impacts of certain developments on a site. An ecologist consultant will carry out a detailed report, or a habit-specific survey. This will be presented alongside a planning permission application. 

There are several steps included in an EcIA, which includes: 

• Scoping 

• Gathering data

• Detailed protected species surveys 

• Evaluation of site’s nature conservation habits

• Impact assessments regarding habitat loss

• Mitigation 

• Reports for stakeholders (giving them all the relevant information they need about the development) 

Construction companies, developers and stakeholders will require an ecological survey, and they will need to be carried out for any individual development project that is being carried out, as each project, and environment are unique. It's important to remember that an ecology survey needs to be carried out in advance, and long before planning permission is granted. If anything is found, ecologists will be able to agree on an approach to mitigate these impacts sooner, and reach out to local planning authorities. If you're in need of an ecology team, contact us today to learn more. 

Surveys can also be seasonally constrained, so it’s vital to have ecological assessments scheduled in good time. You should plan to have your survey carried out well before construction and planning goes ahead. Ranging from £750 - £4000, it’s also important to budget your ecological impact assessment into your development project. 

Lizard Landscape Design: Ecological Surveys For Landscaping

As you can see, an ecological assessment is an important and indispensable part of landscaping. Not only does it help to mitigate risks and logistical issues, these assessments help businesses and developers take more steps towards sustainability. These assessments help to conserve wildlife, eco-systems and pave the way for landscapes that contribute minimal damage to habitats. 

Here at Lizard Landscape Designs, we offer a range of services to help you achieve the best results for your project. From arborists and landscape ecologists, we can help you create the space you desire, while also protecting the environment. Head to our website to browse landscape design today! To learn more about our services, or how we can help you, feel free to get in touch with our team today. 

Trendy Landscape Designs to Transform Green Spaces in 2024

When it comes to landscape design and architecture, sustainability has been a core principle of focus in the last few years, and that’s no different as we move into 2024. Of course, as important as sustainability is, finding the right balance between eco-conscious design and visually pleasing aesthetics remains key.

In this guide, we’ll be exploring the importance of striking said balance, discussing why sustainability is so important in landscape architecture and how collaborating with arboriculturists can help with this, before offering our top landscape design trends for 2024.

Why is Sustainability Important in Landscape Architecture?

With climate change having a significant impact on our environments, it’s important that we not only regenerate these, but create outdoor spaces that are responsive to the environment.

The development of urban spaces negatively impacts environmental spaces in a number of ways, most prevalently the destruction of habitats, which subsequently leads to a reduced biodiversity - an imperative element for ensuring a thriving ecosystem.

This is largely due to the destruction of protective cover, reduction in food supplies and an interruption of natural processes due to light, sound and mechanical disturbances. Furthermore, such landscapes tend to be incredibly water intensive, can pollute local waterways due to the use and runoff of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and create noise and air pollution from maintaining lawns.

All of these effects can further contribute to climate change, which is already damaging the natural environment in numerous ways. This is why it’s so important to actively mitigate and reverse these effects through conscious landscaping design choices.

Working with Green Spaces Instead of Against Them

In urban landscapes, it’s important to start working with green spaces rather than against them. At your commercial premises, ensure that you incorporate the surrounding garden areas within the wider design of your property.

Think about ways you can not only turn this into an attractive space, but doing so in an encouraging and sustainable way, rather than taking away from it.

For example, using low maintenance lawn alternatives to grass (such as moss or clovers), using native plants, using natural fertilisers, choosing recycled materials over natural ones - along with a range of other practices.

The Role of Arboriculture

Arboriculture is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines and other perennial woody plants. Arobiculturists study how these plants grow and respond to both their environment and cultural practices.

Trees contribute heavily to the ecosystem, supporting a variety of species from insects to birds.  Because of this, it’s incredibly important to preserve them as a way of promoting biodiversity, as is crucial for the health of local ecosystems as well as the environment as a whole.

As part of their work, arboriculturists don’t only make sure that trees are healthy, but ensure that wildlife habitats are being preserved. Working with an arboriculturist when designing your commercial landscape can help you to create an environment that supports the local biodiversity whilst considering your needs as a business owner and ensures your compliance with environmental regulations.

Arboriculturist services often include:

• Tree condition assessments

• Tree risk and hazard assessments 

• Tree constraints and tree protection plans

• Arboricultural impact assessment and method statement

• Tree works applications for tree preservation order and conservation area trees

• Tree and woodland management plans

• Replacement and enhancement tree planting landscape design proposal

Landscape Design Trends

Wildflower Gardens

Wildflower meadows have steadily been growing in popularity in recent years, both for their colourful beauty and their environmental benefit. Wildflowers are essential for providing bees, butterflies and other pollinators with food throughout the year, who will then go on to pollinate other plants in the local area.

Most types of native wildflower species are well-adapted to local climates and soils, making them both easy to grow and low maintenance. This requires less effort and money from you to keep them maintained, allowing you to focus more time, money and energy instead into your main priority: your business. On top of this, they also require less water and fertiliser than other plants, making them more environmentally friendly.

Their environmental benefit extends in yet more ways. For example, wildflowers have deep root systems; this allows them to absorb excess water and nutrients, which reduces runoff and soil loss, ultimately helping to prevent soil erosion. Maintaining the health of your soil in this way allows surrounding plants to thrive, also.

Another great thing about wildflower meadows from a business perspective? They’re cost-effective. Compared to many other traditional garden plants, wildflower seeds are less expensive and are often available to buy in bulk. As such, they are a great way to incorporate a sustainable, environmentally beneficial and colourful feature into your commercial green space without eating into your budget

Some examples of wildflowers include:

• Poppies

• Foxgloves

• Daisies

• Cornflowers

• Clovers

Textural Havens

Whilst a lush, green lawn is the traditional choice of landscape, both for domestic and commercial gardens alike, these are actually more problematic than you may first assume. Not only do they require frequent maintenance, demand more water and can look unkempt in the colder months, but, frankly? They can be boring.

An alternative trend that has been on the rise and we believe we’ll be seeing a lot more of this year is the incorporation of texture into your landscape. An effective way to do this is to create a rock garden in your outdoor space.

These gardens not only offer a visually diverse and unique landscape, but are relatively low maintenance, as are the wide variety of plants that can be incorporated into their design. Furthermore, they are great for surviving harsh weather conditions, being able to withstand the effects of both the increasingly hotter summer climate and the frosty chills of winter.

Another perk that they offer is their peaceful aesthetic. Rocks and stones are renowned for their serene appearance, hence why they are so heavily used in traditional Japanese zen gardens. This can offer both your staff and any visitors to your business a sense of composure and ease - a sentiment that then may even be associated with your business itself.

Outdoor Living

If there’s one way you can create an impactful garden design whilst promoting the health of your employees, it’s by embracing the concept of open air living spaces. By taking elements of the inside and introducing them to the outside, you create a hybrid space that offers plentiful benefits.

Offering your employees an outdoor respite space can be much more beneficial to their health than simply only having access to such spaces indoors. Being able to relax outside has many proven health benefits, including:

• Reduced stress

• Increased vitamin D levels

• Promotes better sleep

• Reduced inflammation

• Improved moods

• Mental health benefits

• Strengthened relationships

By creating such a space for your employees to enjoy on their breaks, you’re not only establishing yourself as a caring employer, but you’ll likely also reap the benefits, as this could lead to increased productivity and motivation amongst your staff.

Rather than destroying the local landscape by building on top of it, embrace it. Invest in outdoor furniture such as weather-resistant furniture, i.e. tables, chairs, pagodas or and gazebos, and place these within your green spaces in a carefully considered way. Doing this allows individuals at your business to comfortably connect with nature whilst preserving the beauty of nature itself.

Afterall, preserving the integrity of these important natural environments also helps to protect the creatures that depend on them.

Enlisting the Help of Landscape Architects

If you’re looking to transform your green spaces this year into trendy, attractive and sustainable landscapes, then enlisting the help of professional landscape architects can help you achieve just that. We offer just the services you need here at Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology.

With our expertise, we’re able to provide you with a bespoke inspiring, stimulating, sustainable and sensory external environment that meets your requirements. In order to achieve a high standard when undertaking a development project, we believe that it’s vital to take an approach to landscape and ecological design that addresses sustainability and biodiversity to complement the architecture of your premises.

That’s why we offer fully outlined landscape strategies, landscape assessments and appraisals, detailed planning submissions and detailed hard and soft design schemes as part of our landscape architecture services.

We also offer professional arboriculture services, allowing us to provide you with objective, detailed and well presented advice for your development project using our extensive knowledge, ensuring that your plans aren’t negatively impacting any surrounding trees in the local area.

To learn more about what we do and discuss how our services may help you, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.

Your Guide To Ecology Survey Seasons

The United Kingdom is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species, each playing an important role in maintaining the delicate balance of our ecosystems. However, with the growing threats of climate change, habitat loss, and pollution, many of these species are now facing the risk of extinction. 

An ecological survey can help to analyse a development's ecological impact on a habitat. Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology offer ecological surveys to ensure you know the impact on the ecology of the environment.

In this blog, we will explore some of the UK species that we can assist with in terms of ecological services.

The Importance Of Ecological Surveys

Ecological surveys can help assess an environment in terms of whether development projects would suit that specific space. Here at Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology, we offer a variety of ecological surveys such as Extended Phase 1 Habitat Surveys for developments and Ecology Phase 1 Habitat Surveys for flora, fauna and protected species.

However not all surveys can be done all year round, so here is a guide to some of the animal and environmental surveys we offer and the seasons in which they are possible.

Badgers

It is a serious offence to interfere with a badger as they are protected under The Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Badger surveys can be performed all year round, with the optimal time of year being between September to October and February to April.

Bats

Bats live in both urban and rural environments, often in various habitats throughout one annual cycle. Bat surveys can be performed all year round, with October and April being the only suboptimal months in which to perform one.

Birds

Migration periods can vary between species and even populations within the same species, so while bird surveys can be performed all year around, the timing and technique will vary depending on location, species and more.

Dormice

In the UK we only have the hazel dormouse as a native species. Their numbers have significantly declined and they are protected under The Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2010. Surveys can be performed all year round, with the optimal times between April and December. 

Great Crested Newts

The Great Crested Newt is the largest newt species and has unfortunately had a significant decline in population due to habitat loss. They are fully protected under The Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2010 and surveys for them can only be performed around April/May.

Habitat Surveys

While a habitat survey can be done throughout the year, it is normally recommended they be completed in the spring and summer to allow more detailed species lists to be written. Phase 1 habitat surveys can also be extended to assess a site’s potential to support protected species and determine whether further surveying might be required.

Book Ecological Services Today

Here at Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology, our expert team of ecologists can undertake all ecological surveys, including protected species surveys, such as for those mentioned above as well as otters, reptiles, water voles, and white-clawed crayfish. 

For more information on our ecological services, don’t hesitate to contact us today.

FAQ: Bats and Planning Applications for UK Developers

If you are a building developer in the UK, you may be wondering how bat conservation measures affect any renovation or construction projects you may have planned. This is because bats are protected under UK law, so it’s important to consider their needs when planning any development that could impact their habitats. This may require the help of ecological consultants to perform ecological assessments such as bat surveys.

Here’s what you need to know.

How are bats protected under UK law?

As European protected species (EPS) all bat species in the UK are designated and protected under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. It is an offence to kill, injure, disturb or capture bats or destroy or disturb their breeding sites and resting places. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb bats or obstruct their access to places of shelter or protection.

Should I conduct a bat survey before I start the project?

You should consult an ecological consultant if the project affects parts of a building that bats can roost in. Bats can tuck away in crevices on the outside of the building as well as under roof tiles, behind hanging tiles and in soffits and cavity walls.

How can I avoid the negative impact on bat habitats?

If your project may have a negative impact on bat habitats, you can avoid, mitigate and compensate for these impacts. You can do this by providing alternative roosting or foraging sites, implementing measures to reduce artificial lighting or creating new access points for bats. If you are unsure, speak to an ecological consultant.

What do I do if I find a bat roosting on my property?

You should never attempt to remove or disturb bat roosts on your property as they are protected under UK law. If you damage or destroy their roost, it is an offence, even if there are no bats present. The best course of action is to consult an ecological professional for an ecological assessment and advice. If you notice a bat living in areas of your property by flying in and getting stuck or injured by another animal, there are many volunteers at the Bat Conservation Trust who can help.

Looking for an ecological consultant? Speak to the experts at Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology. We’re here to help!

A Landscape Developer’s Guide to Biodiversity Offsetting

If you are a developer or landowner, you need to be familiar with biodiversity offsetting as it is a key aspect of all new landscape developments if they have a detrimental impact on the wider environment. We will explain what biodiversity offsetting is and offer a guide for landowners and developers to secure planning permission.

What is biodiversity offsetting?

Biodiversity offsetting refers to the term used to describe the final stage of the mitigation hierarchy. If you are planning a construction project, you will need to consider what habitats and wildlife already exist in this space and how your development can disrupt them. This is particularly important for any that are legally protected by the government. The aim of biodiversity offsetting is to allow for developments that are responsible and environmentally sustainable.

What are biodiversity offsets?

Biodiversity offsets are defined as the measurable conservation outcomes of a developer’s actions to compensate for their project’s biodiversity impacts. These are an additional way to oppose any persisting project development impacts, after appropriate avoidance, minimisation and restoration measures have been explored.

Biodiversity offsetting in the UK

As a landscape developer in the UK, you are required to protect any existing habitats and ecosystems found on your chosen site as much as possible. The newest legislation, the Environment Act of 2021 will make it more important for developers to comply. The act states that developers in the UK will need to demonstrate that their project boosts the biodiversity value of their site by at least 10%.

The biodiversity net gain is often achieved by following the mitigation hierarchy. Biodiversity offsetting is an ideal solution that can help to minimise the delays and expensive setbacks that happen if planning permission is denied.

In the UK, we aim to add to biodiversity gain and counteract residual losses through conservation activities. Usually, it is the last resort in the mitigation hierarchy and offers a useful framework for businesses, developers and ecologists to clearly establish how biodiversity can better improve the value of their projects.

If you are looking for an ecological consultant to help with your landscape development, contact Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology. We are here to offer landscape solutions that don’t hurt the environment.

6 Examples of UK Species That Need Urgent Protection

The United Kingdom is home to a diverse range of plant and animal species, each playing an important role in maintaining the delicate balance of our ecosystems. However, with the growing threats of climate change, habitat loss, and pollution, many of these species are now facing the risk of extinction. In this blog, we will explore some of the UK species that urgently need our protection and conservation efforts to ensure their survival.

Red squirrel

The iconic red squirrel population has been declining rapidly due to the introduction of the non-native grey squirrel. Red squirrels are now mainly confined to isolated pockets in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland - conservation efforts are crucial to protect their natural habitats and manage the grey squirrel population to prevent further displacement.

Hedgehog

Hedgehogs, once a common sight in the UK, have seen a significant decline in recent years. Habitat loss, road accidents, and the use of pesticides are the main contributors to their decline. By creating wildlife-friendly gardens, providing shelter, and reducing the use of chemicals, we can help maintain hedgehog populations and protect their natural habitats.

Water vole

Water voles are one of the UK's most endangered mammals. The destruction of their wetland habitats and predation by non-native American mink have caused a drastic decline in their numbers. This means that the restoration and conservation of wetlands, along with the control of invasive species, are essential for their survival.

Bumblebees

Bumblebees play a significant role in pollination and maintaining biodiversity. However, habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change have led to a decline in their populations. Protecting and restoring wildflower meadows, reducing pesticide use, and creating bee-friendly gardens can help provide suitable habitats and food sources for these important pollinators.

Skylark

The skylark, known for its melodious song, has experienced a significant decline in recent decades due to intensive farming practices and loss of suitable grassland habitats. Conservation efforts such as agri-environment schemes, creating grassland habitats, and reducing pesticide use can help protect and restore skylark populations.

Atlantic salmon

The Atlantic salmon, an iconic fish species in the UK, is facing numerous threats, including habitat degradation, pollution, and overfishing. Protecting and restoring their spawning grounds, implementing sustainable fishing practices, and reducing pollution in rivers and coastal areas are essential for the survival of this species.

Here at Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology, our expert team of ecologists are able to undertake all ecological surveys, including protected species surveys, such as for badgers. For more information on our ecological services, then don’t hesitate to contact us today.

The Importance of Sustainable Landscape Design in the UK

In an era of increasing environmental challenges, sustainable practices are important in every aspect of our lives. One area where sustainability plays a significant role is in landscape design. Read on to learn more about the importance of sustainable landscape design in the UK and how it can positively impact the environment.

Preserving biodiversity

Sustainable landscape design in the UK is key for preserving biodiversity. By incorporating native plant species, creating wildlife habitats, and promoting natural ecosystems, we can protect and enhance the diverse range of plants and animals that call the UK home. This is especially important as many species are facing threats such as habitat loss and climate change.

Helping combat climate change

Sustainable landscape design can play a significant role in combating climate change. By incorporating green infrastructure, such as trees and green roofs, we can reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, and manage carbon dioxide. Using sustainable drainage systems can also help prevent flooding and manage stormwater runoff, thus reducing the strain on existing infrastructure.

Enhancing human well-being

Sustainable landscape design has numerous benefits for human well-being. Access to green spaces and nature has been shown to improve mental health, reduce stress, and increase physical activity. By creating sustainable landscapes in urban areas, we can provide people with spaces for relaxation, recreation, and connection with nature - this is particularly important in densely populated areas where green spaces may be limited.

Conserving water resources

Water scarcity is a growing concern in the UK, making water conservation a crucial aspect of sustainable landscape design. By implementing water-efficient irrigation systems, using drought-tolerant plants, and incorporating rainwater harvesting techniques, we can reduce water consumption and minimise the strain on local water resources. This not only benefits the environment but also helps to reduce water bills for homeowners and businesses.

Promoting environmental education

Sustainable landscape design provides an opportunity for environmental education and awareness. By showcasing sustainable practices in public spaces, such as community gardens or educational parks, we can inspire and educate the public about the importance of conservation and sustainable living. This can lead to a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of ecosystems and encourage individuals to adopt sustainable practices in their own lives.

If you’re interested in sustainability in landscape design, Lizard Landscape Design and Ecology can help you. We are able to offer services tailored to the client and users requirements to provide an inspiring, stimulating, sustainable and sensory external environment. We believe that in order to achieve a high standard when undertaking a development project, it is vital to take an approach to landscape and ecological design which addresses sustainability and biodiversity to complement the architecture. Get in touch today to find out more about our ecological services.