Founded in 2008. The Landscape Juice Network (LJN) is the largest and fastest growing professional landscaping and horticultural association in the United Kingdom.
LJN's professional business forum is unrivalled and open to anyone within within the UK landscape industry
LJN's Business Objectives Group (BOG) is for any Pro serious about building their business.
For the researching visitor there's a wealth of landscaping ideas, garden design ideas, lawn advice tips and advice about garden maintenance.
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That is understandable. If a fee was to be charged, I would anticipate it being low - to cover expenses and site administration for example.
I would much prefer to have a sponsor with the site being free for everyone and making up the rest by selling advertising.
I do believe that the site is being successful by being simple in its current format but if there are any suggestions on what might make it better then I would be delighted to hear from anyone who has ideas.
I think the message we can put across is that it is not that necessary for business to pay huge sums of money just to tell a potential client that they are good at what they do.
The best vetting any prospective client can do is ask to see the last job. It is the biggest and best example of workmanship available at the time.
During my time in the APL we were not inspected once over the five years since the initial assessment when we joined.
Any business is always in a state of flux with personnel turnover and changes in policy.
My initial thought is that self certification is the most honourable and beneficial to a businesses customers.
The danger is of ending up like The Federation of Master Builders, which almost any tradesman can get into. This just de-values the whole point of an organisation. I think this would need some major thought to make it work.
It would be good to see some guidelines re charges for services. The SGD have a sliding scale fee structure on thier website for the public to see. Most SGD members use this fee structure which helps everyone get a fare price.
Another item which should be mandatory for membership (imo) is the requirement to have appropriate insurance. This would also weed (forgive the pun) out the less professional.
For me the jury is still our regarding a new organisation, as this is running on similar lines to another post. However i'm happy to add new ideas.
I cannot disagree that vetting is essential to the process or promoting good companies or individuals but I do feel that the customer is the better judge of whether the workmanship and professionalism of a business is right for them.
apl and bali just want your money _ you can be a professional in your line of work only !! _ i.e just gravel or turf ! great idea, but a con for £300-500 - NO thanks ................
First and foremost we need to maintain a freedom of information which is essential to the site's ongoing success and I know from the feedback that most members are getting good benefits from each others help.
If anyone buys a tool, machine or materials through any of the links then this site receives a commission.
There is such a huge range of quality out there of landscapers, even among the legitimate companies who have insurance and pay their taxes. What is produced mostly is mediocre to appallingly designed work built badly or built well, and there needs to be a distinction between design led landscaping from the work produced by those landscapers who have no design qualifications ad little talent. Yes they can built paths and patios and walls, and put in nice plants but they havnt a clue on how to put it all together.
I would like to see a professional landscape association that either offers a membership tier to design led companies or a new one set up just for this niche of high quality design orientated companies (which should be the norm) and I think that this will make the rest of the landscapers try harder and pay more
attention to good design. It will also educate the public to raise their expectations!
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