Page 17 - Landscape SA Issue 107

FEATURE

If we know beforehand, we can plan accordingly need to plan ahead, bring in contract growing and
– this is important because we are working with a uplift the professionals in our industry.
perishable product.
Leon: It’s important to note that some landscape
Q3: What is the average percentage of architects know plants and others do not; growers need
hard, soft and specialised components in to inform them about what is available. Sometimes
contracts? plants get onto the market because they’re cheap,
Ida-Marie: Soft landscaping is our niche market but but we should never cut corners on plant material.
there is less and less of it. Our skills set is best here and Contractors are under pressure to get the job done.
we love to do as much greening as possible. However,
Ida-Marie strydom, director landscape architects seem more inclined to design hard General comments
of Life Green Group landscapes these days. Karen: It would be good to have a workshop with
quantity surveyors and project managers as they play
Jenneth: Ida is spot on, although we personally look an important role with regard to budgets; however they
for contracts with more hard landscaping. This is our don’t really know how to budget for plant material.
preference due to the low maintenance involved for
clients. Also, hard landscaping has a longer guarantee. Ida-Marie: Very few clients ask for certificates for
Commercial projects nowadays have about 80% construction tenders, but do for maintenance.
hardscaping.
Jenneth: With government contracts there is
Gail: I deal directly with soft landscaping and have preferential procurement and your track record is
noticed a decrease in plant value and quality. Hard evaluated. Universities should liaise with quantity
landscaping is good for Jenneth’s type of business but surveyors and bring these aspects into their curricula.
not for mine. There needs to be a balance to negate the
effects of carbon emissions. Gail: People are undercutting but the industry needs to
Jenneth Prinsloo, maintain ethical standards.
horticulturist and owner of Leon: In South Africa we need cooling down and
Plantwise greening. Jenneth: There will always be a future in the
green industry and we should make use of all the
Q4: Proposals for other professionals and opportunities – there is light at the end of the tunnel.
landscape architects to ensure a more We feel negativity but we’ve had hard times before.
sustainable future for the entire green
industry Ida-Marie: It does feel as if there is an increase in
Ida-Marie: Landscape architects and quantity enquiries and we are doing more quotes. September to
surveyors should encourage clients to see the value December is busy and there are more tenders coming
in landscaping a property. They are the voices to out to beautify home gardens. However next year is still
reverse the trend of cutting landscaping budgets. We unclear as many projects have been put on hold.
also need to change the perception that landscaping
is ‘cheap’, and invest more money in creating green Gail: We could be instrumental in fighting climate
spaces. The splitting of plants is not good for growers! change but not enough professionals in our industry
Gail Dreyer, horticulturist are being called on as decision makers.
and director of Tshala Plant Jenneth: We’re happy that there is more hardscaping,
Brokers but not at the loss of greening. South Africa has Ida-Marie: SAGIC can also help when speaking to
a treasure chest of professionals and landscape developers and quantity surveyors, to give the green
architects and their strengths are good, but to industry a stronger voice. We all win if we convince
complete their vision is a hard job for us on a limited clients to do better landscaping, and more of it.
budget. There needs to be a better understanding of
what constraints contractors are under. A workshop Jenneth: Our associations are excellent but unqualified
to show the pricing structure and requirements of people doing landscaping work brings the industry
maintenance would be a good idea. down.

Gail: I would love landscape architects to promote Leon: There is a lot of good talent coming from new
the value of soft landscaping to fight climate change growers and contractors.
and explain to clients the value of quality plants,
rather than cutting on budget. When looking at Karen: We must collaborate with other industries and
Leon scholtz, horticulturist tender processes, one should look at contractors in it comes down to landscape architects influencing
and co-owner of Bristle Cone the middle range, not the lowest one, so as not to quantity surveyors to provide sufficient budget for
Nursery bring down the image of professional people. We landscaping. n

Landscape SA • Issue 107 2021 15