At this time of year, our garden teams are busy preparing our clients’ gardens for the colder months. Bareroot and rootballed trees and shrubs can only be planted during the months of November until April. Planting trees is one of our main Autumn/Winter projects for the teams. Each specimen has to be chosen and tagged from one of our many suppliers across the UK. Instead of stakes and braces, we use underground anchor systems to enable them to be securely planted which improves the overall aesthetic.
There are several reasons why tree and shrub planting is best done during Autumn-
With the weather being damper this year, this means that the soil in Autumn has practically perfect conditions; warm, moist and most importantly easy to dig.
Not only that, trees planted in Autumn will be allowed to gently establish their root systems before the onset of the harshest winter months. This will then kickstart the trees into life for the following growing season.
This is therefore an excellent time to make planned changes to your garden layout, create new and interesting areas, have a complete garden re-design or even finally plant those longed for and coveted specimen shrubs and trees.
Read our article: When is the best time of year to have a garden landscaped?
If you are looking at planting trees and shrubs and would like us to help you with your garden project, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The weather is starting to feel a little cooler, the nights are starting to draw in (already!), and your garden is starting to hibernate. As your outdoor space is changing you may think this is the time to pack up your parasol and leave your garden until next year. However, if you are looking to design a new garden, this is definitely not the case!
You may think that Autumn is far too soon to start considering your garden landscaping projects, however, we always recommend planning from late summer for several reasons. Below we have listed a few reasons and benefits to re-designing your garden ahead of Summer with the aim of delivery.
To create a perfect garden, like a new house, takes significant planning. Whether we are working with Garden Designers, Architects and/or Structural Engineers, allowing this time to discuss the design, materials and any other considerations (or challenges) allows us to provide an exemplar result.
This is essential if your project is a large-scale complex design with several components/areas to be considered.
Our Cornish Coastal Bolthole is a prime example.
On this project, weather was the greatest challenge as the property is positioned on a cliff top on the south Cornwall coast. As we started the project in November in the depth of winter this meant short days with horizontal driving rain and wind. Typically, it was also one of the wettest winters on record. We always say we love a challenge and this certainly was!
The work involved crafting terraced circular lawns with steel edge and Millboard decks with marine polished stainless balustrades. The latter is essential in a saltwater environment.
We used slim-set clay paver paths to replace the gravel from the house to the hot tub with materials sourced from Arbour Landscape Solutions. This now allows guests to access the hot tub deck and vista below barefoot.
As you know the devil is in the detail and the materials we use play a huge part. We have established relationships with the leading suppliers of quarried stone, decking, lighting, building products, etc meaning that we can source the most suitable material for your or your designer's scheme. Should you require a specific stone or wish to compliment an existing scheme, starting in Winter allows us, not just time, but accessibility to further resources and ensure delivery is achievable. Some products are quarried especially for an individual project and this often has a lead time of 8-10 weeks.
Our teams work all year round and it has been known that we have put a temporary roof over a whole landscape site just to ensure productivity and to ensure that timelines are kept. This also ensured that the finish on bespoke stonework could be achieved in adverse conditions.
We consider other inhabitants in your garden and are conscious of your existing wildlife. Winter is an ideal time to make the major changes to your garden as many animals are hibernating, birds are searching further afield for food sources and bees and butterflies have slowed down their pollinating.
If you are looking to complete your garden project during winter, with good planning, planting specific species can create stunning schemes alongside your new garden design. With our RHS trained horticulturists, we can suggest a plethora of winter flowering plants that will flourish beautifully during the following season. Remember also the best time to plant trees is during the Winter.
By starting to plan in Autumn, you can ensure your garden is ready to bloom when you are going to enjoy the scenery when it’s warmer and you are looking forward to outdoor living!
From introducing new water features to full-scale landscape renovation projects, we can ensure you step out into your perfect garden in Spring.
From the initial meeting to completion and with a reputation for delivering complex and challenging schemes, our award-winning team pride ourselves on our attention to detail and are experienced with working closely with design teams and clients to achieve project briefs and deliver excellence on time, to budget.
Please feel free to contact us today for a free quote.
This is a question we are always asked frequently and the answer every time is yes it does.
When considering moving homes, the garden often plays a significant role in the decision-making process. If a well-designed and landscaped outdoor living space or garden appeals to you, you're not alone. Such spaces can not only add value to your home, but also significantly enhance your quality of life.
Your garden is the wrapping for the biggest investment most people ever make and architects stand by the fact that it is the landscape that informs any building.
The term "outdoor living space" refers to any area outside that acts as an extension of the indoor living environment. This can include everything from simple patios to elaborate gardens that serve as outdoor kitchens, dining areas, or relaxation zones. An effectively utilised garden can transform daily life by providing a venue for:
Designing the perfect outdoor living space involves more than just selecting plants and patio furniture. It requires thoughtful consideration of your lifestyle needs and how each element will function within the space. Alongside garden designers and Landscape Architects, landscape gardeners are skilled in creating functional and beautiful outdoor environments tailored to personal specifications and budgets.
They take into account:
Professional landscapers can navigate these challenges, turning potential negatives into well-designed features of your garden.
Not all outdoor enhancements require planning permission, but it's crucial to comply with local building regulations. A professional landscaper understands these regulations well and can advise you on any necessary permissions. This precaution ensures that your new outdoor space is not only beautiful, but also legally compliant.
The cost of developing an outdoor living space varies widely depending on the scope and scale of your project. Landscapers can work with your budget to suggest materials and designs that maximise your investment without compromising on quality or aesthetics or breaking the bank. Unlike what you might see on TV makeover shows, real-life garden renovations need to be planned with a realistic budget in mind.
A beautifully designed garden can significantly enhance your property's value and your enjoyment of it. However, poor design or workmanship can detract from both. It's essential to choose landscaping professionals who use high-quality materials and whose expertise ensures that the space is not only attractive, but also safe, well built, robust and durable.
When planning changes to your garden with the intent to sell your property in the future, consider balancing your personal tastes with designs that will also appeal to potential buyers. Choose versatile design elements that can easily be personalised with different accessories or planting to appeal to a wide range of tastes.
Well-designed and professionally executed outdoor living spaces do add value to properties and improve the quality of lifestyle. Just as you would with an indoor renovation, investing in professional landscape design and construction for your garden ensures a lasting and beneficial enhancement to your home.
If you are looking to transform your garden into a unique outdoor living space? Contact us today.
Unique Projects wins at the Pro Landscaper Awards for their QE2 Jubilee Superbloom Floating Meadow Community Green Space under £100,000 Category…..
On Friday 12th July, at Farnham Castle in Surrey, companies from across the industry came together to celebrate exemplar landscaping projects, with a value up to £100k.
This year's Pro Landscaper Awards, in association with Nth Degree, saw a record number of entries and fifteen independent judges from across the UK landscaping industry offered their expertise.
With 67 projects shortlisted across the 12 categories and judged by 15 of the most well respected experts in the landscape industry, the awards acknowledged the challenges of making high-quality, purpose-built spaces with smaller budgets.
We are extremely proud to announce that our QE2 Jubilee Superbloom Floating Meadow won the Community Green Space under £100,000 Category.
Here is how it happened….
In May 2022 Unique Projects received a call to action after the original contractor had to withdraw from the project. An industry collaborator, Richard Bickler of Arbour Landscape Solutions, called to ask if we could help The PIE Factory, a London-based environmental positive impact agency to transform a 300m2 commercial Thames barge into a Floating Meadow for a well known high fashion brand. The brand was the main sponsor for the Superbloom event within the Tower of London. This event was designed to showcase sustainability.
We were only given 3 weeks to work up the methodology, procurement and the entire complex logistics program. We had to pull a multi-skilled team of landscapers together who all shared our vision.
The whole project was built in five 12 hour days by a team of 10 by utilising specialist equipment like a 20t excavator with long reach arm and grab. This required specialist transport and road closures to be organised to get this onto the docks. The team then had to literally move heaven
and earth or rather more than 6000 plants, 80 tons of topsoil, 20 tons of self-binding gravel and weld to the deck 200 linear meters of steel edge….. wearing lifejackets! The #landscaperswearlifejackets was born.
On the sixth day, it was towed from The Royal Docks to its mooring at Tower Bridge by a tug powered by biofuel.
The meadow was then maintained for the 10 days while the event was live and the team commuted out to the barge by boat in the evenings to water and maintain it. The whole project was then dismantled in 2 days and all the materials and plants were recycled, repurposed or rehomed to hospitals, schools and doctors surgeries in and around London for the enjoyment of the community. Both the construction and our team's transport and activity were analysed throughout the project and all the data captured to underline that this project was a responsible environmental carbon measured scheme.
You can view the full project here: https://www.uniqueprojectsdevon.co.uk/case-studies/burberry-floating-meadow-tower-bridge/
Tony Goodridge, Director, said,
“We feel this is a great achievement as the team at Pro Landscaper were overwhelmed with the number of responses received, and the judges affirmed that the standard of projects in the UK landscaping sector is quite astounding.”
Ben Browning, Director, commented,
“This project was testament to what a collaborative exercise can produce. We were extremely proud of our team and the suppliers that sat behind it to make this possible and a particular thanks to the team at The Royal Docks for their stalwart support in the venture.”
We are extremely proud to have won these awards and look forward to entering more exciting and innovative projects at next year’s awards.
Collaborators:
Pie Factory: www.wearepie.com
Testimonial: “The landscaping, construction and horticultural expertise and experience that Ben, Tony and their amazing team at Unique Projects brought to the project was paramount to its overall success.” Mick Marks, Managing Director, The PIE Factory
Arbour Landscape Solutions: www.arbourlandscapesolutions.co.uk
END
Contact details:
Ben Browning | Director
Tel: 07971 567069
Email: ben@uniqueprojectsdevon.co.uk
Website: www.uniqueprojectsdevon.co.uk
The Unique Projects approach to any project is as unique as the landscapes we create. Our process from the initial engagement through to the project’s completion highlights our commitment to detail, methodology, collaboration and delivering beyond scheme/brief expectation and all carried out with what we strive for, professionalism.
In this article we look into how we work from the initial engagement to the final project delivery, especially in our collaborative efforts with design teams.
We see ourselves as a humble Westcountry-based company that works across the UK and further afield when required with a reputation for delivering schemes that many thought impossible. We do not shy away from complex projects and take on some that one might expect a specialist civil engineering company to consider. We are not a typical landscape construction company therefore and while much of what we do we cannot publicize, we will happily meet to show our portfolio and capabilities.
Typically our projects begin with an introduction based on our reputation and knowledge of our previous projects. Whether it's Clients, Architects, Garden Designers, Landscape Architects, or Structural Engineers, we are introduced to projects because our attention to detail and innovative solutions are required. We are very well versed in working alongside and collaborating with design teams and indeed one of our Directors has the additional advantage of having directed a studio of low-energy architects earlier in his career, so the language and processes are second nature to us as a firm. In the initial phase, we set the tone for communication and understanding based on conventional industry discipline, laying the groundwork for a successful partnership.
“We have been working with Clients, Project Managers, Designers, Architects and Landscape Architects for 15 years to deliver exemplar schemes and often against what many thought were impossible criteria.”
We have consciously taken the decision not to design and instead see our role as one of working closely with designer teams to achieve positive project outcomes. We bring their schemes to life, ensuring that every detail aligns with the project's aesthetic and the scheme intention. Our expertise allows us to overcome any issues that may arise, backed by years of experience and our 100% successful track record for delivering past projects. This expertise means that when design teams bring us on board, they know we share a common ethos and regimented approach, ensuring seamless integration into the existing project framework. We listen, we speak the same language, we understand and we work together.
From the initial brief to the final stages of completion, our approach is always a well-considered one. We follow a structured approach that navigates the detailed planning and execution phases and that meets timescales no matter how challenging. This process helps to maintain the project pace, by achieving project milestones and always ensures quality and detail throughout.
One of the key aspects of our involvement at an early stage is to ensure construction methods align with the client's budgets. This strategic approach means cost engineering exercises are generally redundant as we preemptively manage costs by focussing on construction methods that fit the budget rather than stress it.
In this way, we ensure that client expectations are not just met but exceeded, without necessitating any compromise on quality, scope, or design integrity and perhaps more importantly the clients feel they have not had to accept a compromise to achieve their scheme.
At Unique Projects, our ultimate goal is to deliver results that go beyond expectations. Our commitment to excellence, combined with our rigorous approach, ensures that every project is a benchmark in quality and innovation.
Through disciplined coordination, unwavering dedication, and a deep understanding of our field, Unique Projects continues to be leaders in landscape construction and horticultural excellence. Our collaborative partnership with design teams is not just about construction; it’s about creating legacies of that are sympathetic, aesthetic, exciting, and can stand the test of time.
For more insights into our projects and processes, or to discuss a potential collaboration, feel free to connect with us or email Ben at ben@uniqueprojectsdevon.co.uk
📍 Projects Across the South West & Southern England
💰 £32,000–£40,000 per year + performance bonus
Who We Are
At Unique Projects Devon, we design and build some of the most distinctive outdoor spaces across the South of the UK. With over 15 years of experience and a reputation for delivering complex and challenging landscape schemes, we’re known for our attention to detail, professionalism, and collaborative approach. We are APL and HTA accredited and proud to have RHS-trained horticulturists in our team.
We’re expanding, and we are on the lookout for skilled landscapers to join our growing team. Whether you’re looking for a permanent role or prefer working freelance, we want to hear from you.
You’ll be part of a team delivering high-quality gardens and landscapes for private clients and commercial projects across Devon and beyond. From hard landscaping to soft planting, decking to garden structures, every day brings something different. You’ll need a solid understanding of construction, pride in your workmanship, and the ability to get stuck in whether working solo or in a crew.
Your work may include:
This is a hands-on role for someone who wants to be proud of what they build.
Whether you're a seasoned landscaper or a skilled tradesperson with a passion for the outdoors, get in touch.
📩 Apply via email to ben@uniqueprojectsdevon.co.uk
📍 Based near Exeter, with projects across the South and South West
Unique Projects, renowned for its meticulous attention to detail and holistic approach, has consistently excelled in delivering highly confidential projects across various sectors, maintaining discretion, while working closely with clients, designers and project managers.
For over 15 years, Unique Projects has partnered with some of the most discerning clients and talented design teams to bring ambitious visions to life, often surpassing expectations set by seemingly impossible criteria. Whether it's a private garden or a large-scale commercial landscape, each project is met with the same level of professionalism and precision.
Unique Projects prides itself on its ability to manage sensitive projects. This dedication to discretion ensures that every aspect of a project, from the initial consultations to the final touch, is handled with the utmost confidentiality. This approach has solidified Unique Projects as a trusted partner in the industry, capable of managing high-profile projects without compromising the privacy or expectations of its clients.
No matter the scale or scope, Unique Projects approaches each project with unwavering diligence and a commitment to excellence. The team’s ability to adapt to each project's unique demands, while maintaining consistent quality and confidentiality, sets them amongst the best in the field of landscape construction.
This commitment to discretion and quality has not only earned the trust of our clients, but has also cemented Unique Projects’ reputation as a leader in delivering complex and sensitive schemes. The team’s expertise and discreet service ensure that every project is not just completed, but masterfully executed and true to the vision of each client and the brief.
Unique Projects Devon is a dynamic and exciting business providing high quality bespoke landscaping and garden care services throughout the Westcountry.
Due to our success and continual growth, we are now seeking a Head Gardener to work with our maintenance team to manage and further grow this very valuable and important arm to our business.
Function & Purpose of Role
To manage the grounds and gardens on various sites along with assistance of our Master Gardeners team . The Head Gardener will be experienced in horticultural practices, able to operate a variety of equipment and has a comprehensive horticultural knowledge.
Must have a documented track record of capability to manage large & small gardens alike to a high standard and be able to support the Directors in the growth and development of the maintenance portfolio and the expansion of the team. Testimonials and references from past clients will be desirable.
Key Responsibilities & Duties
Lead soft landscaping projects and maintenance, including-
Planting design & planning-
Health and safety-
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
Essential-
Desirable:
Key Competencies-
Leadership, Management and Direction of Others-
Planning and Preparation-
Customer Care-
Organisation and Initiative-
Co-operation with Line Manager & Teams-
Coaching and Training-
Communication and Passage of Information-
Contract/Quality Management-
Planning and Preparation-
Reliability and Dependability-
Attitudes and Behaviour-
Punctuality and Timekeeping-
The Environment-
Remuneration and benefits
For the right candidate we are willing to offer the following:
Unique Projects, in collaboration with Moore Outdoors, has proudly completed an innovative rooftop garden for the prestigious French luxury fashion house Longchamp, located at their New Bond Street boutique in the heart of Mayfair, London.
The brief was to create a breakout space for the Longchamp team, their influencers and for customer experience events. The aim was to transform a tired grey drab area into one rich in colour that reflects the brand, softened with planting offering a dynamic space. A new relaxing calm visual oasis of colour, disconnected from the hectic Mayfair environment in which it exists.
Longchamp, renowned for its luxury leather goods and distinctive French craftsmanship, was founded in Paris in 1948 and remains family-owned and managed.
We had the pleasure to work with the uber professional, personable and enthusiastic great-grandson of the founder of Longchamp. He has taken on the role of UK General Manager, a position that has brought him into the family business for the first time. He had already made a significant reputation for operating large retail operations for retail chains in Europe.
Charles Moore, Moore Outdoors, contacted us to collaborate on this fantastic challenge. He had designed a layout and planting scheme, which had to consider the existing features such as a fire escape, fire hatch, rooflight and evacuation fittings. Charles focused on the soft landscape scheme, whilst Unique Projects took on the challenge of delivering the complex hardscape package, which involved precision logistics managed by Arbour Landscape Solutions.
Given the logistical challenges of Central London, materials had to be transported through the boutique outside of opening hours, ensuring no disruption to Longchamp’s daily operations. The installation featured lightweight Millboard Duaspan subframes and Coppered Oak Enhanced Grain decking, which had to be carefully installed and scribed around all the existing features.
The project required careful consideration of the rooftop's load-bearing capacity. The team worked with the original architectural design team to ensure that the installation was not only aesthetically pleasing, but also sympathetic to the building. It could not be a liability to its functionality or be in danger of overloading the structure. Everything had to be calculated and ultimately we actually reduced the roof load and stress on the building through delivering our specification.
Throughout the installation the teams had to work efficiently and quietly and with impeccable site cleanliness and all the while be invisible to the Longchamp clients on the floors below at all times.
Complex logistics came as no surprise as we were already well versed in this practice following our successful Burberry Barge project for the Queens Superbloom Jubilee celebrations.
This rooftop transformation at Longchamp’s historic New Bond Street location is was testament to Unique Projects' and Moore Outdoors' expertise in delivering complex bespoke outdoor spaces and challenging landscape architecture.
For more information on this project, click here to see the full case study.
Charles Moore, Moore Outdoors | @moore.outdoors.uk
Richard Bickler, Arbour Landscape Solutions | @arbourlandsol
Unique Projects are award-winning landscape architects and have a reputation for delivering complex and challenging schemes throughout the UK and abroad.
The scale and scope of any project varies, but the approach does not, they tackle any project with the same diligence, professionalism, and holistic approach.
Unique Projects are proud to be accredited members of The Association of Professional Landscapers and The Horticultural Trades Association.
Unique Projects are talented landscape professionals and horticulturists focused on transforming and maintaining gardens to become exemplar schemes. They achieve this through their diligence, professionalism, and holistic approach, no matter the size of the project.
Our clients and their designers come to us with dreams of unique outdoor spaces, and it's our passion to bring these to life. With a keen understanding of our clients' aspirations and brief, we embark on a build that compliments creativity with functionality. Our approach is simple: listen, understand and create.
At Unique Projects, the design phase is where the magic begins to take shape. We work closely with the designers and their teams to ensure the reality and methods of construction meet the brief and the budget. Using our expertise to blend the natural with the architectural. Through a collaborative process, we refine these ideas, ensuring every curve, colour, material and chosen plant species resonates with the client's vision and the surroundings.
The creation phase is where our team truly excels. With a blend of meticulous planning and bespoke craftsmanship, we transform simple plans into unique garden spaces. Our use of high-quality materials, combined with an unmatched attention to detail, ensures that each project is a unique masterpiece. From the gentle cascade of a custom water feature to the vibrant hues of meticulously selected planting schemes, every element is a stroke of our team's passion and precision.
The key to our success is the partnership we forge with our clients and their designers or Landscape Architects.
Their dreams fuel our creativity; their satisfaction is our ultimate reward.
We believe in transparent communication, shared goals, and mutual respect throughout the project's lifecycle. This collaboration is the cornerstone of our bespoke service, ensuring that the final garden exceeds expectations, both aesthetically and functionally.
As accredited members of The Association of Professional Landscapers, we always follow best practice and professional ethics throughout the process.
We invite you to explore the possibilities for your own bespoke garden, a unique landscape installation crafted with integrity, discretion, and excellence.
Unique Projects, based in the South West, have been working with clients, Project Managers, Designers, and Landscape Architects for 15 years to deliver exemplar schemes, often against what many thought were impossible criteria.
The scale and scope of any project varies, but our approach does not, we tackle any project with the same diligence, professionalism, and holistic approach. Unique Projects are proud to be accredited members of The Association of Professional Landscapers and The Horticultural Trades Association.
46 St. Lukes Road, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4ND
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Unique Projects (Devon) Ltd is a company registered in England & Wales. Registered number: 14221838. Registered office: 38 Elizabeth Road, Seaton, Devon, EX12 2DR.