Les Ballard

I feel sure all mean well by making such designations and that may extend elsewhere ‘ere long. Personally, however, I don’t think I would fail to combine what the designation is supposed to mean and what viewing and testing the site will tell me.

I like to talk to people to see what they know about and/or mean by the shorthand they use. West…[Read more]

For doctors, chemists, etc. The Royal Homeopathic Hospital does a course that will help you in this respect, but:

As you can grow most things in Malaysia, I suggest you seek information from anywhere on this subject to use either the natural plant or drug extracted from it. In my part of Europe the relevant plants are well known and available…[Read more]

This series of tapestries may refer to 5 super senses rather than just our 5 senses. The background is full of flowers and animals all with a meaning. See The Oak King and The Holly King: Myths and Legends of the Unicorn Tapestries, Henry Williamson, available via Samuel Weiser, New York. (E.& O.E.)

am an Englishman of a certain age and grew up…[Read more]

The photo is a metal frame in a walled garden to what was a priory, in a park. It holds wisteria and laburnum accessable to the public including children. Folk these days do not know, children not being taught, that a few of the pea in a pod-like laburnum seeds will kill. The hanging flowers can at least be clipped above the height that small…[Read more]

Any tool is good and these days can be linked to google earth images and set with appropriate music to inspire, etc. as part of a total brainwashing package. I suppose you can compare it to the before and after photos where, in the after ones, she is smiling, in colour and holding her stomach in while wearing high heels to give better posture. At…[Read more]

100_0076.jpgOh dear this is a real can of worms. 13 agencies can dig my town’s roads and pavements and verges with council permission and each agency could employ loads of different contractors. No-one talks to anyone else and get them to work in a hole while it is open and the council does not correlate activities. Roads are invariably patchwork…[Read more]

At the planning stage of anything you can get plants going for planting out later. Agricultural colleges, schools, etc. may help for free – though a teach in of involved staff so they can teach students/kids is a good idea.

You can get baulks between school playing fields set with membranes and organic compost (and wormeries to supply both…[Read more]

Bonjour,

If you are looking to talk about work in France, many should be happy to do so, not least in Britain since it is increasingly enjoying your climate – sometimes. Further, other European countries are bound to share problems associated with the EU politically and mother nature practically. If you are looking for someone to speak French…[Read more]

I like alder trees. You can plant babies in bogs on drained, turned sods and they grow. They are the only cone bearing deciduous tree but shed late. They may have been the first christmas tree, having been found in the north east corner of roundhouses from thousands of years ago and I use a branch as such myself. You get free baubles in the form…[Read more]

The photo is taken from the dock at Whitehaven, Cumbria and is of turbines further north.

Thankyou for your interest, both of you. While a secure area may support hopping bunnies, I fear some wag, in more open areas, will try to shoot them, like at a giant fairground range, with everything from bows and guns to home made and military surplus…[Read more]

Having looked over the wall into this strange place I found a chair in the Lounge and spent time sipping a coffee and reading, initially to put my name out as wanting to be contacted by any individual or corporate entity, anywhere, who will let me try and help them in the capacity of a landscape consultant. (Though I will design folk a groovy…[Read more]

Interestingly, I hope, many of Britains fossil banks show ginkgo leaves from before the species died out here. Forests extended to lands now flooded beneath the North Sea. Someone said that jet jewellery, now coming back into fashion again apparently, may once have been ginkgo. Global cooling and warming – and imports to parks, gardens and…[Read more]

I feel sure that everyone wants experience of elsewhere before returning home. There is no pot of gold though, to pay for a triumphant return to private practice, so the governments of countries with a brain drain, that is not balanced by incomers, have to offer some inducement to stay or return snd that applies across the skills menu. The mayor…[Read more]

So sorry to be obscure then not see this for so long. I do indeed aim the barb at the site owner/client (and architects) who do not pay for the wider or greener minded LA and other experts such as those mentioned. It is the LA that must, of course, take up the baton – or cudgel – and create a sense of place reflecting a more appropriate…[Read more]

I hope that this contribution is felt to be of some merit if only as food for thought. As we can, we will work more from home, or cottage offices in eco towns we may help design ourselves. They may be a long commute from the office for a weekly or monthly brainstorm.

The avatar populated internet chat room is one way to hold a conference,…[Read more]

(I know I go on here but a full moon approaches and the subject got my goat. So this feeds my goat, OK? – LOL)

Folk need to be seen to be green these days. Stop a developer chopping down a couple of mature trees, by slapping a Tree Preservation Order on them and, when the swearing stops, the change of plans and reduced living unit numbers will…[Read more]

Mixing being serious with placing tongue in cheek, there are some individual projects in London but a LA, if appointed, probably needs to work with the architect and a structural engineer as well as an expert aquarist. One guy installed grass on a vertical surface as well as roof areas but, usually, even dirt for a small garden is heavy and you…[Read more]

Yes it is supposed to soon be impossible to get wood (don’t laugh we don’t have that euphemism in Britain) that is not certificated. Boat builders have had the timber problem for longer than house – or decking – builders so I respectfully suggest you contact the nearest traditional nautical types and see if you can tap their source (there may be…[Read more]

I am feeling a bit embarrassed about the number of replies I am making but, on this topic, I have to say that I am really aware of geographical and cultural differences. Nevertheless, there are so many book titles from the past like Your Veg garden thru the Year and so on I feel sure there must be some available, wherever people are, from 2nd hand…[Read more]

It is how best to fit ideas into the present landscape, if possible improving it, while providing for every possible need that the human mind can conceive.

At a macro level it can be putting a sinuous curve into a concrete arch – with the help of the “arch” – itect – that reflects one planned for a haha, in an otherwise straight, flat garden,…[Read more]