A year in the making, from tagging of trees and contract growing of plants to final completion. The verges and roadways along the A62 between Leeds and Huddersfield are a brighter, more natural place.
This important roadway improvement has been carried out meticulously throughout the contract and can now be enjoyed by motorist and pedestrian alike.
100 Standard trees planted and over 10,000 thousand plants and bulbs
An absolute credit to the J Paxman Landscape team, the results are incredibly impressive. Managing access and the perils of roadside planting, the team planted over 100 standard trees (Alnus, Quercus, Acer campestre) and 10,000 shrubs and herbaceous perennials including Hebe, Hedera, Pachysandra and Artemesia. Every area was stripped, prepared, planted and mulched for weed suppression and healthy establishment.
To find out more about the planning, design and plant selection, read our previous blog outlining how the contract began.
Herbaceous planting adding a splash of colour along the A62
Completed in May 2023, this landscape impresses, quite literally, on multiple levels. This private home and rear garden in Huddersfield has been undergoing its landscape transformation courtesy of the J Paxman Landscapes team throughout March and April.
Contending with the wettest part of the year, the team have completed this split level garden, featuring new natural stone walling and pathway construction as well as relevelling and reconstruction of existing arches and walls.
From excavation to planting
Like all of our projects, the JPL landscape journey starts from the very first site and customer visit. Asking the right questions and understanding the customer’s style, budget and end goals for their garden transformation gives us the clearest vision for the design proposal. Once approved, the work is agreed and scheduled.
This project required a reduction of existing levels and regrading to form new surfaces. Clearing the vegetation, removing trees, stump grinding and disposing of the green waste, the JPL team were able to refocus the space, ready for construction to begin.
Reusing natural stone
The natural stone walling was to be kept and reused as far as possible. To enable full access to the rear site, the existing stone wall and archways was removed and carefully stored for reconstruction at the latter stages of the build.
Harmony of reclaimed and replaced natural stone in Huddersfield rear garden transformation
Path and Plant
New patios and steps were built with Marshall Indian Buff Multi and Yorkstone paving reclaimed from the existing garden. The gravel pathway between step levels was compacted for a solid and durable finish. Other walling was rebuilt from the reclaimed stone.
Deliveries of topsoil complete, the turfed lawn was laid and shaped and new shrub beds were planted for balance and contrast alongside the placement of a new softwood pergola.
To finish? A thorough clean and jetwash of all hard surfaces and hearty praise from the homeowner. The garden takes them to new levels and gives them functional space and framing for their outdoor living and entertaining areas.
UPDATED: Remembering Roger in Kippax West Yorkshire
With ground preparations completed in February, the JPS team have been busy over the last few weeks clearing the way for the Roger Millward Memorial construction.
The long-awaited memorial is now complete, and is a fitting tribute to local resident and rugby league legend, Roger Millward.
Roger lived in Kippax, where the memorial is being built, and is a widely respected member of rugby league’s Hall of Fame, both for his career with Great Britain and Hull Kingston Rovers RC.
Millward passed away in 2016 at the age of 68 after a long battle with cancer. His greatest sporting triumph was in the 1980 Challenge Cup win over city rivals Hull FC, but was also a holder of 46 caps, 29 for Great Britain and 17 for England. To his Hull KR fans, he has been described as the club’s greatest ever player and was christened by them as ‘Rodger the Dodger’.
Breaking ground to completion
Works underway at Kippax
The memorial works have been commissioned by Leeds City Council and commenced in February 2023. Creating a retaining wall to feature a granite memorial atop a stone plinth, surrounded by planting, JPS set to clearing the existing shrubs, retaining and relocating bollards and preparing the ground for the construction phase.
Stone Feature
An etched photo of Roger in action has been commissioned, designed and sandblasted onto black granite with orange and red inlays. It will stand proud at the Memorial’s location in Millward’s hometown Kippax, West Yorkshire. Excavating the foundations and constructing the new retaining wall from locally sourced sandstone, the soft landscaping team will then be on hand to plant with new shrubs and reseeded grass verges.
A fitting tribute in Roger’s memory
The memorial itself was delivered and the surrounding landscape works completed in early April 2023 with an official opening ceremony to unveil the memorial with members of Millward’s family, his friends, sporting colleagues and local fans planned thereafter.
Staying on top of skills, professionalism and personal development, the JPL team attend regular training programmes in the use of machinery and vehicles to help on the landscape site. In January 2023, a number of team members have updated their vehicle competences in tractor and dumper operations. The Kubota Tractor Training day, attended with GGM Groundscare, was successfully completed by all JPL operatives, who then celebrated their achievement with bacon sandwiches and tea.
Tyler Martin and Mike Mellard also achieved their NPORS Forward Tipping Dumper certificates.
Whilst the pupils and staff are now enjoying the run-up to Christmas, their school grounds are undergoing a little Winter planting, ready for their 2023 return.
J Paxman Landscapes have been preparing some new beds and grounds alongside the walkways and communal spaces at the Academy. Planting Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam) trees and a selection of ground cover shrubs, the beds are also peppered with allium bulbs. The new landscape will develop over the seasons and provide foliage, shade, colour and natural interest all year round.
Staying true to the planting plan, J Paxman Landscapes have been out this Autumn as the planting along the A62 to Huddersfield commences. Marking out and then bulb planting, the team have painstakingly dug, placed and covered over 25,000 Crocus, Narcissus, Bluebell and Snowdrop bulbs which will burst into life in the Spring.
Working with grower JA Jones
Back to the nursery to continue the inspection, we have been taking the time to check the trees and shrubs at contract growing production nursery JA Jones this week. Hitting the perfect planting window and ensuring the schedule on site is kept to with pinpoint accuracy, we expect the plants to start being lifted and delivered before mid-November.
Inspecting contract grown plants and trees in Merseyside
The importance of plant specification
Checks have been made to ensure the plants have grown to height, form and spread and for trees, girth and height. The specification of planting stock is critical to make sure that the planted landscape establishes well and creates the desired height, spread and density.
The development at the business park in Leeds accommodates prestigious offices, retail outlets, residential properties and green space. In charge of making sure that green space is professionally landscaped throughout, J Paxman Landscapes have played an integral role in its planning, design and planting.
Translating drawings into landscape reality
Working from basic landscape plans, the JPL team have demonstrated their horticultural credentials and expertise in every square metre. Each planting detail has been interpreted, translated and refined for every bed, verge and space, ensuring the landscape planting is executed professionally with the best ground preparation, spacing and placement.
Lawn, woodland, mounds and verges
Including a 350 square metre artificial grass expanse as a feature lawn (thanks to Easigrass Yorkshire), the office developments can look out onto natural grass verges and a landscape formed from mounds, created from topsoil, shaped and seeded.
Herbaceous and shrub planting
Working from planting plans and landscape designs from Ares Landscape Architecture, Sheffield, the soft landscape works has developed from just planting to the earthworks and ground preparation on site. The herbaceous and shrubs, supplied by Johnsons of Whixley and JA Jones, have been planted across the scheme by the J Paxman Landscapes team for the main contractor GMI Construction and client Scarborough Group International.
Equipment and Investment
Working to the tightest of programmes on site, J Paxman Landscapes, have invested in extra machinery to facilitate the earthworks, expanding their fleet with an additional 3 tonne digger.
The project has been completed on schedule between August and October 2022.
Groundworks are already well underway as the major gateway to Huddersfield Town centre takes shape. The 2km stretch along the A62 will include a hectare of soft landscaping, including new sedum verges and tree planting.
J Paxman Landscapes Ltd are the appointed soft landscaping contractor for this major Colas Ltd project.. Keeping a close eye on the plants destined for shrub beds and verges along the scheme, we recently visited our contract grower JA Jones in Lancashire.
(L-R) Marc Mahood, Mike Vickers (both JA Jones) and Justin Paxman (J Paxman Landscapes)
Plants will be ready to call off towards the end of 2022 and will involve a close working partnership between landscape contractor and grower to ensure tight schedules and programmes are met with the best plant establishment and end results.
We will be updating regularly with news on the soft landscaping elements as the contract progresses in this close-to-home development.
Revisiting and adding planters to podium landscape
Remember this prestigious artificial green roof installation back in 2014? J Paxman Landscapes have maintained continuity with client Evans Property Group and contractor GMI Construction, returning to the podium landscape to add new planters and shrub interest.
You can read about how the original landscape took shape here.
MA6NITUDE Distributions Centre and Business Park, Middlewich. Image courtesy of Tritax Symmetry
Just west of the M6 at Junction 18, MA6NITUDE industrial park houses some of the UK’s major retail distribution companies. Part of the next phase of development plots will be completed in 2022. J Paxman Landscapes have been on site in July 2022 to commence and complete the seeding and mulching of the banks on the approach to the new units.
With the seeding and bark mulch complete, J Paxman Landscapes will return to the site to complete the woodland planting. The project will be delivered to Net Zero Carbon in Construction and is for the main contractor GMI Construction.
