Landscape Juice Network

The garden and landscape network for professionals and amateurs.

Welcome to Phil's page

Latest Activity

Paul F. Werner joined Philip Voice's group3 hours ago
Growing your own vegetables is great fun and now you can share your experiences and tips.
Philip Voice added 5 photos6 hours ago
Thanks Graeme
Nice landscape shot

Profile Information

First Name
Philip
Surname
Voice
Telephone
00 33 553 01 26 14
email
philipvoice@gmail.com
Skype Name
philvoice
About Me:
Hello everyone

Some of you will know who I am if you read my Landscape Juice blog

My name is Phil Voice and I have lived in France for nearly four years after selling my Landscaping and Garden maintenance company.

I trained as an amenity gardener (Merrist Wood) and later on qualified as a green keeper at Sparsholt College, Winchester.

I started my garden maintenance and landscaping business at 19 years of age and ran it for 21 years.

I sold up in 2004 because I wanted to have a break from the long hours and try to do something a little different.

Moving to France gave me the opportunity to get back to using my hands (which I got out of the routine of doing whilst pushing paper about).

The majority of the renovations on our farmhouse are done and I needed to get my brain working again so I started Landscape Juice.

Landscape Juice keeps me in touch with what goes on in the world of gardening and landscaping in the United Kingdom and it also allows me to keep my interest in gardening and landscaping alive.

I also wanted to be a bit of a thorn in the side of the existing companies who have built their brand yet sat back and let their clients fend for themselves.

I hope you enjoy Landscape Juice and this network too and remember, I am around most of the time to help if you need it.

Best regards


Phil
Website:
http://www.landscapejuice.com
What is your profession i.e. Landscaping, gardening, greenkeeping - other
greenkeeping,landscaping,gardening,business advice and marketing
If you are a professional gardener, landscaper or garden designer, list the services or special skills that you have
I have extensive garden design and landscaping skills. My experience ranges from a £150,000 'Victorian Style' walled garden to small one off features costing as little as £500.00.

Philip Voice Ltd provided (and still provides) extensive grounds and garden maintenance services which included running all of Petersfield Town Councils sports and recreation facilities to large private grounds and gardens.

I have a range of experience of private garden maintenance and working with a very wide collection of plants and trees.

I have also gained valuable experience of building a company from the ground up and being involved in a variety of business projects.

I enjoy helping other people with business problems and I like to approach problems from a practical view point and especially costs associated with running small gardening and landscaping companies.

I would rather focus on keeping business costs down rather than chasing higher profits and would advise anyone to analyse their needs and convert it into an hourly rate based on the number of hours that they wish or need to work a year.
How did you find this site?
I started it

Philip Voice's Blog

Philip Voice

Garden maintenance, landscaping and flower business for sale in France

gardening and landscaping business for sale in lot et garonne franceLe Berme is located… Continue

Posted on 28 May 2009 at 6:30pm — 3 Comments

Philip Voice

Alice Bowe interview for Landscape Juice

I have had the happy task of interviewing Alice Bowe for my Landscape Juice… Continue

Posted on 22 May 2009 at 6:30pm —

Philip Voice

Is it time to drop the term 'Gardener' from your marketing

The title of 'gardener' is a pretty broad brush and it is to some extent, a title that drums up a preconception that anyone who carries out gardening as a career is still pretty much a labourer and second class.

I am sure we have all experienced a certain type of social stereotipcal pigeon holing. Maybe at a social gathering or filling in a form. Your introduced alongside doctors or bank workers and the others puff up their feathers, appear interested bit invariably end up talking between thems… Continue

Posted on 16 May 2009 at 11:14am — 10 Comments

Philip Voice

Landscaping tips and tricks for beginners and amateurs

Hi Everyone

On the Landscape Juice magazine site I like to run regular tips and advice features aimed at assisting beginners and amateurs (and maybe the odd pro) with aspects of their projects.

Lawn care has been featured regularly over the last three years as has paving and other garden maintenance tips.

At the moment,… Continue

Posted on 14 May 2009 at 8:30am —

Philip Voice

High Growth Forecasted for the US Landscaping Products Market

I have personally been bearish as far as general markets are concerned and I suggested that recovery would take place in the second half of 2009.

Have a read of this item - I share the outlook for the UK market and believe that landscapers and garden maintenance operations will benefit greatly in the next four years.


" US demand to grow nearly 6% annually through 2013Continue

Posted on 8 May 2009 at 9:34pm —

Comment Wall (159 comments)

At 3:47pm on 22 April 2008, Philip Voice said…
Hi and welcome to the Landscape Juice interactive and social forum
At 12:38pm on 23 April 2008, Stuart Bulbeck said…
No worries, I hope I can help with the growth of your site and if I can be of any help in any way to you please feel free to contact me.
At 12:57pm on 23 April 2008, Richard Loader said…
Hi Phil - OK - I'll admin if you want - I have just been approved as webmaster of the GPA (Garden Photogs gpauk.org) so the more the merrier!
At 5:23pm on 23 April 2008, Richard Boyd said…
Hi All

Good to see you!
At 4:11pm on 29 April 2008, steve said…
Hi Philip i have fallen into gardening i hated it i have had no training what’s so ever i started of as a handyman for the company i work for 12 hours a week they couldn’t find a gardener for love or money so i said i would do it for them and now i have landscape it all they have a further 6 nursing homes they would like me to do i have had twenty people ask me if i do it professionally the funny thing is i love it now i have been doing it for four years now and the directors have given me a free rain i would like to grow bigger i make my own garden furniture i also brick and lay slabs i would like to become a bigger concern could you give me any pointers on how to go about this any help would be great I also have a garden centre which is well know locally that would like me to taken on some of there collage students as they have seen my work the thing is Philip I can see an opportunity here and I don’t wont it to slip through my fingers so any guidance from you would be most
At 6:48pm on 5 May 2008, Keith Paterson said…
Ok Philip How do I go about adding the gardening post to my Silver Surfers Site ?

K
At 6:51pm on 5 May 2008, Keith Paterson said…
My original question was how to get the plastic nut off that holds the blade on an old Qualcast over. I am sure I must be turning it the wrong way. Ideas please
At 9:49pm on 7 May 2008, Neil Petrie BSc Landscape Mgt said…
Yep, now that it's not winter anymore it's fabulous! Excellent service you have put together here - look forward to helping out and being helped out. Still young in the business; lots to learn, eager to learn it.
At 8:36am on 10 May 2008, Susan Gallagher said…
Glad to find you all! We really need a place where professionals can interact here in the uk. Its been a steep learning curve for us, and I look forward to sharing our experience and learning from the experience of others.
At 10:11am on 18 May 2008, Andrew Fereday said…
Hi Phil,

I just happened across your site while looking to see what gardening blogs are out there. This looks really interesting - a sort of gardening facebook! I was wondering what the culture of gardening is like in France? I have family in the US and they say that the gardening culture over there is very different to the UK - mainly lawns and the odd shrub here or there but not much in the way of borders like we think of them over here. How do you find the differences in France?
At 8:27pm on 20 May 2008, martin said…
Cheeers Phil

Loving the site
At 11:14am on 22 May 2008, Kevin Hoyle said…
Thank you, I will do.
At 9:46am on 28 May 2008, Salman said…
Hi Phil, thanks for your message. Yes, big move alright. I just wonder: brave or foolhardy? Still, it's got to be done, no point in sitting around wondering. Am looking to do part time study and work experience while doing a bit of bookkeeping to pay the bills until I'm trained up. Wish me luck! All the best
At 10:46pm on 3 June 2008, keith said…
Hi Phil,
Yes it is Pembrokeshire, and the coast path is fantastic. As I can suffer from vertigo these days, I am afraid that I don't walk it any more, but did before that problem kicked in.
At 8:51pm on 8 June 2008, karen johnson said…
thanks i will have fun looking aorund and hope to connect up properly soon
kj
At 11:42am on 15 June 2008, Andrew Fereday said…
Eeek! I've just noticed that in your profile picture you're not actually admiring a piece of hosepipe but that you've caught a snake! I assume that's some sort of adder is it?

I really ought to pay closer attention to these things. Or get my eyes tested...
At 11:47am on 15 June 2008, Philip Voice said…
Hi Andy,

It is a grass snake (rather large female) :-0)) don't worry, I didn't harm her but took her into the meadow and let her go.
At 9:44pm on 16 June 2008, Sefton Paine said…
Hi Phil. I checked out this site a little while back and the more time I get to use, I think how beneficial it will be. It is very difficult to combine a passion with business much of the time and I feel this site is going to provide the join in which is sometimes an abyss between the two.
At 8:27pm on 17 June 2008, Lara Warner said…
Hi Phil

Thanks for the warm welcome. I hope that this site will be a place where us contractors can bounce ideas around and progress our business and the industry as a whole.

I am interested in the whole customer charter idea however I think that the Landscape Network would be a great idea if there were some vetting and verification processes.

At this stage I should declare myself to be a Director of Yourlocaltrades which is a site similar to the concept of Rated People. We have vetting in place for all our members and would be pleased to ensure that Landscape Network members were returned first on the search results for their area.

That site is still in BETA mode and is not due to launch properly until later in the year. But I think it would give a further layer of credibility to the network and I would propose all Landscapejuice members who join would have no membership fee - for life! There will also never be a pay per lead charge.

If anyone wants to take me up on the offer visit www.yourlocaltrades.co.uk and register as a trader for free.

All the best and look forward to a great summer - I can't wait for winter just to have time to enjoy my own garden!

Lara
At 10:52am on 18 June 2008, Philip Voice said…
Hi Lara and thanks for the feedback.

"I am interested in the whole customer charter idea however I think that the Landscape Network would be a great idea if there were some vetting and verification processes."

This is something that is being considered but I I do not want to add too many barriers for those who wish to participate.

Vetting can only be successful to a point and I feel that by creating a strong ethos will serve well as a self regulating theme for the members.

I will look at your site and get back to you on.

Kind regards


Phil

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