What with a rubbish summer last year and now the global credit crunch, how much more can us landscapers take?

Having moved from Surrey to Northamptonshire 5 years ago due to rising cost of house prices, Im beginning to think I may have been abit foolish in making the move.

When living in Surrey and London ( for 6 years ) there was never a shortage of work, and the general quality of work was pretty high.Up here in Northamptonshire, its seems to be a very different story. The general consensus here is that it is much harder for us to find the 'quality' projects locally. I have spoken and have also worked with a fellow landscaper based not far from me, who have the same problems as us. Most of their work is now centered in and around London.

Time and time again we come across clients who want a high quality design and build job, but do not have a realistic budget to realise their dream.

Landscaping is a highly skilled job requiring skills in brickwork,carpentry, paving and a good eye for detail. Good design is just as important and requires great flair and discipline to get it right. Just take a look at the *******s of influential designers such as Andy Sturgeon, Dan Pearson and Luciano Giubbilei to name a few.

It is a great profession to be in, but one that Im finding increasingly difficult to earn a living from.