Back to the Floor – Paul Denton gets his hands dirty in South Quay Gardens

Rendall & Rittner’s Area Director, Paul Denton, took a moment for some fresh air working with the gardeners at South Quay, in London, when he arrived for a day’s work with the team.

“It was really good to work with the gardeners at our South Quay managed development and see what they do on a seasonal, weekly basis. The time I spent in the gardens of the site demonstrated to me how much time and effort goes into preserving the grounds across all our developments, especially during the autumn and winter months.

“They say the start of the year is as good as any to blow away the cobwebs but for me, it was more about leaves. The amount of leaves at this site is phenomenal; we cleared about 40m2 between six people over only two hours, and I heard the team have been clearing leaves every week since October. The maintenance required is particularly challenging when leaves continue to fall from the trees as you’re clearing them, which really shows just how hard the gardeners work. They are cleared to ensure residents do not slip over and to make the of the grounds in our developments welcoming and tidy.

“Throughout the morning, the gardening team followed excellent health and safety practices with a full brief and regular checks of our equipment. It is clear everyone enjoys their role and has exceptional knowledge of the different tools to use for gardening maintenance.

“The friendly relationship between our team and residents at South Quay was really nice to see, with polite exchanges throughout the day. Members of staff were attentive and efficient when dealing with enquiries, and showed great team spirit in thinking up the best practice solutions. It showed me the importance of having a hard-working team.

“As the day came to an end, I was very impressed with the results; the gardens looked immaculate and really improved the appearance of the development – it proves that having a managing agent that cares about its gardens as well as its internal communal areas is so important to any residential building in a city scape.”