Training Partners
Our accredited hands on practical training courses are developed by the team at TASK and delivered by our network of approved Training Partners. Each of our training partners is chosen with care, ensuring that they meet the highest industry standards demonstrating their training and specialised skills through qualifications
and work experience.
We are proud to have built a team of professional and experienced training specialists who are reputable and qualified industry experts in their field within landscaping and horticulture. Speak to the team for further details.
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Founder and MD of TASK Academy, Rupert worked his way from the ground up, from a labouring gardener in Cheltenham Parks Department, to studying Horticulture at Pershore and for the last three decades running the highly successful business Keyscape Design & Construction with his wife, garden designer Ruth Gwynn, Rupert Keys knows the landscape industry inside and out.
During his career Rupert has used his expertise to build over 50 award-winning show gardens at some of the UK’s leading gardening events, including his first ever RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden in 1992, when he caught the bug and more recently in 2022 and 2023 winning Platinum Awards and Best in Show consecutively at BBC Gardeners’ World Live for Frances Tophill’s first ever show garden ‘Frances’ Garden’ and The Newson Health Menopause Garden.
During his career Rupert has featured as the landscape expert on many popular TV programmes both behind the scenes and in front of the camera, including BBC’s series Real Rake-Overs, Flying Gardener, Housecall and Weekend Gardener.
Rupert is a judge with the APL (Association of Professional Landscapers) and BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries) as well as a teacher and mentor with the APL Apprenticeship scheme and Trainer with Garden Design School (Bristol) Rupert also supports some of the training deliverables for the WSUK (World Skills UK)
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Karl has 19 years experience of landscape gardening and as a member of the Professional Garden Consultants Association (PGCA), is an expert witness for Landscaping projects. Karl is an ex-Military Engineer who has been a lead voice in the correct application of exterior timber structures since 2003. He has written the Timber and Composite Decking Guidance Specification for the Association of Professional landscapers and is currently engaged in the same for Composite Decking. Karl created the Decking Network dot com where he has promulgated professional information pertaining to correct decking construction since 2012. He also contributes to Spons Guide “External Works and Landscape Price Book”. Karl lectures to garden design colleges and associations.
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Paul looks after Business Development at Landscapeplus. He’s a well-known figure within the landscaping industry, proposing lighting and pond pumps/filtration on many domestic and RHS Show gardens with great success. Paul has a desire to educate people through talks nationwide about the world of design and specifying lighting, irrigation and ponds. Paul is a regular tutor at many other design schools around the country and also teaches the Landscape apprentices who attend the World Skills events each year.
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For a number of years now, John has been a regular tutor at the Society of Garden Designers, training designers in a wide range of computer graphics and design programs: SketchUp, Procreate, Morpholio Trace, Layout and Twinmotion. Along with his work for the SGD, he also provides digital design tuition for garden design students at KLC and Capel Manor. On top of this, he runs his own private client tuition business, delivering group and 1-2-1 training for garden designers all over the country.
As co-director of the Surrey based design and build company, Pure Form Garden Design, John has a wealth of hands-on construction and planting experience. There is, consequently, a direct correlation between his theoretical CAD teaching and his practical understanding of construction, with the real needs of a garden designer closely informing all of his teaching.
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Dan’s love of nature, the outdoors and garden design led him to study at Pershore College where he attained a HND in Horticulture and Garden Design. He went on to start his own business - Design It Landscapes. It was this passion for good design that has become the core of his landscaping business and has resulted in accolades including medals at RHS Malvern and BBC Gardeners World Live along with producing high quality gardens for domestic clients.
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Nadine provides specialist services to the horticultural and landscape industry with commitment to sustainable best practice and creating beautiful gardens and landscapes with an environmental conscience. She has exhibited personally at RHS shows, and has project managed and advised on multi award winning gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Nadine has an ability to see a vision and make it happen, connecting people and bringing teams, partners as well as commercial objectives together with demonstrable results. She has a lifelong passion of historic landscapes and architecture and is an advocate for using traditional methods with the benefit of modern insights and techniques.
A passionate lover of outdoor living, Nadine is committed to innovation and education; inspiring the next generation.
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Richard Bickler has worked in the landscaping for nearly 35 years. Firstly, as a landscape contractor designing, building & maintaining some of London’s prestigious gardens.
Richard pivoted the business in early 2019 providing landscaping materials direct to landscapers, garden designers, landscape architects and builders.
His in-depth knowledge of the industry and the challenges that his clients face during the day to day running of their businesses has enabled Arbour Landscape Solutions to become a trusted provider of not only materials, but free insight, advice, and unsurpassed bespoke procurement for unique gardens.
Arbour Landscape Solutions is well known for excellent service and communication, holding their client’s hands until materials are in situ, followed by free marketing coverage.
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Lorna has 15 years’ experience working in the consulting engineering and water industry as a designer and delivery agent. Through project experience and training Lorna has focused on surface water management and water quality within both the urban and rural landscape. She has experience in SuDS design, delivery and maintenance, integrated catchment management and analysis, stake holder engagement and facilitation across the public and education sector. Prior to starting SuDSPlanter Ltd Lorna has worked on many SuDs landscape projects including Lead landscape architect / graphics designer consultant on South West Water’s ‘Downstream Thinking’ project and on Thames Water ‘Eight20’ project.
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Lydia has been walling professionally since 2011 and was the youngest person ever to qualify as a Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA) Master Craftsman at the age of 21, she is now an Assessor with the DSWA and on the Board of trustees and won their Pinnacle Award in 2016 for a circular dry stone Building with corbelled roof, all completed dry built.
Lydia has worked on various Chelsea Flower Show Gardens over the past 10 years including the 2023 Best in Show Horatio's garden by Harris Bugg.
Lydia competes regularly at competitions all over the UK and is experienced in lots of different stone types and walling styles.
Lydia works alongside her brother Bert as Noble Stonework and together they do walling projects large and small and have worked internationally many times. They also do restoration masonry specialising in the local West Yorkshire vernacular.
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Phil has worked in almost every area of horticulture, in a career that has spanned nearly 4 decades. Most recently his role is managing The Association of Professional Landscapers. Phil and the team have built a vibrant and cohesive landscape community that provides its members with support and guidance.
Within the role, Phil is an assessor which includes all health and safety aspects, plus quality of work.
Phil has a love for the industry and is proud to be taking the APL forward as a leading organisation to inspire the next generation of landscapers.
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Gareth has been in the landscaping industry for 34 years, and career highlights include winning 10 RHS Gold Medals, 8 Best in Shows, 4 Best Construction Awards, 5 People's Choice Awards, and Director General's Best Trade Stand at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Since Gareth transitioned into consulting, he’s acquired certifications as a PTTLS Level 3 trainer, is an IMI qualified mediator, and a Level 3 assessor. Additionally, he has established himself as one of the foremost expert witnesses in landscaping within the UK.
Gareth is a member of the BS7533:102 panel and a B/507 committee member for modular pavements. Additionally, he is a member of the Institute of Horticulture, is a Fellow of the Professional Garden Consultants Association (PGCA), a full member of the Garden Media Guild, and a member of the British Association of Landscaping Industries.
As an author and columnist, Gareth regularly shares his insights and knowledge in ProLandscaper magazine and is a judge for the BALI Awards, ProLandscaper and the Brett Awards and is garden and landscaping expert on the BBC consumer show X-Ray.
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Growing up in the Cotswolds surrounded by the best of British nature, Nick left school at a young age to pursue his love of dry stone walling. Nick’s passion for his craft and desire to keep this traditional trade alive led to him launching his own business – Bespoke Stone Walling (BSW) – in 2007.
Since then, BSW has gone from strength to strength, seeing Nick work alongside world-renowned designers on various garden design projects large and small. In 2019 Nick was awarded with the Silver Gilt medal for his interactive garden design at RHS Tatton and added a BALI award for Best First Time Entrant to his accolades in 2021.
After years of contracting for designers, Nick recognised a need in his clients for more than wall repairs and builds. And so, Bespoke Landscape Design (BLD) was born as a natural extension to the business. Since its launch in 2017, Nick has worked with high-profile clients and leading architects across the UK, offering a bespoke design service and creating high-end gardens to be proud of.
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Jonathan has worked for Rolawn since 2003 and is currently Sales Director. He has had various roles across the business, all of them immersed in the world of turf production and the UK’s lawns and grassed areas. His life in turf has encompassed extensive work with leading horticulturalists, landscape designers, turf specialists, the sports turf industry, the RHS, garden TV shows, garden centres, landscape contractors and of course many private clients
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David believes that successful trainees become successful landscapers and often, successful business owners. He is the most recent past Chair of the APL and has been an APL committee member for the last 10 years. David was educated at Merrist Wood College and holds a National Diploma in Landscape Construction at Distinction level. For the last 17 years he has been running The Gardenmakers and has won several APL awards including ‘Best Garden over £100K’ twice and also ‘Supreme Winner’.
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Mark has been in the construction industry for nearly 20 years.
Having joined Resin Bonded Ltd in 2017, Mark is the go to – for all technical needs.
Mark leads the classroom training sessions and heads up the technical division at Resin Bonded Ltd.
When Mark isn’t thinking about Resin, he supports his local church and spends time with his wife and 3 young children.
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David is an International Garden Designer and Professor of Garden Design at Middlesex University. He also has many accolades to his name, including 28 RHS Chelsea medals, 11 gold and three Best in Show plus a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Garden Designers. He has written 21 books on garden and landscape design. He has also presented on two major garden design series; Gardens by Design and Gardenwise
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Mel Bastier is a willow artist and basketmaker, specialising in creating large scale sculpture.
She has created many installations including commissions for the BBC, Royal Horticultural Society and
the National Trust.She is passionate about sharing the traditional skills associated with the craft through quality instruction and empathetic support.
Mel provides fun and creative willow weaving workshops; basketmaking, sculpture, garden structures, living willow, willow coffins and more.
“The APL are especially thrilled that the founder of TASK Rupert Keys, long term APL member, Apprenticeship and WSUK trainer is using his years of experience to train the future of our industry. The location of TASK is perfect, providing the APL with virtually nationwide coverage of exceptional training opportunities that are approved, trusted and of benefit to all that grasp them."
— Phil Tremayne, APL General Manager
