Horticultural services to help you in the garden

Follow our expert horticultural services advice from Sam Cowie and find out how you can plan a better garden and save some of your precious trees.

How did you get into horticultural consultancy?

My father had a love of horticulture and I spent most of my young life in and around my family's nursery and visiting botanical gardens. People would often come in and ask about plant problems and I loved finding out the answers. After completing formal training, I started my own business offering specialised consultancy.

Do you specialise in any particular field of horticulture?

I tend to specialise in arboriculture and domestic horticulture (private homes and commercial landscapes). My business, Leaf & Limb Horticultural Consultancy, is based in south-east Queensland, but I travel throughout the country looking at horticultural and arboricultural issues.

What are the main reasons why people engage your services?

Arboricultural assessment is the majority of my work. This includes tree risk assessment, the effects of development on surrounding trees, pest and disease problems, and expert witness for legal matters involving trees and horticulture.

Why should somebody make sure they are planting the right tree in the right place for the right reason?

Trees are long-lived plants and generally grow quite large, therefore affecting a large area. A lot of thought should be given to how large the tree will grow and what it will do. But correct placement of a tree can also provide huge benefits, like shade and flower displays for a very long time.

Why should people consult an arborist before developing around significant trees?

A major cause of tree failure is root damage caused by excavation. Even building a house involves significant disturbances to the natural soil around a tree. Any building works risk severing major supporting roots of a tree, causing the whole tree to fall over many years later or die a slow death and require costly removal.

Is arboriculture a dangerous job?

It may be extremely dangerous to an untrained individual. A great deal of training is spent teaching people how to do things to minimise the risk of injury. Chainsaws are dangerous tools, not to mention the climbing and rigging that goes into pruning and removing trees.

Any tree work should be carried out by a fully trained professional in horticultura services.