Table Of ContentLandscape Architect’s
Pocket Book
This third edition of the bestselling Landscape Architect’s Pocket Book, written by
leading practitioners, incorporates updates and revisions to environmental and
building regulations, contracts, and a range of design guidelines including
materials, SuDS, environmental impact, and landscape character assessment.
The book is an indispensable tool for all landscape architects, providing a time-
saving guide and frst point of reference to everyday topics, both out on site and in
the offce. The pocket book covers all major subjects, including hard and soft
landscaping, national guidelines and standards, and key planning policy and
legislation.
Providing concise, easy-to-read reference material, useful calculations, and instant
access to a wide range of topics, it is an essential resource for landscape architects,
construction industry professionals, and students.
Siobhan Vernon, CMLI is a landscape architect with over 20 years in practice.
Siobhan’s portfolio includes major public realm, streetscape, town centre and
waterfront regeneration, public art, museum, historic park restoration, active
travel, public transport, healthcare, and residential and industrial projects. Siobhan
is one of the original authors of the Landscape Architect’s Pocket Book.
Susan Irwine, CMLI has 30 years’ experience as a landscape architect in public
and private practice and also as a freelance landscape architect, working and
taking a lead role on a wide range of hard and soft landscape projects, such as
public realm, parks, gardens and courtyards, school and hospital grounds, business
parks, residential masterplans, infrastructure projects, and landscape assessments
across the UK and around the world (China, Russia and the Middle East), taking
projects from inception through to completion.
Joanna Patton, CMLI has worked across all sectors of landscape architecture
within the UK and Ireland for over 18 years. She is currently an Associate Director
at WSP, where she leads their Scotland landscape and urban design team. Joanna
has a particular interest in the design and assessment of renewable energy and
power developments and has been involved in many nationally signifcant projects.
She also regularly leads and manages smaller-scale projects from food alleviation
to public realm schemes, through all assessment and design stages.
Neil Chapman, CMLI has been working as a qualifed landscape architect within
the private sector for 35 years, predominantly in the UK, but with projects in
Ireland, Europe, the Middle East, Hong Kong, and China. The majority of his work
has been involved in urban interventions – city renewal, streetscapes, transport
interchanges, and urban parks – frequently leading multidisciplinary teams.
Landscape Architect’s
Pocket Book
Third edition
Siobhan Vernon, Susan Irwine,
Joanna Patton, and Neil Chapman
Third edition published 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2022 Siobhan Vernon, Susan Irwine, Joanna Patton, and Neil Chapman
The right of Siobhan Vernon, Susan Irwine, Joanna Patton, and Neil Chapman to be
identifed as authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks,
and are used only for identifcation and explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Architectural Press 2009
Second edition published by Routledge 2013
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Vernon, Siobhan, author.
Title: Landscape architect’s pocket book / Siobhan Vernon, Susan Irwine, Joanna Patton,
Neil Chapman.
Description: Third edition. | New York : Routledge, 2022. | Series: Routledge pocket books |
Revised edition of: Landscape architect’s pocket book / Siobhan Vernon, Rachel Tennant,
and Nicola Garmory. 2nd ed. 2013. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifers: LCCN 2021018314 (print) | LCCN 2021018315 (ebook) | ISBN 9780367635268
(hardback) | ISBN 9780367635275 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003119500 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Landscape architecture—Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Classifcation: LCC SB472.3 .V47 2022 (print) | LCC SB472.3 (ebook) | DDC 712—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021018314
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021018315
ISBN: 978-0-367-63526-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-63527-5 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-11950-0 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003119500
Typeset in Frutiger
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
Preface vii
Acknowledgements ix
1 Hard landscape 1
1.1 Natural stone 2
1.2 Metals 10
1.3 Stainless steel 16
1.4 Timber 26
1.5 Timber protection/preservation 39
1.6 Exterior fnishes to timber 43
1.7 Bricks and brickwork construction 48
1.8 Concrete 59
1.9 Mortar 64
1.10 Lighting 69
1.11 Drainage 80
1.12 Sustainable urban Drainage Systems – SuDS 84
1.13 Environmental impact and lifespan of landscape materials 93
1.14 Recycled materials and products 98
1.15 Typical footpath edging 101
1.16 Typical footpath details 105
1.17 Typical fence details 108
2 Soft landscape 115
2.1 Defnition and specifcation of tree and shrub sizes 116
2.2 Native trees in Britain and Ireland 125
2.3 Native shrubs in Britain and Ireland 130
2.4 Plants for encouraging wildlife 133
2.5 Tree science – the benefts of urban trees 137
2.6 Requirements for urban tree planting 140
2.7 Common poisonous plants 145
2.8 Grass seed mixes 148
2.9 Wildfower seed mixes 152
2.10 Subsoil 155
2.11 Topsoil 158
2.12 Times of year for planting 161
2.13 Tree planting 162
2.14 Plant protection 166
2.15 Composts, mulches, and top dressing 169
2.16 Soft landscape maintenance 173
2.17 Soft landscape maintenance programme; routine operations 181
vi Contents
2.18 Green roofs 185
2.19 Geotextiles 192
2.20 Rules of thumb for planting distances and densities 194
2.21 Quantities and rates of sowing grass seed for sports use 196
3 Planning and legislation 197
3.1 Planning and development control 198
3.2 Listed and protected areas for landscape quality, amenity,
heritage, and cultural and natural habitat 202
3.3 Tree Preservation Orders 211
3.4 Hedgerow legislation 215
3.5 Notifable weeds and control of species and pests 219
3.6 Environmental Impact Assessment 225
3.7 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 229
3.8 Landscape and Townscape Character Assessment 232
3.9 Planting and water bodies near airfelds – reducing hazards to
aviation 235
3.10 Guidelines for construction around trees 239
3.11 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 244
3.12 Ecology surveys 251
4 Design guidelines 259
4.1 Dimensional data 260
4.2 Steps and ramps 272
4.3 Guarding and handrails 276
4.4 Tactile surfaces and warning paving 278
4.5 Design of cycleways 285
4.6 Playgrounds and play equipment 287
4.7 Designing for schools – guidelines 292
4.8 Standard sports markings 298
4.9 Water features and ponds 305
4.10 Signage 310
4.11 Construction of free-standing walls 313
5 General information 319
5.1 Landscape architectural work stages 320
5.2 Glossary of construction contracts 326
5.3 Setting up a sundial 333
5.4 Gradients 337
5.5 Conversions and calculations 339
5.6 Paper sizes 341
5.7 Common graphic symbols 343
Index 345
Preface
This book is intended to provide a concise reference guide for landscape architects
and other construction professionals.
The content has been collated from a number of sources to cover a wide range of
topics relevant to landscape design and planning.
This third edition encompasses updates on environmental and building regulations,
planning policy, contracts, and design guidelines. Content which was no longer
considered relevant has been removed to make space for new material.
We have endeavoured to interpret wide, and sometimes conficting, sources of
information into a useful and easy reference guide.
Readers are encouraged to refer to the original sources for more in-depth
information and any subsequent updates.
Legislation and standards are constantly being updated and are subject to change,
including planning law and policy.
The book refers to current key legislation in effect at the time of writing. Given
that much of this is derived from EU Directives, it may be subject to change in the
post-Brexit era.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the many people for their input and help towards the
production of this book. This includes the authors and publishers of the technical
information cited throughout the book. We would also like to acknowledge Rachel
Tennant and Nicola Garmory, who, alongside Siobhan Vernon, were the authors
of the frst and second editions.
We would like to note our special appreciation and thanks to the following:
●● Wood Protection Association for their advice on timber, protection, and fnishes
●● Steel Construction Institute for their time in reviewing the information on
stainless steel
Photographs by Brian Patton, Neil Chapman, Siobhan Vernon, and Susan Irwine.
