Those familiar with Florian’s Garden World know: Viewers can watch him go at it and receive valuable “how-tos” in the process. Florian is a landscaper, YouTuber, and entrepreneur in one person – a true mover and shaker. For several years now, he has been sharing his knowledge both online and in hands-on sessions: He uses his paving seminar “The right way to pave your terrace, path, and driveway” as a means to give people an understanding of the craft – step by step and without any need for prior knowledge.
We at Halder have been involved from the get-go – and have been supporting Florian and his team since the start of the seminars with our SIMPLEX soft-face mallets and some small and useful goodies for all participants.
From grandpa’s garden to a YouTube channel
When Florian first started out, no one could have foreseen that he would end up teaching seminars. While he did not begin training as a landscaper until 2011, his passion for gardening was ignited much earlier. He laid the foundation for his current path in his parents’ garden and in the hanging garden tended to by his grandfather.
In 2014 he founded “Florian’s Garden World“ – initially as a one-man business handling small projects. The ambition to document his own work motivated him to create his own YouTube channel a little later on. The videos went viral with millions of views, comments, and shares. As the community grew, so did the questions.
From the community arose the seminar
Questions like “What grain size does your gravel have?” or “How strong does the terrace structure have to be?” were posed with great regularity. Florian started shooting instructional videos – which, over time, gave him the idea of setting up his own seminar. While the implementation of the idea took a while, the outcome is most impressive: an in-depth workshop with theoretical and practical portions geared towards hobby gardeners, apprentices, and novices.
Joining in instead of looking on
The special element of Florian’s paving seminar: The acquired knowledge is applied right away. After being introduced to the theory, the participants are sent out to the practice area – where they will work as they would on a real construction site.
Among other skills, the participants learn how to stretch cords and build rope scaffolding, place enclosures, screed the paving bed, and lay stones. The laying of natural stone pavement in rows is on the agenda as well. What is more, the participants are given the opportunity to try out such machines as the vibratory plate, the trench tamper or the cutting table.
Work is done in groups – with clearly posed tasks, such as paving a short path with clinker stones in an elbow bond. Naturally, our SIMPLEX soft-face mallets are used regularly – for instance, in such applications as the precise placement of enclosures or the laying of the stones. Robust, material-friendly, and perfectly suited for the job.
A tool that learns
We have been there since the first seminar series – and have been supporting the participants not only with our hammers, but with other small extras as well: Yardsticks, pencils, and hats are included in the starter package that is given to everyone taking part in the seminar.
The appreciation for the format is evident in the fact that people from all over Germany – some travelling up to 12 hours – eagerly partake in the events held in Xanten. Moreover, the seminars also signify a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our products where they belong: in the hands of professionals and those who want to become one.
So, what comes next?
Florian and his team already have new ideas waiting in the pipeline – including a seminar on natural stone masonry in dry construction. This year will also witness two additional paving seminars – the demand is enormous, and the hands-on approach is a massive hit. We cannot wait to see what is yet to come – and look forward to staying involved by supporting this special project with our tools.