I grew up living on a council estate, a wee place called Forgewood in Motherwell. It was predominantly full of 3 story flats. No one had a garden, it was all communal grounds.
When I was around 10 years old my Gran moved from her top floor flat into a house which had a massive garden. To me, this was an amazing space for me and my brothers to play football. To my Gran, it was a going to be a bit of a chore maintaining this huge garden and to my Dads despair, as it was his duty to cut the grass and trim the hedges!
I helped my Dad at the weekends to maintain my Gran’s garden which was hard work. It took around 4hrs every two weeks.
As I grew older and wiser one day I suggested to my Gran to buy a petrol lawnmower. I said, “It will save a lot of time and make the finished job look better.”
Even back then I was particular with detail. I was around 14 years old when my Gran, Dad, and Myself went to the local DIY store to buy a petrol lawnmower and petrol strimmer. I couldn’t wait to get back that summer morning to try out the new equipment.
My Dad and I were amazed the garden work was done within 1 hour. My Dad said jokingly, “You could start a business.”
From that day my Dads comment planted a seed! I took over maintaining my Gran’s garden. By the end of that summer, my Gran and her next door neighbours garden were looking great. The following year I had a couple of extra neighbours on the street asking if I could maintain their gardens for a small fee.
My service progressed from there, I started travelling further to other streets then to other areas. I left school to play full-time football for two years then got into construction whilst I continued to give up my weekend to earn extra pocket money. When I passed my driving test I worked from the boot of my car. I was loving gardening and enjoying the extra money in my pocket.
As the years went on I continued with my weekend garden service which slowly grew year on year, until I was made redundant in February 2009. It was then I decided I wanted to do this for real. I wanted to set up my own business. After spending endless days and nights planning and organising a start-up business from my bedroom. With no financial backing only the money from the sale of my pride and joy ‘Golf Mk 4 GTI’ Murray Landscapes was born in 2009.
Since 2009, Murray landscapes has gone from a sole trader to a multi award wininng dedicated team of 10, we specialise in two primary services: Ground Maintenance for commercial clients and Bespoke Design & Build projects for high-net-worth individuals.
Our commitment to excellence has earned us recognition at the highest levels within the landscaping industry.
Marc now proudly shares his expertise by speaking at prestigious events such as the Futurescapes Expedition in London and contributing articles to Pro Landscaper magazine.
In 2024, we were honoured to be named the Best Landscaping Company at the Pro Landscaper Awards!
Marc's passion for continuous improvement drives our focus on expanding our team through apprenticeship schemes, ensuring a bright future for our business. We are also streamlining operations to prepare for significant growth. Our ambitious goal is to make Murray Landscapes a leading name and become a powerhouse in the landscaping industry.
Thanks very much for taking the time to read my wee story, Marc.
~ Granny Jean RIP 1938 - 2025
