Ian Smith MSGD and Cleve West MSGD took the two most prestigious awards at the Society of Garden Designers third annual awards ceremony, receiving the Grand Award and Judges Awards respectively in front of an audience of over 350 guests.
The accolades were presented at a ceremony in London on 30th January where 19 awards were announced including recognition for community garden projects, international schemes, excellence in public and commercial outdoor space and a special lifetime achievement award.
See the full list of winners and find out what the judges said about each of the winning entries below.
International Award
Sponsored by Landform Consultants
Winner: Debbie Roberts MSGD
Project: Le Haut, Guernsey
What the judges said: “An amazing garden with intense displays of colour and form. Vistas are resolved and connected. A very natural design, specific to the site that establishes a calm, beautiful and textural atmosphere."
Designing For Community Space Award
Sponsored by Brickworks Vande Moortel
Joint Winner: Guy & St.Thomas
Project: Courtyard Garden
What the Judges Said: "A clever piece of design that achieves a complete transformation of the site. Great attention to proportions and scale supported with great detailing. A calming space that adds beauty to the building façade."
Designing For Community Space Award
Sponsored by Brickworks Vande Moortel
Joint Winner: Tufnell Park School
Project: Infants' Playground
What the judges said: "Very thoughtfully designed with the curriculum in mind. A great design that shows real community spirit. Inspiring use of a challenging budget."
Student Award
Sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil
Winner: Jiyoung Kim
Project: Deep Simplicity
What the judges said: “Incredibly impressive design. Ingenious use of existing site. A dynamic design that creatively integrates with the existing site. A phenomenally challenging concept. A mature approach to dealing with the sheer scale of the site.”
Student Award
Sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil
Joint Winner: Joanna Midwinter
Project: The New Great Square
What the judges said: “Practical, beautiful, a real ring of truth about it. Very sensitively executed in consideration of the existing site. Very practical for the public. A mature approach to dealing with an iconic design whilst creating something for 21st century use."
Public or Communal Outdoor Space Award
Sponsored by CED Natural Stone
Winner: Cleve West MSGD
Project: Horatio's Garden
What the judges said: “A Garden full of life and hope. Good spatial flow and simple planting that worked with the scale of the building."
Pocket Garden Award
Sponsored by Platipus Anchors
Winner: Rosemary Coldstream MSGD
Project: The River Garden
What the judges said: “A thoughtfully designed space offering an individual solution to an unusual location. Interesting ideas, seamlessly executed. Very pleasing lines."
Small Residential Garden Award
Sponsored by StoneMarket
Winner: Sue Townsend MSGD
Project: Contemporary Curved Courtyard
What the judges said: “Challenging ‘L’ shaped space, design unifies three distinct functional spaces which merge effortlessly through level change and the use of lively textural planting. It has made use of all aspects of small scale garden living, from the connection and extension with the indoor living space to the detail and delight of close association with planting."
Medium Residential Garden
Sponsored by Gaze Burvill
Winner: Charlotte Rowe MSGD
Project: Wimbledon Garden
What the judges said: “Good proportions, beautiful site lines and amazing finish. A harmonious design that worked perfectly with the house. Crisp design detailing, slickly executed and enduring well. Felt like a sublime haven."
Large Residential Garden Award
Sponsored by Sculpture By the Lakes
Winner: Ian Smith MSGD
Project: Millwater, Surrey
What the judges said: “A transformational project. Designed as a journey through spaces that felt composed and perfectly linked. Had the feel of a period garden. Confidence of scale. A slickly executed integrated design with sharp edges softened with sophisticated planting."
Small Budget Garden
Sponsored by Fire Magic
Winner: Rebecca Smith
Project: The Old Bakery
What the judges said: “A designer’s most common commission is to create a low-maintenance space with a low budget. This is an excellent example of how to work with both, and how to transform an under-used area into the garden the house deserves."
Hardscape Award
Sponsored by Stockscape
Winner: Charlotte Rowe MSGD
Project: Wimbledon Garden
What the judges said: “Attention to detail is so important in this type of garden, where the concept and composition are about contemporary luxury. Hats off to the designer, contractor and client, who have all understood the critical role of hard landscape in this sort of project."
Paper Landscapes Award
Sponsored by The Modern Garden Company
Winner: Gavin McWilliam & Andrew Wilson FSGD
Project: Snow Hill
What the judges said: “A beautifully conceived, conceptual design which will energise a temporary landscape. This type of project is increasingly important with the transient nature of urban spaces."
The Peoples Choice Award
Sponsored by Homes & Gardens
Winner: Cleve West MSGD
Project: Horatio's Garden
The People’s Choice Award is run in conjunction with the SGD Awards media partner Homes & Gardens magazine. Horatio’s Garden designed by Cleve West MSGD was voted favourite garden among 15 shortlisted gardens in a public vote by SGD members, Homes & Garden readers and the general public.
The John Brooks Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by Alitex
The John Brookes Lifetime Achievement Award is an award, named after one of the Society’s Life Members and granted to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the landscape and garden design profession. The Award, which is gifted by the Council of the Society of Garden Designers, was given to plantswoman and author Beth Chatto at the SGD Awards 2014.
Winner: Beth Chatto
Philippa O’Brien MSGD, Chair of the SGD said: “Beth Chatto was a natural choice for the John Brookes Lifetime Achievement Award and the SGD Council was unanimous in its eagerness to grant the award to her. Beth Chatto has influenced generations of gardeners and garden designers through her passion for plants, her ecological approach and her inspired garden writing, continuing the important cycle of sharing and learning about plants. To a whole generation of garden designers, she is considered the guru of shade planting.”
Future Designer Award
Sponsored by Deepdale Trees Ltd
Winner: John Davies
Project: College Crescent
What the judges said: “Individually, these gardens would be worthy winners, but to have six of such high quality is unusual and hugely gratifying. There is a lot to be learned from this approach, and this is an excellent example of how gardens can add value to the properties.”
Lighting Design Award
Sponsored by Paul Nulty Lighting Design
Winner: Charlotte Rowe
Project: Wimbledon Garden
What the judges said: “Good, subtle design. A worthy winner."
Planting Design Award
Sponsored by Barcham Trees
Winner: Sue Townsend MSGD
Project: Suffolk Manor Garden
What the judges said: “A ‘plants’ garden. Structure and spatial composition focused around planting. The designer displays complete control of spatial design through the use of texture, colour, and form of plants. The character of spaces range from classical simplicity at the entrance, intense intimacy of a courtyard, terrace, orchard, through structured woodland, moat and meadow back to the wild formality of an arts and craft pergola. It is rich with variety."
Historic Garden Restoration Award
Sponsored by Harrod Horticultural
Winner: Dan Pearson MSGD
Project: Folly Farm
What the judges said: “A ‘plants’ garden. Structure and spatial composition focused around planting. The designer displays complete control of spatial design through the use of texture, colour, and form of plants. The character of spaces range from classical simplicity at the entrance, intense intimacy of a courtyard, terrace, orchard, through structured woodland, moat and meadow back to the wild formality of an arts and craft pergola. It is rich with variety."
The Judges Award
Sponsored by David Harber Ltd
Winner: Cleve West MSGD
Project: Horatio's Garden
What the judges said: “This is what healing gardens should be like; if only they all had a similar design. It has beautiful planting that works with the scale of the building and helps to reconnect people to nature."
The Grand Award
Sponsored by Europlants Ltd
Winner: Ian Smith MSGD
Project: Millwater, Surrey
What the judges said: “This scheme achieves one of the most difficult goals in garden design; it really feels as if it has been in situ for several decades. This is a transformational project. Devised as a journey through spaces, it feels composed and perfectly linked. The garden has a period ambience, exhibiting confidence of scale. It is a well executed, integrated design with sharp edges softened by sophisticated planting."