Adolfo Harrison MSGD and Marian Boswall MSGD have taken the two most prestigious awards at the Society of Garden Designers’ seventh annual awards ceremony, receiving the Judges' and Grand Awards respectively in front of an audience of almost 400 guests.
The accolades were presented at a ceremony at The Landmark Hotel in London on Friday 1st February where 19 winners were announced out of the 39 projects and Piet Oudolf was presented with the SGD’s ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.
International
Sponsored by Landform Consultants
Winner: Noël van Mierlo
Project: Japanese Water Garden
Contractor: Totaaltuin Leende
What the judges said: “A wonderful interpretation of a theme combined with contemporary modernity. Beautifully soft both in its hard and soft landscaping, including stunning rock work, the design draws the eye around the space resting on details and ornament while being calmed by the water and planting composition. An incredible transformation which is brave, accomplished, well-balanced and aspirational. An inspiring and atmospheric garden.”
Public or Commercial Outdoor Space
Sponsored by CED Stone Group
Winner: Garden Club London—Principal Designer Tony Woods MSGD
Project: Merchant Square Floating Pocket
What the judges said: “A wonderful floating oasis within the built up Paddington basin, satisfying the brief on every level and beautifully executed. An incredible use of resource and an amazingly clever idea to promote landscape that could be applied to any city.”
Student Design - Commercial
Sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil
Joint Winner: Michael Ekers
Project: Tithe Barn
What the judges said: “An incredibly professional design and an excellent visual presentation which captures and enhances the essence of the place. Simple but very confident. A brief beautifully answered.”
Student Design - Commercial
Sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil
Joint Winner: Bob Richmond-Watson
Project: Cambridge Cottage
What the judges said: “A beautiful marriage of form and function that perfectly meets the brief and is ideally suited to the setting. Demonstrating a lightness of touch and with a strong theme running throughout, presented with lovely graphics and a fantastic model.”
Student Design - Domestic
Sponsored by Europlants
Joint Winner: Duncan Cargill
Project: Norfolk Flint Garden
What the judges said: “A sophisticated design demonstrating a clear understanding of space and proportion and with a strong identity and sense of place. Presented through wonderful sketches that evoke the landscape beautifully"
Medium Residential Garden
Sponsored by Capital Garden Products
Joint Winner: Helen Elks-Smith MSGD
Project: Winchester Garden
What the judges said: "A beautifully simple, calm and coherent garden where the designer has paid excellent attention to the contrasts of shape and form in the planting to complement the architectural spaces. The use of water to creating light and a view of the sky is inspired and the lovely repetition of colour, and wonderful texture and movement created by mass grass planting is fabulous. A very accomplished and relaxing space."
Small Residential Garden
Sponsored by Stonemarket
Winner: The Garden Company Ltd - Principal Designer James Scott MSGD
Project: Laurel Cottage
Contractor: The Garden Company Ltd
What the judges said: “The carefully thought out design and creation of different spaces in the garden along with the vertical elements make the garden appear much larger than it is. The more informal areas with boulders and an elevated path through the soft and calming planting add to the sense of adventure and overall the design is clever and accomplished."
Garden Jewel
Sponsored by Vande Moortel
Joint Winner: Adolfo Harrison MSGD
Project: Shepherd's Bush Courtyard
Contractor: Town & Country Gardens
What the judges said: “A garden that offers instant impact and creates a wonderful atmosphere. Fresh, new and different, the design is quirky, risky and brave and a welcome antidote to formulaic city gardens. Demonstrates a great use of structure in the overhead pergola alongside lovely lighting elements, sensitively chosen planting and excellent detailing. A great use of the space and a very accomplished design."
Roof Garden
Sponsored by Green-Tech Ltd
Winner: Garden Club London - Principal Designer Tony Woods MSGD
Project: Jam Factory
Contractor: Garden Club London
What the judges said: “An outright winner, working on every level of function, spatial arrangement, planting design and durability for the challenging conditions. Well proportioned with a lovely warm colour palette and wonderful texture in the paving, furniture and planting, the garden is perfectly designed to take in the London skyline without overwhelming the space."
Large Residential Garden
Sponsored by Gabriel Ash
Joint Winner: Robert Myers Associates Ltd Principal Designer Robert Myers MSGD
Project: Walled Garden
Contractor: J&S Scapes
What the judges said: “Exquisite on every level, the garden is a perfect display of good proportion, executed immaculately with well-thought out layers of planting. Offering areas of tranquil seclusion and intimacy alongside sweeping expanses of space, the strength of the design is in the recycling of existing plant materials into a reinvigorated landscape to create a fresh and innovative space. Exceptional work."
Large Residential Garden
Sponsored by Gabriel Ash
Joint Winner: Marian Boswall MSGD
Project: Reighton Wood
Contractor: Donovan Landscapes
What the judges said: “An absolutely stunning garden demonstrating sumptuous planting with texture, mood, atmosphere and playfulness. Includes a great synergy of materials and wonderful links between the different areas that give the garden an elegant and calm pace. Fits perfectly into the setting and shows a great attention to detail."
Big Ideas, Small Budget
Sponsored by Country Supplies
Winner: Martha Krempel
Project: Horse Shoe Bend Garden
What the judges said: “A clever blend of house and garden, through a courtyard whose planting lends a softness and tranquility to the space. On entering the garden one feels like one has stepped out of the world to a wonderful urban oasis of calm in the city."
The Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by Alitex
Awarded to: Piet Oudolf
Awarded by the Council of the Society of Garden Designers.
The SGD Council said: “Every year the council of the SGD grant a Lifetime Achievement Award to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Garden Design Profession. We are particularly proud to honour our seventh recipient of this most prestigious award. From the age of 25, this plantsman has made a phenomenal contribution to new ways of thinking on naturalistic planting using grasses and herbaceous plants. Read More and watch a short film..."
Planting Design
Sponsored by Barcham Trees Plc
Winner: Emily Erlam
Project: Tithe Barn
What the judges said: “A plant lovers garden demonstrating pure plantsperson talent. Refreshingly soft, it exemplifies a light touch with elegant restraint but just as much attention to detailing. A beautiful integration into the setting with carefully selected palettes that work well seasonally, locationally and compositionally. A simple, calm, aspirational garden that is all about the plants."
Healing or Learning Garden
Sponsored by Easigrass™ Distribution Ltd
Winner: Bowles & Wyer - Principal Designer John Wyer FSGD
Project: Addenbrookes Outpatients
Contractor: Bowles & Wyer
What the judges said: “A wonderful transformation creating a soothing, gentle and inspiring space for those using it. The light paving and restrained planting palette gives the space energy and demonstrates excellent attention to detail in its execution."
Paper Landscapes
Sponsored by Society of Garden Designers
Joint Winner: Lara Behr
Project: Rethinking Boundaries
What the judges said: “A lovely idea presented through fabulous graphics communicating more than just a visual impression of the project, but a real sense of the sounds, smells and feel of nature. A utopia of a shared community space that breaks the mould of fenced off spaces separating our private spaces. An accomplished, exciting and ambitious proposal."
Paper Landscapes
Sponsored by Society of Garden Designers
Joint Winner: Paul Hensey FSGD
Project: Garden Sossus
What the judges said: “An excellent visual presentation demonstrating the creative process behind the garden. Original and creatively executed, it gives an excellent impression of the feel of the concept and the finished form. Would really like to see this garden built!"
Fresh Designer
Sponsored by Deepdale Trees Ltd
Joint Winner: Rachel Reynolds
Project: Dulwich College Memorial Garden
Contractor: Bowles & Wyer
What the judges said: "An accomplished design demonstrating design skill and flare. Wonderfully restrained and well executed with lovely attention to detail and bold, fresh ideas. The garden is imaginative, clever and self-assured."
Fresh Designer
Sponsored by Deepdale Trees Ltd
Joint Winner: Sam Westcott
Project: Dunedin House
What the judges said: "A beautifully detailed and planted garden that any fresh designer could aspire towards. Demonstrating design skill at every stage, without upstaging the magnificent views, the designer has transformed a difficult site with maturity and skill. Incorporating wonderful textures and tones and exquisite bespoke metalwork detailing, the garden is generous, ambitious and bold."
Hardscape
Sponsored by Hardscape
Winner: Gavin McWilliam MSGD & Andrew Wilson FSGD
Project: Hertfordshire Garden
Contractor: Bowles & Wyer
What the judges said: “Hugely accomplished and impeccably executed, the garden ticks all the hardscape boxes. Beautiful drystone walls with corten steel windows demonstrate the faultless attention to detail. Exquisite work that doesn't dominate the garden. "
People's Choice Award
Sponsored by Homes & Gardens
Winner: Noël van Mierlo
Project: Japanese Water Garden
Contractor: Totaaltuin Leende
The People’s Choice Award is the only category in The SGD Awards that has been chosen in a public vote. The 20 shortlisted finalists from the International, Public or Commercial Outdoor Space, the Large, Medium and Small Residential Garden categories and the Garden Jewel and Roof Garden categories were entered into this award and the winner was chosen by votes cast by SGD Members and the general public.
The Judges' Award
Sponsored by Harrod Horticultural
Winner: Adolfo Harrison MSGD
Project: Shepherd's Bush Courtyard
Contractor: Town & Country Gardens
What the judges said: "A garden that offers instant impact and creates a wonderful atmosphere. Fresh, new and different, the design is quirky, risky and brave and a welcome antidote to formulaic city gardens. Demonstrates a great use of structure in the overhead pergola alongside lovely lighting elements, sensitively chosen planting and excellent detailing. A great use of the space and a very accomplished design."
The Grand Award
Sponsored by Marshalls
Winner: Marian Boswall MSGD
Project: Reighton Wood
Contractor: Donovan Landscapes
What the judges said: “A beautiful garden that makes an important, and long lasting, change to the landscape within which it sits. Demonstrating exquisite planting with texture, atmosphere and a great synergy of materials, it fits perfectly into its setting and looks wonderful all year round."