3 minute read
Member Benefit Spotlight
Vu Garden Design & Landscaping
Entry to the biggest landscaping awards in Europe, the National Landscape Awards, is exclusive to Association members and for many winning an award is the ultimate accolade. With the 2021 National Landscape Award winners recently being unveiled in full at the London ceremony, we spoke to some of the winners to find out what they thought of the entry process and what winning meant to them as part of their Association membership. Jeremy Howarth-Graham, from
Accredited Contractor HG Landscapes reflected on their winning entry
‘Castelnau’ in the Domestic Garden
Construction between £30K-£60K category sponsored by Ecoscape UK.
How did you find the entry process? We found the entry process really good this time. Having it online saves time and it was easy and user-friendly throughout.
What was your favourite part about your award-winning scheme? We always love walking through the garden once finished to soak it all in. Once completed, the garden takes on a character all of its own, so to see the result of all the details we’ve worked on coming together is so rewarding.
Do you plan to enter again in future? Absolutely, we find it such a positive process and we greatly enjoy taking part. We are genuinely delighted to have won an award; it means so much!
Nick Leitch from Accredited Contractors Bespoke Stone Walling not only won an award in the Domestic Garden Construction – Between £100K - £250K category sponsored by Van Den Berk Nurseries but was also bestowed with the Special ‘Best First Time Entrant’ award for their Private Residence in Gloucestershire submission.
How did you find the entry process? As a first-time entrant I found the process really straightforward. There was a lot of information on the website to help you understand what the judges are looking for in applicants and being able to fully complete the application online saved a lot of time and unnecessary printing.
What was your favourite part about your award-winning scheme? The favourite part of our awardwinning scheme was how it all came together at the end and looked timeless. We were able to use mainly reclaimed materials from the estate and locally, which added to the timeless effect, and it fitted the clients brief perfectly – to make it look like it’s been there forever. The use of reclaimed materials from the estate was also a huge help during the national lockdowns when suppliers were closed and also had a positive effect on our carbon footprint as a company.
HG Landscapes Bespoke Stone Walling
Do you plan to enter again in future? We have already started building a garden that we will be entering into next year’s awards!
Filip Szczechowicz from Accredited Contractor Vu Garden Design & Landscaping, Principal Award winners in the Domestic Garden Construction – Under £30K sponsored by Hedges Direct gave us his insight into their Private Residence in Sittingbourne entry.
How did you find the entry process? The process was entirely straightforward and clear to follow. In terms of the guidelines available to help create a successful submission, it really helped us reflect on the environmental impact of our scheme and how to improve sustainability in future projects.
What was your favourite part about your award-winning scheme? Coming from a predominately construction background, tackling planting was the most challenging and at the same time, the most satisfying part of the project. The brief was to create a naturalistic, wildlife-friendly planting scheme. Seeing it all come to life while attracting pollinators and local birds was immensely gratifying.
Do you plan to enter again in future? Absolutely, it is a great motivator to push ourselves further and to make sure we stay on top of our game. We are currently working on a very exciting project for South Downs National Park, Southern Water, the Environment Agency and Brighton & Hove City Council. It is Brighton’s first school rain garden and outdoor learning space, displaying what we can do with a space that embraces water. We are confident you’ll hear about this one at next year’s award ceremony!
A huge congratulations goes to all the 2021 Award winners. If you would like to take up this member benefit and enter the 2022 awards, head over to baliawards.co.uk to find out more.
