Pro Landscaper's small project BIG IMPACT Awards 2022

WINNERS 2022

WELCOME

It’s fair to say that the quality of entries has increased again this year, which is a testament echoed by this year’s judges. Each year, we showcase schemes located on the lower end of the cost scale. These projects show a skill and creativity that is often trickier to execute due to budget restrictions, time pressures and rising material costs, but the technical ability always comes to the fore.

And the pride in these projects is there for all to see – we’ve received a record number of entries and the standard to reach the shortlist has also increased. We’ve also had a record high in the judges’ scores, too.

Good luck to all finalists, you’ve done brilliantly to be in this position. And congratulations to all the category winners, it’s a feat you can really be proud of, you’ve beaten some sti competition.

Finally, thank you to our headline partner Provender Nurseries for allowing us to be able to put on these awards, and thank you to all the category partners for your support.

JOE WILKINSON

A note from our headline partner

Provender Nurseries is delighted to sponsor the Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT Awards this year. It is an excellent opportunity for companies that often work under the £35k threshold to highlight and celebrate their work in these prestigious awards.

We feel that raising the profile of this size of project is important to both established and new, upcoming businesses in the landscape, design and horticultural industry as a whole.

Sponsoring the Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT Awards is one of the highlights of our year and we appreciate the hard work that has gone into each application, and I wish good luck to all that have entered this year. Richard McKenna, Provender Nurseries

MEDITE SMARTPLY showcased its sustainable and innovative product range in the ‘Building the Future’ garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2022 winning Gold and Best Construction Award (Show Garden). MEDITE® TRICOYA® EXTREME (MTX) was the centrepiece of the garden structure.

The innovative construction panel has revolutionised the construction and landscaping industry, as a groundbreaking product guaranteed outdoors for 50 years and underground for 25 years. Its design capabilities are limited only by your imagination.

Join the MEDITE MDF community online to receive the latest updates. Upload your project images to be entered into a prize draw. Sign up to receive a free gift.

Visit meditemakesitreal.com for more information. Dreamers welcome!

SUSTAINABLE GARDEN

UNDER £35,000

ABOUT

Both designers and landscapers can enter this category. Consideration for the project’s environmental impact must be showcased, whether this is through incorporating biodiversity, choosing sustainably sourced or reclaimed materials, or ensuring the garden’s longevity. Plant choice is also be integral, and the project must have been completed on time and to a high standard.

SHORTLISTED

ASCOT GRAVEL GARDEN BRYAN HALLIDAY GARDENS

KERRY’S GARDEN GAIA GARDENERS

WILDERSMOOR BARN LYMM TOM BANNISTER STUDIO

WINNER

This sustainable renovation stood out for its environmental consideration throughout. The garden was made to look brand-new, all while using many repurposed items and materials – such as stone and the deck substructure, which was in good shape.

Plants were given a new lease of life, such as the old Japanese acer which was su ering from neglect and lack of space/soil, and British-made hazel hurdles were added to create a more natural-looking backdrop and add privacy for the client. Boundaries within the garden were blended by planting, making the space less rectangular.

Consideration regarding the tools and equipment used was also a priority, and any machinery on site was either electrical or manual. Concern for high quality materials was also important, with man-made decking used for longevity, making it easy to maintain and eliminating the need for frequent application of harmful paint, sealers, or stains.

To avoid soil waste, all soil from old, raised flower beds was reused and refreshed with farmyard manure, introducing organic matter that will improve soil structure and consequently the development of the plants.

The client has since shared that more wildlife has become present since the garden renovation, flourishing with help from all the rich, native, and varied plantings.

ENGLISH COUNTRY STYLE GARDEN, QUEENS PARK | ACACIA GARDENS LTD

ABOUT

Judges were looking for a garden which embraces modern technology – a smart garden if you will. This garden could be used for social events, as a space for relaxation, or even an area for children. The technology used needed to be the standout part of the garden but fit within the setting. It needed to be unique and show good use of products whilst adding value.

ooking to use technology to push the limits of its creativity, Pride Landscape Design utilised Virtual Reality (VR) equipment to take its client within a new garden setting as a fully immersive visual experience. VR allowed the client to know what their garden would be like, spot any changes they wanted in the design in a real-time setting and view things from certain angles within the scheme that they would not necessarily have seen from a flat page design or CAD drawing.

As VR becomes more accessible, it’s something we’ll see more of in garden design. But for now, Pride Landscape Design is leading the charge and stepping into the future.

ABOUT

This category looks at design and build projects not based in the United Kingdom. Projects must have been started and completed by the team, show excellent core skills, feature a lovely finish, receive great customer feedback, be great value for money, show good use of products and demonstrate clear quality and technical ability. The project must match the customer brief and have been completed on time and as detailed.

OUTSTANDING CATEGORY WINNER

This garden is visible from the clients’ home, so the Lavender Landscapes team worked hard to merge the exterior design with the interior décor. When inside the home, this garden now echoes the clients’ personal style.

Visually pleasing feature walls line up with the sitting room and leads your eyes to a seating area. Kilkenny Stone was chosen for all the hard landscaping as well as materials that are high-end, low maintenance, and that match the grey palette of the house.

Soft landscaping skills were intelligently used in order to balance enough evergreens with year-round planting. Contemporary plants were mixed with herbs, with Tetrapanax papyrifer being included as well as sage. The level changes in the planting also o er endless interest all year-round.

As well as beautiful planting, a lawn area was also included o ering the clients’ child a space outside in which to play, surrounded by nature. Perhaps the most important part of the garden’s greenery, a snakeskin maple within the garden is always finding purpose as a topic of conversation. The huge 900x900mm paving slabs also make a large impression, o ering a fantastic aesthetic.

HARD LANDSCAPING UNDER £35,000

ABOUT

Hard

SHORTLISTED

WINNER

Landtech Landscape produced a great example of how to change space without changing too much of the main structure of garden. By changing materials and certain aspects of it, a space can truly gain a new lease of life.

This sunken garden was previously an emptier space that was a little neglected, and has now been transformed by adding in impressive features such as a fire pit, seating areas, a BBQ/kitchen area, plus soft lighting for added atmosphere and hidden speakers within the planting bed.

The task was to create a modern-looking garden, so porcelain design clad was used for retaining walls and slate for the water feature, benches, fire pit and BBQ worktops. Low maintenance materials were installed throughout, and the whole space was softened with planting such as cloud trees, verbenas, alliums and lavender.

The original garden construction was kept intact, with just alterations for the kitchen area, new steps and water feature – which added that sense of tranquility the clients were hoping for within their new ‘outdoor room’.

SUNKEN DELIGHTS | LANDTECH LANDSCAPE

ABOUT

SHORTLISTED

WINNER

This special feature, delivered by Adam Vetere Landscape & Garden Design, not only created an impressive focal point within a unique (and somewhat challenging) setting, but also enabled the clients to be able to use and enjoy more of the garden.

An escarpment within the clients’ garden dropped over 5m from the top to the bottom, and meant they were unable to use a major part of their outdoor space (60%), as it was too dangerous/inaccessible. Therefore, a sunken, cantilevered floating deck extending over the edge of the escarpment was core to the design.

The structural integrity of the deck was paramount – all supporting structure was anchored into the ground within the level area of the garden and was structurally engineered by HLN.

The new deck covered 17m2, and the area which extended over the escarpment added a further 6.5m2 to their usable space, allowing for an additional seating and dining area with pleasant views to the surrounding tree canopies.

The seating area was screened for privacy by a pergola as well as multi-stemmed trees. An integrated water feature was also included to add even more interest – with three copper outlets flowing into a reservoir beneath the deck.

PROVENDER

Provender Nurseries, The Landscape Centre, Leydenhatch Lane, Swanley, Kent BR8 7PS

Plant Healthy

Having all the right elements is key to the success of any venture. You’ll find those at Provender Nurseries.

Independent, wholesale and trade only, we have an unrivalled range of stunning plants and landscaping kit filling our 18 acres. In fact, we hold the largest selection of mature specimen trees in the south east and that’s just a fraction of the choice and quality on site.

We have gathered a wealth of horticultural knowledge and experience to advise and assist wherever needed. No bluff and bluster, just the kind of guidance that really makes a positive difference.

Beyond that, our approach to customer care is reflected in our ethical credentials. Provender Nurseries are one of the very few companies to have achieved Plant Healthy accreditation. We believe in doing it right, simple as that.

So ... quality plants, superb products, exceptional service and great ethics - that sounds like a win to us.

where everyone

Telephone:

www.provendernurseries.co.uk

The power to colour green

Van den Berk Nurseries specialises in medium to very large sized trees and shrubs. With around 450 hectares and a range of 1600 species and cultivars, we are one of the largest nurseries in Europe. The trees end up in assorted locations such as city centres, business premises, parks and private gardens.

All the knowledge. Almost all of the trees.

PLANTING DESIGN

UNDER £25,000

ABOUT

Planting design that has been completed for less than £25,000. It needs to demonstrate an understanding of the setting of the garden, client’s requirements, plants working well together, the structure of the planting design, and year-round interest.

SHORTLISTED

WINNER

This year’s winner is the Eternal Garden by Rae Wilkinson Design Ltd – which has been said to be “a wonderful place of sanctuary and healing for patients, family and staff.”

The goal of the hospital courtyard project was to transform the previously bare garden to a space full of lush green element, soft structure and character.

To achieve this, pleached trees were added which ran along the bespoke pergola line, enclosing the garden visually (for privacy), and ornamental trees which were added in the corner spaces to bring canopy, texture, form and softness, with the additional seasonality benefit.

Shrubs, perennials, grasses, ferns and bulbs were planted in drifts to create layers of texture and seasonal interest through the planted areas surrounding the paving and water features.

This planting scheme provided the required ‘green’ element to the courtyard, and the space in general now provides the green ‘hug’ it was designed to create.

ETERNAL GARDEN | RAE WILKINSON DESIGN LTD

ABOUT

SHORTLISTED

BUNNY GARDEN BLUE ROSE LANDSCAPES LTD

BEECH ROAD EASTLEIGH LTD

THE INFINITE PORCELAIN PROJECT DW CONSTRUCTION AND LANDSCAPE LTD

COSY COURTYARD GARDEN, CROUCH END ACACIA GARDENS LTD

WINNER

This large back garden was beloved by the client, but needed some work to really make use of this sloped space. Quality Outside Living’s team helped to create a flow within the garden, adding in beautiful, up-lit stairs that opened up the view to the whole space, and allowed a seamless flow from top to bottom. The bricks used for this, as well as for the hot tub/spa zone, were all new but seamlessly fitted in and lifted the garden to achieve a brand-new feel.

Stone that was already on site – old Indian stone/paving – was also cleaned and repurposed, which kept uniformity throughout and was in tone with the rest of the space.

A dining/seating area was introduced in the far-corner as well, utilising the space well and creating a serene spot away from the house for the client to enjoy. Well-established large shrubs were already within the garden, so these were used, thinned in some places, and relocated to di erent positions to open up the garden further.

A pleasant blend of well-used space, with a seamless, open feel makes this almost the perfect garden space – keeping you outside relaxing, warm, with fresh air and beautiful views.

DESIGN

UNDER £35,000

ABOUT

This category champions design-only projects. The design must have been built, showing excellent core design skills, matching clients’ briefs while following a good structure of communication (client/landscaper), great customer feedback, be excellent value for money, and show effective use of products/plants. The design must have been completed on time and as detailed.

SHORTLISTED

WESTERN ROAD

SARAH NAYBOUR DESIGN LTD

MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN MARKETA GARDEN DESIGN

THE ESCAPE ROOM BLUE DAISY GARDEN DESIGN LTD

MANWOOD ROAD EPOCH GARDEN DESIGN

BLUE TOWN GARDEN CRISTINA BERGAMIN GARDEN DESIGN

ISLE OF DOGS GRAVEL GARDEN PETER READER LANDSCAPES

ASCOT GRAVEL GARDEN BRYAN HALLIDAY GARDENS

THE CONTEMPORARY COURTYARD GARDEN ADAM VETERE LANDSCAPE & GARDEN DESIGN

WINNER

This small courtyard was originally bare and unused, but Rosemary Coldstream Garden Design developed the space to become a place to relax in; to be a welcoming place for furry friends – the client’s two dogs; as well as a wonderful ‘picture’ from the adjacent kitchen too.

The garden previously had cheap aggregate pavers, the back wall was painted concrete block, and there was zero drainage. The goal of this project, however, was to transform the space into a contemporary, green oasis.

Black basalt porcelain was chosen as a durable paving that would look great with the green planting. Porcelain cladding was chosen as well for the back wall, which resembles Verdigris copper that adds texture, life and depth to the garden.

Planting is largely evergreen as well as some other seasonal interest such as Acer palmatum ‘Winter Flame’ red stems. Small Ophiopogon japonicus ‘Minor’ is starting to creep along the channel and will eventually become one continuous line. The acer will grow larger, while the osmanthus is to be kept relatively tight. The colour palette is predominantly green, with touches or purple, silver and white.

Miss Mochi – the client’s dog – even has a dedicated space, with 0.5m2 of artificial turf tucked away for her at the base of the stairs.

WINNER

Tom Howard Garden Design & Landscaping Ltd converted this rear garden of a London terraced house from a small, derelict space to an abundant addition of the home.

The space was originally mostly empty, with poorly laid artificial grass and a run of porcelain tiles. The team at Tom Howard Garden Design & Landscaping Ltd impressively transformed it into an aesthetically pleasing space to relax and dine.

The theme was to match the outdoors to the interior style, so the team included a similar colour scheme to create a seamless flow in and out of their home. They used mostly a black palette for the lateral trellising and raised beds to complement the interior tones, but to also help make the space feel larger. The smooth limestone paving has beautiful colour variations, and grouting it helped the garden to look more like an outdoor room.

The clients were from Australia and New Zealand, so part of the brief, which the team delivered, was to incorporate native plants (ferns) and a BBQ. Mainly evergreens were chosen, but with white flowering jasmine which became the geometric backdrop to the whole garden. Impressively, what was once just a concrete space now has a quarter of the garden being permeable and dedicated to planting.

TAYBRIDGE ROAD | TOM HOWARD GARDEN DESIGN & LANDSCAPING LTD

SUPREME WINNER

ABOUT

This project received the highest total score from the judges across all nine categories.

“The Floating Deck by Adam Vetere Landscape & Garden Design is a fantastic scheme, adding the wow factor to become the Supreme Winner for 2022. The judges have called it ‘a fantastic response to a significant problem, bringing the garden into use and removing the safety concerns. There is a high quality finish to all aspects of this project.’

“The clients of this fantastic deck now feel as though this addition, which simply added a very small useable space to the garden, has completed their outdoor space, and they now want to be outside in their garden all the time.

“A very worthy winner, amongst some fantastic entries in this year’s Pro Landscaper small project BIG IMPACT Awards.

Congratulations to Adam Vetere!” Liz Hughes, Provender Nurseries

JUDGES

MARK DRAPER, GRADUATE GARDENERS

ALISTAIR BAYFORD, MAYLIM

HELEN ELKS-SMITH, ELKS-SMITH LANDSCAPE & GARDEN DESIGN

LEWIS NORMAND, BERNHARD’S NURSERIES

GARETH WILSON, EXPERT WITNESS

LIZ HUGHES, PROVENDER NURSERIES

LISA WILKINSON, ELJAYS44

JAMES SCOTT, THE GARDEN COMPANY

BRIAN HERBERT, OUTDOOR OPTIONS