Identifying an excellent project on a smaller budget in the \u2018Project Value Under \u00a320,000\u2019 category, the judges crowned Green Rooms\u2019 Modern Courtyard Project<\/a> the winner. Brighton-based Gabriel Pol exquisitely transformed a small space in a city garden, proving that big spaces and big budgets aren\u2019t prerequisites to producing exemplary design. Also transforming a small space, but with a significantly larger budget, was the winner of the \u2018Project Value \u00a3100,000 – \u00a3200,000\u2019, won by Landscape Associates<\/a>. The team maximised the potential of a small Kensington garden by the clever use of walls and levels, masterfully created with high-end materials. Their creation was deemed so exceptional that it also took home the award for \u2018Overall Design & Build\u2019.<\/p>\n Responding effectively to a client\u2019s brief is paramount, and this was acknowledged in Urban Landscape Design\u2019s Heathland\u2019s Care Home<\/a> project, which incorporated a beach-themed garden that is suitable for dementia patients. The judges commented that it took a \u201cwell-considered and crafted approach to a challenging project, which delivered the client\u2019s hopes and ambitions for the space.\u201d Similar compliments were extended to Wardrop Design\u2019s Hampstead project<\/a>, that the judges felt showed total commitment to the client\u2019s brief and delivered a high level of detail, winning the \u2018APL Designer of the Year\u2019 category. This family-friendly garden was created with a contemporary feel by incorporating a sophisticated blend of porcelain, cedar and copper, complemented by a planting palette of mauves, white, purple and lime but had the needs of the family at the forefront of the design.<\/p>\n Maximising a garden\u2019s potential by making it a multi-purpose space is often a key part of a brief. The judges recognised the skill this involves by making Kingston Landscape Group the winner of the \u2018Community Garden\u2019 category for their Tubs Hill<\/a> project, that provided multi-use areas around a challenging multi-level courtyard layout. Ryan Alexander Landscape Design & Build<\/a> were recognised for their exceptional Dean Grange project, winning the \u2018Project Design Over \u00a3200,000\u2019 and the prestigious \u2018Supreme Winner\u2019 category for a garden that was \u201cbuilt for purpose and reason\u201d, with \u201cperfect creative planting\u201d and \u201can impressive and inspirational achievement for other landscapers\u201d. The \u2018Garden Feature\u2019 winner, JB Landscapes<\/a>, were also recognised for the multi-purpose and innovative use of gabion walls that made their Caledonian Road project an excellent example of creativity and execution.<\/p>\n Demonstrating that an emphasis on quality should run throughout projects of all values, Lanwarne Landscapes was the winner of the \u2018Project Value \u00a320,000 – \u00a335,000\u2019 category. Their Georgian Close<\/a> project involved the skilful use of materials, finished to a very high standard in both the hard and soft landscaping features. Similar compliments were extended to the winner of the \u2018Project Value \u00a360,000 – \u00a3100,000\u2019, with the judges noting the extremely high standards achieved with great attention to detail in Langdale Landscapes<\/a>\u2019 Redlands Road project. One of the secrets to superior landscaping is the quality of the materials that you often can\u2019t see. Using professional landscaping products<\/a>, such as those from Growtivation\u2019s Product That Works range<\/a>, will ensure the quality and longevity of a landscaped garden.<\/p>\n Creative Landscapes<\/a> clinched the prize in the hotly contested \u2018Soft Landscaping\u2019 category. All the designs in the shortlist were inspirational, providing new ideas for the wider industry to consider in their planting designs and use of lawns. But the judges particularly liked the originality in Creative Landscape\u2019s Berkshire project as a thought-provoking scheme that resulted in a distinctive Malaysian retreat. Bringing the exotic to an urban residence, the team at Creative Landscapes introduced a fully planted garden with colour, palms, and ferns and Asian artwork that created a tropical ambience and seclusion from neighbouring buildings.<\/p>\n On the day of the APL Awards, world-famous contemporary garden designer, John Brookes<\/a>, passed away, aged 84. John was the first major independent British designer in the late 1950s and 1960s, revolutionising the approach to British garden design and shaping the industry into what it has become today.<\/p>\n Great landscaping starts with the right tools. Find out more about Growtivation\u2019s\u00a0Products That Work<\/a> range and download our Product Guide<\/a>. Or to find out where you can buy Growtivation products, visit our online Where to Buy<\/a> facility or contact the team at Growtivation for advice on 0800 197 8885 or email sales@growtivation.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,34,33,32,31,30,29,28,27,1,23,22,21,20,17,12,11],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n2. Committing to a brief<\/h2>\n
3. How to be clever with multi-functional design<\/h2>\n
4. The importance of using quality materials<\/h2>\n
5. How to successfully draw on international influences<\/h2>\n
A sad footnote<\/h2>\n