The Society of Garden Designers (SGD) has announced the winners at its annual SGD Awards at an event in London. It celebrated inspiring projects from across the industry, with some of the biggest names in garden design present. The winners included Andy Sturgeon, Stefano Marinaz and Professor James Hitchmough. We round up the winners.
The SGD Garden of the Year Award
Winner: Andy Sturgeon FSGD
This most prestigious award, also known as the Grand Award, was presented to Andy Sturgeon for the rooftop gardens designed for London's iconic Battersea Power Station.
This series of private communal gardens was designed to be a single, cohesive space while seamlessly incorporating a number of private gardens. Respecting the heritage of the building and the constraints of the architecture were key to the success of the project, as was the creation of human scale spaces on this exposed London site.
The judges described the project as 'an extraordinary piece of work'. The scheme was also named as the winner in the Roof, Podium or Raised Courtyard category. In a separate category, Hobhouse Court designed by Andy Sturgeon received the award for best Hardscape Design.
Read more about Andy Sturgeon's Battersea scheme in the March 2024 issue of Gardens Illustrated.
Judges’ Award, Medium Residential Garden Award, Design for the Environment Award
Winner: Stefano Marinaz
The judges called Stefano Marinaz's project 'a beautiful, understated nod to modernity'. They were particularly impressed with the 'complex and interesting planting', saying it was 'a perfect example of how to be bold with big planting'.
Read more about Stefano's winning garden.
People’s Choice Award
Winner: Adam Vetere MSGD
The only award that is determined by a public vote went to Adam Vetere for a treetop garden in Berkshire. The garden also won the Small Residential Gardens Award. The judges deemed it 'a really good piece of design that demonstrated great skill in working within a limited flat space at the top of a very steep site'.
Large Residential Garden Award
Winner: Robert Myers
This large garden was designed to enhance the setting of the house, improve access and circulation while creating new spaces and increasing the wildlife value of the site. The judges called it a 'strong and confident garden' and remarked on the lovely combination of colours, texture and movement that created a feeling of total immersion.
www.robertmyers-associates.co.uk
Garden Jewel Award
Winner: George Cullis
The judges called this small garden 'a lush oasis providing a truly immersive garden experience'. Read more about this award-winning garden.
Big Ideas, Small Budget Award
Winner: Harry Holding
Judges called Harry Holding's garden an enchanting woodland garden with an impressive planting design that the judges felt had achieved 'a wonderful transformation'. Look out for our feature on this garden in an upcoming issue of Gardens Illustrated.
Planting Award
Winner: Nic Howard
This hotly contested award went to Nic Howard for a scheme the judges called 'an excellent example of a traditional approach to planting'. The panel was impressed by the considered, cohesive and well-proportioned plan and commented on the 'bold mix of plants suited to the site, good textural consideration and an excellent use of trees'.
UK Commercial or Community Landscape
Winner: Matt Keightley
The judges were impressed with the strong design aesthetic, accomplished, well-considered planting and great use of texture, colour and shape in the new Wellbeing Garden at RHS Garden Wisley, calling it a 'complex and beautiful scheme within a very difficult space.'
International Commercial or Community Landscape & Garden
Winner: Lulu Urquart and Adam Hunt
Masseria Pistola in Italy, designed by Adam Hunt, comprises of a series of distinct terraces, a farm shop, parking, and an amphitheatre for performance and picnics. The judges remarked on the lovely balance between a human scale and a landscape scale and called it 'an absolutely stunning project with an exemplary quality of planting and forms and shapes that blend beautifully with the wider landscape and are perfectly suited to the climate'. You can read about La Pistola in an upcoming issue of Gardens Illustrated.
Fresh Designer
Winner: Emily Crowley-Wroe
Emily Crowley-Wroe was named as the best Fresh Designer for 2024. The judges called her modern cottage garden 'a bold, seductive design' remarking on the cleverly laid out space that they felt had led to a dramatic transformation.
SGD Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: James Hitchmough
The SGD Lifetime Achievement Award is an award 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 presented to horticulturist, author and lecturer, Professor James Hitchmough. Previous recipients have included Penelope Hobhouse, Piet Oudolf, Beth Chatto, Christopher Bradley-Hole, Andrew Lawson, Fernando Caruncho, Robin Williams, David Stevens and Charles Jencks. Last year the award went to to SGD Fellow, Sarah Eberle.
Read about James Hitchmough's garden in Sheffield and watch his Gardens Illustrated Masterclass on Planting for the Future.
Paper Landscapes
The judges described Holly Birtles' entry as 'an exemplary piece of design, demonstrating an interesting and intelligent approach, strong themes and great environmental credentials. A model for the kind of approach we need to see going forward in the industry.'
New awards
The Society introduced two new Awards this year. Matt Nichols was the first recipient of the new Designer & Landscape Contractor Award which was presented to him for a project titled 'Living the Good Life' that he created in collaboration with Creative Gardens & Driveways.
www.creativegardensanddriveways.co.uk
The new Sustainable Product Award which was judged by Rachel Bailey MSGD, the SGD's lead on sustainability, was granted to PlantGrow Mulch. Rachel said PlantGrow Mulch was 'a brilliant example of how quality products can be created through a closed loop circular economy, considering both the inputs and outputs in a way we should all be doing'.
SGD Student Awards
Three standout designers student projects were selected for SGD Awards this year as the very best in emerging talent. Jake Sutcliffe scooped the award in the Domestic Garden Design category, Julia Hill was presented with the award for best Commercial Garden Design and Chloe Hamblen was named winner in the Sustainable Garden Design category. In addition two special commendations were also announced. The categories were judged by SGD Fellows David Stevens and Sarah Morgan and award-winning designer Tom Massey, who was one of the first recipients of the student awards back in 2014.