Landform Consultants have scooped the top accolade at the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) Awards 2015, sponsored by Bradstone.
Their work in creating a collection of gardens and a courtyard for six new homes in Hampstead was hailed "a fabulous piece of landscaping work that allows for individuality in each space and yet still exhibits cohesiveness between all the gardens."
The winners, announced in front of a 250 strong audience of landscaping professionals at The Brewery in London on 13 March 2015, gain national recognition for their achievements and are testament to the high calibre landscaping offered by APL members.
Chair of the judges Richard Barnard comments: "This year has produced inspiring and technically challenging award entries. Each year the entry numbers increase, as do the quality and execution of the schemes making it a particularly difficult year for the judges with much discussion and deliberation to arrive at overall decisions. With a new venue and new format this is an outstanding day for the industry."
The awards promote the very best in landscaping undertaken by APL members in categories that range from smaller projects, special features and garden maintenance to contracts of over £250,000. This year the categories were split, according to a company's turnover providing smaller and larger companies with equal opportunities.
A special APL Lifetime Achievement award was presented to John Brookes MBE for his outstanding services to the landscape industry. Having designed in excess of 1000 gardens John is best known for his ability to change his style to suit the period of the house and the wider landscape and for his hugely influential first book "˜Room Outside'.
Hosted by James Alexander-Sinclair the awards ceremony was a true celebration of the high standards that have been achieved by members and demonstrate the APL's commitment to quality landscaping. Following the awards serial adventurer and Scouting ambassador James Ketchell provided an insight to the challenges he has faced as an extreme triathlete. The event concluded with APL Chair Mark Gregory talking about the 20th anniversary of the APL and looking ahead to the future.
This year's judges were Richard Barnard from Hillier Landscapes, Bob Sweet, ex-RHS Head of Garden Judging, Sorrel Everton from Gardens Illustrated, Robin Templar Williams of Robin Williams and Associates, and James Steele-Sargent from Arun Landscapes.
