The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) is thrilled to announce that The Pursuit of Excellence Garden - celebrating APL’s 30th anniversary year - was awarded a Platinum medal and named Best Showcase Garden at this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair.
Built in just three days at Audley End House in Saffron Walden, Essex, The Pursuit of Excellence was one of a series of anniversary gardens created by APL members for shows across the UK, all of which highlight quality, design, build, and stunning planting schemes.
The garden, designed by Designscape, planting plan by Bramley Apple Garden Design and built by APL members - Landscapes by Design, TKE Landscaping, Holland Landscapes, Haldon Construction, as well as non-members Daryl Gannon Landscapes and P R Kedge Landscapes - is dominated by large-format geometrical shapes and colours.
Starting in an area of calm and beauty, the four planting zones provide height and structure, framing the tranquil water feature at the centre of the garden. Planting is biodiverse, encouraging wildlife and the vertical planks not only offer privacy to the seating area but also provide a glimpse of the area ahead. Within this zone, planting still exists, while also offering suggestions for architectural and drought-tolerant planting.
The judges praised the garden design and the skills and craftsmanship of professional landscapers. They described it as “impressive” to build a 60m² garden in just three days and called it “a testament to the people involved and the industry.”
Phil Tremayne, General Manager of the APL, commented: “We wanted to continue with the theme of promoting design and landscape excellence at Audley End, so I reached out to our members for support. Two designers, six landscapers, a concept, a plan, some sponsors, three days to build – and now Best Showcase Garden and a Platinum Award… I couldn’t be happier. We aim to inspire and educate on what quality design and build look like, so thank you to all the members who helped make this a reality.”
As part of the APL’s 30th anniversary year celebrations, members have created three other award-winning, high-quality designs at some of the UK's largest flower shows and exhibitions:
- Garden for Gathering was designed by APL member Melissa Morten and built by APL member Paxman Landscapes for the Harrogate Flower Show in April. It was awarded Best in Show and Premier Gold.
- Where There’s Water, There’s Life was designed by APL member Rachel Bailey, project led by APL member Design It Landscapes, and supported by other APL members for BBC Gardeners’ World Live in June. It won Best Show Garden, Best Construction and achieved a Platinum award.
- At Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, APL member Big Fish Landscapes won GOLD, Best Show Garden, Best Construction Award and Environmental Innovation Award for the Subaru Cocoon show garden, while a special anniversary garden, What Lies before what lies beneath, was designed by Phil Tremayne to illustrate the process of having your garden designed and built by professionals. This project was led by APL member Bushy Business and supported by other APL members.
The Association of Professional Landscapers has an esteemed reputation for quality and landscaping excellence and is proud to support and champion the professional landscaping community across the UK. To learn more about the APL, visit landscaper.org.uk.
