The elite landscape design, construction and maintenance projects in British Columbia (B.C.) and Ontario get set to steal the spotlight with two high-profile awards competitions - the British Columbia Landscape and Nursery Association's (BCLNA) 2000 B.C. Landscape Awards of Excellence and Landscape Ontario's (L.O.) Awards of Excellence program.

     Designed to recognize the top projects in landscape installation and design and landscape maintenance, these two awards programs give their members the venue and the means to be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the horticulture industry. The B.C. Landscape Awards of Excellence, open to all B.C. professionals where the major portion of their business is derived from landscape services, consists of seven cat­egories. They include: Landscape Installation/Renovation, Landscape Maintenance, Interiorscaping, Unique Feature (i.e. water feature, use of native plants, etc.), Unique Process (project or process that contributes to social, economic or environmental values), Balcony Gardens and the Corporate Award. L.O.'s Awards of Excellence program for 2000 is separated into a variety of categories, among them landscape design and construction, landscape maintenance, landscape lighting and designing areas of special interest. Grower and retail garden centre programs are also included. Deadlines for these Awards of Excellence programs are approaching fast. Entries for the 2000 BC Landscape Awards of Excellence program must be received by August 21 to be eligible. The entry fee for members is $100 and $500 for non-members; special early bird rates apply if entries are received by July 1. Contact the BCLNA for details, (604) 574-7772.

     Deadline for entry submissions for Landscape Ontario's Awards of Excellence, construction, maintenance and design program is September 8. The judging of the Growers' Awards of Excellence will take place at the L.O. Growers Group Research Auction, held this year at the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Centre, September 12. The deadlines for all categories will be announced in a future issue of Landscape Trades and Horticulture Review. Entry forms will also be polybagged with future issues of Horticulture Review.

     For information on Landscape Ontario's Awards of Excellence, contact Denis Flanagan at the L.O. office, (905) 875-1805, ext. 303 or visit www.loawards.com.