By Linda Erskine

Landscaping is an art. We all know this. Part of the reason why we’re in this industry is because of the creative freedom it allows. Whether we create a charming courtyard or water feature where none existed before, or help to maintain the balance of nature, we all have a hand in the artistry known as landscaping. The art of propagation is another thing altogether. Not only do growers have the knowledge to grow a variety of different trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals, but they also have the tools and the talent to produce award-winning nursery stock. This publication would be out of business without this art; and the industry would be a very quiet and unexciting place if we did not have enough pride to showcase our work.

     This is where awards programs come in. It is your chance to toot your own horn, create excitement over a project or simply be able to stand back and smile as well-deserving accolades come your way — no matter the province in which you operate. From British Columbia to Newfoundland, provincial associations are an ideal place to look for such programs. The catch is, however, without promotion, namely entering your project or plant in an awards program, how can you expect to see such recognition?

     Next time you are on-site, making final touches to a project, or in the field examining ready-to-market plant material, bring a camera and a roll of slide film and start snapping. Not only will this fill up a portfolio to show prospective clients, but you may also find you took some fabulous shots of a project you would consider entering.

     Koos Torenvliet, owner of Environmental Design Landscape Contractors didn’t forget to take photos of one residential project. The firm received not one, but two awards in Landscape Ontario’s Awards of Excellence program in 2000, winning the Dunington-Grubb Award for Landscape Construction and the Special Interest: Water Features award for the Ellis project (see “Urban oasis recognized,” page 38). Magazines, both trade and consumer publications, look to feature such award-winning projects and firms in their editorial — advertising that costs nothing but the effort needed to enter the program.

     Photos are worth a thousand words. They can sometimes tell a story better than just using mere words. Turn to page 6 and see how the photos accompanying Gordon Hayward’s article, “Stone Walls in the Landscape,” make the story come alive and inspire excitement in the featured projects.

     Make sure your work inspires excitement, whether it is in yourself, your clients and even your staff. Awards programs are there, not just to say your project was chosen as the best, but because you had a belief in your company, the talents of your staff, and in the art of landscaping, to lay your cards down on the table and promote your work in the first place. Where would the industry be today if we sat back and didn’t reach for the spotlight? Where would the art of landscaping be if we didn’t rise to the challenge? Find out about awards programs in your area, and help raise the bar of excellence, for yourself, your staff and the industry.