Skip to main content

Winners 2019

The SGD Awards 2019 Winners

Adolfo Harrison MSGD and Marian Boswall MSGD have taken the two most prestigious awards at the Society of Garden Designers’ seventh annual awards ceremony, receiving the Judges' and Grand Awards respectively in front of an audience of almost 400 guests.

The accolades were presented at a ceremony at The Landmark Hotel in London on Friday 1st February where 19 winners were announced out of the 39 projects and Piet Oudolf was presented with the SGD’s ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.

Click here to see the full list of finalists.

See the full list of winners and the Judges’ comments below. Please click on the images to enlarge and scroll through.  

International

Sponsored by Landform Consultants

Winner: Noël van Mierlo

Project: Japanese Water Garden

Contractor: Totaaltuin Leende

What the judges said: “A wonderful interpretation of a theme combined with contemporary modernity. Beautifully soft both in its hard and soft landscaping, including stunning rock work, the design draws the eye around the space resting on details and ornament while being calmed by the water and planting composition. An incredible transformation which is brave, accomplished, well-balanced and aspirational. An inspiring and atmospheric garden.”

Public or Commercial Outdoor Space

Sponsored by CED Stone Group

Winner: Garden Club London—Principal Designer Tony Woods MSGD

Project: Merchant Square Floating Pocket

What the judges said: “A wonderful floating oasis within the built up Paddington basin, satisfying the brief on every level and beautifully executed. An incredible use of resource and an amazingly clever idea to promote landscape that could be applied to any city.”

Student Design - Commercial

Sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil

Joint Winner: Michael Ekers

Project: Tithe Barn

What the judges said: “An incredibly professional design and an excellent visual presentation which captures and enhances the essence of the place. Simple but very confident. A brief beautifully answered.”

Student Design - Commercial

Sponsored by British Sugar Topsoil

Joint Winner: Bob Richmond-Watson

Project: Cambridge Cottage

What the judges said: “A beautiful marriage of form and function that perfectly meets the brief and is ideally suited to the setting. Demonstrating a lightness of touch and with a strong theme running throughout, presented with lovely graphics and a fantastic model.”

Student Design - Domestic

Sponsored by Europlants

Joint Winner: Duncan Cargill

Project:  Norfolk Flint Garden

What the judges said: “A sophisticated design demonstrating a clear understanding of space and proportion and with a strong identity and sense of place.  Presented through wonderful sketches that evoke the landscape beautifully"

Medium Residential Garden

Sponsored by Capital Garden Products

Joint Winner:  Helen Elks-Smith MSGD

Project:  Winchester Garden

What the judges said: "A beautifully simple, calm and coherent garden where the designer has paid excellent attention to the contrasts of shape and form in the planting to complement the architectural spaces.  The use of water to creating light and a view of the sky is inspired and the lovely repetition of colour, and wonderful texture and movement created by mass grass  planting is fabulous.  A very accomplished and relaxing space."

Small Residential Garden

Sponsored by Stonemarket

Winner:  The Garden Company Ltd - Principal Designer James Scott MSGD

Project:  Laurel Cottage

Contractor:  The Garden Company Ltd

What the judges said: “The carefully thought out design and creation of different spaces in the garden along with the vertical elements make the garden appear much larger than it is.  The more informal areas with boulders and an elevated path through the soft and calming planting add to the sense of adventure and overall the design is clever and accomplished."

Garden Jewel

Sponsored by Vande Moortel

Joint Winner: Adolfo Harrison MSGD

Project:  Shepherd's Bush Courtyard

Contractor:  Town & Country Gardens

What the judges said:  “A garden that offers instant impact and creates a wonderful atmosphere.   Fresh, new and different,  the design is quirky, risky and brave and a welcome antidote to formulaic city gardens.   Demonstrates a great use of structure in the overhead pergola alongside lovely lighting elements, sensitively chosen planting and excellent detailing.   A great use of the space and a very accomplished design."

Roof Garden

Sponsored by Green-Tech Ltd

Winner:  Garden Club London - Principal Designer Tony Woods MSGD

Project: Jam Factory

Contractor: Garden Club London

What the judges said: “An outright winner, working on every level of function, spatial arrangement, planting design and durability for the challenging conditions.  Well proportioned with a lovely warm colour palette and wonderful texture in the paving, furniture and planting, the garden is perfectly designed to take in the London skyline without overwhelming the space."  

Large Residential Garden

Sponsored by Gabriel Ash

Joint Winner: Robert Myers Associates Ltd Principal Designer Robert Myers MSGD

Project: Walled Garden

Contractor: J&S Scapes

What the judges said: “Exquisite on every level, the garden is a perfect display of good proportion, executed immaculately with well-thought out layers of planting.  Offering areas of tranquil seclusion and intimacy alongside sweeping expanses of space, the strength of the design is in the recycling of existing plant materials into a reinvigorated landscape to create a fresh and innovative space.  Exceptional work."

Large Residential Garden

Sponsored by Gabriel Ash

Joint Winner: Marian Boswall MSGD

Project: Reighton Wood

Contractor: Donovan Landscapes

What the judges said: “An absolutely stunning garden demonstrating sumptuous planting with texture,  mood, atmosphere and playfulness. Includes a great synergy of materials and wonderful links between the different areas that give the garden an elegant and calm pace.  Fits perfectly into the setting and shows a great attention to detail."

Big Ideas, Small Budget

Sponsored by Country Supplies

Winner: Martha Krempel

Project: Horse Shoe Bend Garden

What the judges said: “A clever blend of house and garden, through a courtyard whose planting lends a softness and tranquility to the space. On entering the garden one feels like one has stepped out of the world to a wonderful urban oasis of calm in the city."

The Lifetime Achievement Award

Sponsored by Alitex

Awarded to: Piet Oudolf

Awarded by the Council of the Society of Garden Designers.

The SGD Council said: “Every year the council of the SGD grant a Lifetime Achievement Award to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the Garden Design Profession.  We are particularly proud to honour our seventh recipient of this most prestigious award.  From the age of 25, this plantsman has made a phenomenal contribution to new ways of thinking on naturalistic planting using grasses and herbaceous plants. Read More and watch a short film..."

Planting Design

Sponsored by Barcham Trees Plc

Winner: Emily Erlam

Project: Tithe Barn

What the judges said: “A plant lovers garden demonstrating pure plantsperson talent.  Refreshingly soft, it exemplifies a light touch with elegant restraint but just as much attention to detailing. A beautiful integration into the setting with carefully selected palettes that work well seasonally, locationally and compositionally.   A simple, calm, aspirational garden that is all about the plants."

Healing or Learning Garden

Sponsored by Easigrass™ Distribution Ltd

Winner: Bowles & Wyer - Principal Designer John Wyer FSGD

Project: Addenbrookes Outpatients

Contractor: Bowles & Wyer

What the judges said: “A wonderful transformation creating a soothing, gentle and inspiring space for those using it.   The light paving and restrained planting palette gives the space energy and demonstrates excellent attention to detail in its execution."

Paper Landscapes

Sponsored by Society of Garden Designers

Joint Winner: Lara Behr

Project: Rethinking Boundaries

What the judges said: “A lovely idea presented through fabulous graphics communicating more than just a visual impression of the project, but a real sense of the sounds, smells and feel of nature.  A utopia of a shared community space that breaks the mould of fenced off spaces separating our private spaces. An accomplished, exciting and ambitious proposal."

Paper Landscapes

Sponsored by Society of Garden Designers

Joint Winner: Paul Hensey FSGD

Project: Garden Sossus

What the judges said: “An excellent visual presentation demonstrating the creative process behind the garden.  Original and creatively executed, it gives an excellent impression of the feel of the concept and the finished form. Would really like to see this garden built!"

Fresh Designer

Sponsored by Deepdale Trees Ltd

Joint Winner: Rachel Reynolds  

Project: Dulwich College Memorial Garden

Contractor: Bowles & Wyer

What the judges said: "An accomplished design demonstrating design skill and flare.  Wonderfully restrained and well executed with lovely attention to detail and bold, fresh ideas. The garden is imaginative, clever and self-assured."

Fresh Designer

Sponsored by Deepdale Trees Ltd

Joint Winner: Sam Westcott

Project: Dunedin House

What the judges said: "A beautifully detailed and planted garden that any fresh designer could aspire towards. Demonstrating design skill at every stage, without upstaging the magnificent views, the designer has transformed a difficult site with maturity and skill. Incorporating wonderful textures and tones and exquisite bespoke metalwork detailing, the garden is generous, ambitious and bold."  

Hardscape

Sponsored by Hardscape

Winner: Gavin McWilliam MSGD & Andrew Wilson FSGD

Project: Hertfordshire Garden

Contractor: Bowles & Wyer

What the judges said: “Hugely accomplished and impeccably executed, the garden ticks all the hardscape boxes.   Beautiful drystone walls with corten steel windows demonstrate the faultless attention to detail.  Exquisite work that doesn't dominate the garden. "

People's Choice Award

Sponsored by Homes & Gardens

Winner: Noël van Mierlo

Project: Japanese Water Garden

Contractor: Totaaltuin Leende

The People’s Choice Award is the only category in The SGD Awards that has been chosen in a public vote. The 20 shortlisted finalists from the International, Public or Commercial Outdoor Space, the Large, Medium and Small Residential Garden categories and the Garden Jewel and Roof Garden categories were entered into this award and the winner was chosen by votes cast by SGD Members and the general public.

The Judges' Award

Sponsored by Harrod Horticultural

Winner: Adolfo Harrison MSGD

Project: Shepherd's Bush Courtyard

Contractor:  Town & Country Gardens

What the judges said: "A garden that offers instant impact and creates a wonderful atmosphere.   Fresh, new and different,  the design is quirky, risky and brave and a welcome antidote to formulaic city gardens.   Demonstrates a great use of structure in the overhead pergola alongside lovely lighting elements, sensitively chosen planting and excellent detailing.   A great use of the space and a very accomplished design."

The Grand Award

Sponsored by Marshalls

Winner: Marian Boswall MSGD

Project: Reighton Wood

Contractor: Donovan Landscapes

What the judges said: “A beautiful garden that makes an important, and long lasting, change to the landscape within which it sits.   Demonstrating exquisite planting with texture, atmosphere and a great synergy of materials, it fits perfectly into its setting and looks wonderful all year round."

Sign up for future info about SGD Awards

Meet the Sponsors of the 2025 SGD Awards

Media PartnerThe English Garden

Media Contact

For press information and images or to arrange press interviews, please contact SGD PR Consultant Hind + Osen 

Winners Quotes