APL Awards Guidance

Your Guide to Entering The APL Awards
The APL Awards are an opportunity to showcase and benchmark your work amongst the best in the industry. It can provide your business with excellent marketing opportunities and give your team a real boost.

All gardens submitted are initially judged virtually. If they get through this stage, they will all receive a visit from an APL Awards Judge. The final assessment take place in October and Finalists are announced at APL Annual Meeting Futurescapes.

So what makes a brilliant entry?
Obviously a great project is one thing. But with the breadth of categories we have available it doesn't have to be a huge project. The most important things are images and information. The more images and information the judges have, the easier it is for them to make a judgement that is accurate and not filled with assumptions.

What do I need to submit?
The closing date for submissions is June 2nd. This deadline will NOT be moved, anything received after this date will not be in APL Awards 2024, but you will be offered the opportunity to enter 2025.

The APL Awards website gives clear instructions of what we need and it can all be uploaded from there.

Here is your checklist.

1. Project name
2. Project manager
3. Designer’s name and permission (Obtain permission from your designer’s to
use the garden for the competition)
4. Architect’s name (If applicable)
5. Photographer’s name (If applicable)
6. Client name, address and permission (Obtain permission from your client to
use the garden for the competition and for judges to carry out a visit to their
garden in August/September should you reach the Shortlist stage)
7. Description of project (max 100 words) – Give us a feel for the brief, constraints
and amount of work taken.
8. Estimate/Tender document – Full cost breakdown (PDF) *
9. CDM (If applicable)
10. Final invoice – Full cost breakdown (PDF)*
11. Labelled plans (PDF) - company name and project name
12. Level Survey - Compulsory for Overall Design & Build and Designer of the Year Categories.
13. Planting list - Compulsory for Soft Landscaping Category.
14. Supporting documents (if applicable) (2 Max) (this could be quotes from your client or initial client briefs.)
15. High resolution photos (Minimum 20—made up of)
Minimum 2 Before
Minimum 8 During
Minimum 10 Completed
There should be no people/tools in any after photos
(If Sent via WeTransfer to events@hta.org.uk, Ensure photos are labelled)

Things to consider with Images
Before
No before images are bad unless they are not for the garden in question. It is useful for the image to contain a reference point. EG House!
During
It is so important for the judges to see the detail behind the project. During images ideally should show any drainage works, depths of dig outs, evidence of sub bases, footings, full mortar beds, sub frames for decking, tree pits, prep for turfing etc.. etc.. Also if paving, details of cuts, joint widths etc.
After
The finished garden showing as many different angles as possible. Some close ups are useful, but remember these images are used in the PR and brochure. You can add more images before the final judging, but make sure the initial ones do give a really good
representation of the garden.

Timeline
Closing Date June 2nd 2023
Initial Judging June 9th 2023
Short List Announced Wednesday 17th June.
Judges will then contact short listed companies and visits will be made to projects during July, August and September. Please ensure you make your clients aware.
Depending on the size of project, judging will take between 40 mins and 2hrs. It is useful for the client to be there, but not critical. They are bound to only say good things. But they do give a good idea if the brief was met.
It is important for you to attend. You can explain the build and also detail any issues you overcame etc..

On the day of garden visit.
I can’t speak for all judges, but I like to meet at the garden and be shown around by the landscaper or designer. I allow them to talk me through the build, maintenance or design process.
I then like to be left to walk the garden on my own, where I will make notes, take pictures and sometimes take measurements and levels.
If it is a maintenance entry, I will only walk with the landscaper/Professional Gardener  and take notes and pictures as we go.
At the end, if the client is available. It is good to have 5 mins with them.
Final Judging TBC but usually Mid October.

How gardens are judged.

Basically, when we first look at a garden we assume it is a Gold medal.

On closer scrutiny we may start to pick up some faults on finish or other aesthetic. Each fault loses point. It is out of 10.

Gold medals are given to gardens that score 9-10 points.

Silver Merit 7-8

Silver 5-6

Bronze 2-4

Under 2 No award.

Broadly speaking, it should be assumed that Bronze is Industry Standard. Being that structurally there is nothing wrong with the garden, but it lacks award winning finish.

Finalists Announced At Futurescape 21st November 2023
At this point, your entries are placed on the website, our social media starts to promote them and we send you your Finalists Logo.
Awards Ceremony will be at the Brewery in London March 15th 2024 (TBC)
GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL.