Callwey Verlag held the “Gardens of the Year” competition for the ninth time last year. The winners have now been announced: the award ceremony took place on the evening of February 20.
The annual competition looks for the most beautiful private gardens designed by landscape architects, gardeners and landscapers in German-speaking countries. Planners had until July last year to submit private garden projects that were no more than three years old via an online tool.
The competition jury selected 50 garden projects, from which it then named a winner and awarded five of the projects a prize each. The jury was looking for holistic concepts that individually transform a garden into an extended living and enjoyment space, as well as a strong idea.
First prize was awarded to the Naturwohnraum office for the “Stege an den Feuchtwiesen” project in Velen in the Münsterland region of North Rhine-Westphalia. Landscape architect Christina Schnelting designed the near-natural garden for herself and her family. The property with a house – built in 1911 – and outbuildings is located near the Bocholter Aa river and borders on wet meadows. The aspects of water and wetlands have been integrated into the concept, the landscape architect explains in the publication for the Gardens of the Year competition. Linear elements such as a 45-metre-long footbridge, paths and flowerbeds lie between lush perennials and grasses. Old trees have also been integrated into the design of the garden, including a copper beech that is around 120 years old. Close to the barn on the property, there is an old wooden boat that has been converted into a sandpit; lawn steps made of Corten steel bridge differences in height. According to landscape architect and jury member Irene Burkhardt, the overgrown plot offered great natural and historical potential. In her laudatory speech for the award-winning garden project, she continued: “This [potential] was transformed with sensitivity, restraint and creative confidence into an atmospherically dense, natural and aesthetically pleasing garden.”
In addition to the first prize, the jury awarded commendations to five projects as part of Gardens of the Year 2024. One of these went to HORTVS – Peter Janke Gartenkonzepte for the project “Elegant ecology in the city”, a home garden in the center of Cologne. In his laudatory speech, jury member Jens Spanjer described it as “an outstanding example of a contemporary garden adapted to the changing urban climate.”
Also honored with an award is “Upcycling Landhausgarten”, a project by Paus Gartendesign in Schermbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia. Garden designer Daniel Paus designed and realized the garden of a renovated farm including a bakery, mainly using reused materials.
Hariyo Freiraumgestaltung GmbH has been recognized in the Gardens of the Year 2024 competition for its “Garden Landscape in Motion” project in Jenins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Two areas of the open space of a wine-growing farm were designed here – a recreation area for guests and employees and a private part for the wine-growing family. The design makes reference to the surrounding (mountain) landscape.
Another award-winning project can be found in North Rhine-Westphalia: The “In dubio pro natura” garden by Peter Berg Gartendesign in Bonn received a commendation. In the redesign of the garden of a house that was being renovated, the garden designer combined old and new trees and used natural stone.
The “Abenteuerland Garten” project by Gartenkultur AG in Jegenstorf in the canton of Bern also received recognition from the jury. In the Swiss village, the planners designed the garden, which also features a sauna and a henhouse, with pine and oak trees, a natural pool and pond as well as rocks.
The photography prize, also awarded as part of the Gardens of the Year 2024 competition, goes to Sibylle Pietrek. This honors her work as a photographer.
In addition to garden projects, product innovations were also honored: this year, the “Solutions of the Year” were awarded for the sixth time. Specialist editors from the fields of landscape architecture and garden design selected the six product innovations. The first prize was decided in an online vote. This year, it went to Simon Rüegg Landschaftsarchitektur AG for the M fountain bowl in the garden furniture category. The same company also received a further award in the Accessories category for the LUZERN 110/130 planter. The Tiny AlpHouse Deluxe from Alpholz by GartenHaus GmbH was awarded in the Tinyhouse category and the SALAM concrete pool from the manufacturer tantan Outdoor-Betonmöbel in the Pool category. Two Solutions of the Year awards went to FinnTherm by GartenHaus GmbH, both in the Sauna & Wellness category: for the ScandiCube Space barrel sauna and for the Ellipso outdoor and indoor sauna series.
Callwey Verlag is publishing the documentation of the Gardens of the Year 2024 competition. The authors of the 296-page publication are Nico Wissing and Konstanze Neubauer. The book presents 50 private gardens in portraits, with color illustrations and garden plans, including the winners of the competition. The award-winning solutions of the year can also be found in the book.
Nico Wissing / Konstanze Neubauer
Gardens of the year
The 50 most beautiful private gardens 2024
296 pages, over 400 color illustrations and plans
23 x 30 cm, hardcover
€ [D] 59.95; € [A] 61.70; sFr. 80.00
ISBN 978-3-7667-2679-7
The Gardens of the Year 2024 exhibition will be on display from March 13 to 17, 2024 at the Giardina trade fair and from April 5 to 7 at the Blühendes Österreich trade fair.
Callwey Verlag also awarded the Gardens of the Year last year. You can find out who won in 2023 here.
