The Wildlife Trust and LANDSCAPE - The Industry Trade Show are teaming up to run a ‘wildlife friendly garden in a pot’ design competition! The competition is open to both professionals and the general public, with two different prize categories. Designs by shortlisted entrants will be displayed at LANDSCAPE 2023, which is held at the NEC in September, providing fantastic exposure to industry professionals. One lucky winner will be announced on the first day of the show and will have the opportunity to create their winning design in partnership with the Wildlife Trusts following the show. Get thinking and submit your fantastic design to get involved!

LANDSCAPE - The Industry Trade Show is established as the essential trade event, attracting Landscape Designers, Garden Designers, Architects, Contractors and Local Authorities from all over the UK and beyond. Held over two full days with a packed timetable, LANDSCAPE provides the perfect platform to source new products from hundreds of exhibitors, to connect with peers and to learn about new developments from those working at the top of their field. Alongside the exhibition itself, LANDSCAPE hosts 40 CPD accredited seminars as well as interviews with respected professionals, networking drinks receptions and lots of additional exclusive features. Register now and be part of the conversation!

The competition is open to all, with two distinctive categories:

• Professional Designers
• Public / Students with no commercial experience

The Brief

LANDSCAPE 2023 in collaboration with Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust want you to design a Wildlife Friendly Garden in a pot. By that we mean using planters, window boxes and containers. Making space for nature in an urban environment where natural features are scarce. We are looking for creative and practical ideas that can inspire people to create their own using features from your design.

There are a number of criteria your design must meet:

• Each design should include an idea for a window box, a planter suitable for a patio and a pot for a balcony. The designs should include a perspective view to show the containers in situ.
• The maximum surface area of your design (pot/container) should be 1.8 metres x 1.8 metres (6ft x 6ft).  There is no minimum size area you can choose.
• The maximum height for your design should be 1.8 metres x 1.8 metres (6ft x 6ft).
• The design should look to promote native species and avoid invasive non-natives plants.
• It should maximise opportunities for urban wildlife to thrive and utilise sustainable, recyclable and local materials and resources where possible. 
• It should look to incorporate features that provide food, shelter and water in creative ways for as many species as possible.
• The resources and materials to create the garden (excluding basic tools and labour) should total no more than £2,500. 
• The winning design will be created on a Wildlife Trust education centre used by local community groups including schools. The plot is south facing, sheltered on one side and situated on an accessible path.  The design should feature an explanation as to its suitability for this plot to demonstrate its practical use.
• Repurposing an existing object to act as a container will help your design be unique. Consider objects that would work effectively, without degrading in weather and causing environmental pollution.

What is required?

Submit a digital presentation on a single A1 page that outlines your vision for this new wildlife garden in a pot. It is up to you to decide what this presentation contains but it should definitely include an illustration of your inspiration, all or part of which should show the image in 3D perspective.  You should provide a narrative as well as a brief written explanation.

Please also include a short profile of yourself in your accompanying email. You may submit individually or as a team in which case include a profile of each person.

Who are the judges?

The final selection will be made by independent professional designers and colleagues from LANDSCAPE 2023, Wildlife Trust as well as Andrew Fisher Tomlin from the London College of Garden Design. The decision of the judges is final.

Professional Prize 

• The winning entry will be announced and displayed at LANDSCAPE 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham on the 27th & 28th September 2023.
• Media coverage before and after in the LANDSCAPE 2023 online magazines as well as in related trade media including features online and in social media.
• The winner will be invited to create their design at BBC Gardeners World Live at the NEC in June 2024. A budget will be provided to support this.
• Following the exhibition at the NEC the cost of relocating and recreating the design will be covered.  The winning design will then be installed at Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust’s Centre of the Earth education centre in Birmingham. Up to £2,500 towards the costs of the materials and resources for the garden in a pot will be provided. The garden will be maintained by Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust. 

Public Prize

• The winning entry will be displayed at LANDSCAPE 2023 on the 27th & 28th September 2023.
• Media coverage before and after in the LANDSCAPE 2023 online magazines as well as in related trade media including features online and in social media.
• 1st prize: Goody Bag worth over £53 including 4 issues of Wildlife Watch magazine, wildlife friendly seedball matchbox, flat-packed bird nest box kit, ‘The Wildlife Pond Book’ by Jules Howard and ‘Wildlife Gardening for everyone and everything’ by Kate Bradbury.

• 2 runners up will each receive a prize worth over £24 each including 4 issues of Wildlife Watch magazine, wildlife friendly seedball matchbox, Bloomsbury ‘Concise Wildlife Garden Guide’ and a set of 5 greeting cards with images from local photographers.
• Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust will showcase entries via social media to encourage others to get creative and support nature’s recovery in their own gardens.

Deadline for Entries

Final entries should be submitted no later than 31st of August 2023. Your submission should be made digitally and sent to:  info@landscapeshow.co.uk 

Further information please contact:

Jeremy Storey-Walker
Event Director
THE LANDSCAPE SHOW
info@landscapeshow.co.uk