Landscape & Hardscape Design-Build - May 2012

PHOTO COURTESY OF AAA LANDSCAPE SPECIALISTS David Silver co owner of AAA Landscape Specialists has been entering and winning landscape competitions for more than 20 years And the Award Goes To Industry honors can establish credibility boost business by Patrick White W hen you take pride in your work and do a great job it shows Unfortunately it may only be seen by you and your client For those special projects where the design materials and craftsmanship all come together and scream excellence there are ways to showcase that to a larger audience You can send out press releases feature the work on your website or perhaps enter the project in a landscape awards competition There are a variety of landscape award competitions to choose from Most notable are local regional and national landscape association competitions Other possibilities include best of awards given by publications devoted to homes and gardens competitions sponsored by industry manufacturers for projects utilizing their products and niche award programs given by groups to recognize excellence in areas such as environmental sensitivity pool installations or any number of other landscape segments From the viewpoint of landscape contractors who have entered and won competitions its possible to get a look at what goes into entering as well as the benefits of emerging victorious Last year for example Duneland Landscape www duneland scape com entered an awards program sponsored by Belgard to honor stellar installations involving its hardscape products It was the first time we had entered says Tom Frain owner of Duneland Landscape which ended up winning Belgards 2011 Best Residential Project award Frain says he first heard of the awards program from his materials supplier Rose Brick Materials in South Bend Ind Our contact there told me about it and he actually helped get us entered into the competition Frain explains He was on the job supplying us with the materials the retaining wall block and patio bricks and permeable pavers and everything else When he saw how it was going together he suggested that we enter The project was a lakeside installation in Grand Beach Mich with extensive hardscaping The entry process went smoothly he recounts We submitted some photos and Belgard came out with a crew to review the installation and confirm all the details 8 Landscape Hardscape Design Build I June 2012