Gardens of the Year 2020

The current highlights in garden design were distinguished at the award ceremony of Gardens of the Year 2020.

Each year, one can observe at spoga+gafa how the garden is increasingly becoming the centre of life. This is also reflected by the Gardens of the Year award. The most beautiful private gardens were selected at Dyck Castle on 13 February. There were more participants in the distinction awarded by the Callwey publishing company in collaboration with the Federation of German Landscape Architects (bdla) and other partners compared to last year.

"Gardening is an activity that is full of confidence and trust that things continue and that one can care for," the well-known author, Meike Winnemuth, stated in her opening speech. Horticulturists and landscape architects were distinguished for this confidence at Dyck Castle. Particularly successful garden projects in the German-speaking zone won first prize and four recognitions.

This year's Garden of the Year award didn't go to a park-like concept. Instead, the first prize was awarded to a small city garden. Hence, in line with the main emphasis of the last spoga+gafa, City Gardening, the focus was placed on urban gardens. Measuring just 170 square metres, the award-winning garden was a green place of retreat in the heart of an urban district in Düsseldorf.

The office gartenplus - the garden architects designed the distinguished city garden to match a listed old building. Its brick walls are a main feature of the entire garden space. With an exceptional usage of plants and materials different spaces divide the narrow plot up. "A spatially difficult piece of land is turned into a high-quality garden oasis in a totally individual way," was the jury's verdict.

Four further garden planners received a recognition in the scope of the Gardens of the Year award. An English-style perennial garden by the planning office Brigitte Röde was among the projects. A Baltic Sea garden with a beach atmosphere designed by Ilka Mahro was also distinguished as well as a modern garden at Lake Starnberger by the garden designer, Christiane von Burkersroda. The transformation of a plot from the 1970s into a multifaceted green retreat by WKM Landschaftsarchitekten also received a recognition.

An illustrated book on the award offers an overview of the 50 most beautiful Gardens of the Year in the German-speaking zone. In addition to photos and plans, it contains detailed descriptions of the selected garden projects. A tongue-in-cheek introduction to garden work offers further inspiration. Further garden ideas are available from 6 to 8 September at spoga+gafa 2020.