Seeing exceptional gardens and meeting landscapers around the country are what keep Penny Cliffin involved in the Landscapes of Distinction Awards. A former polytech lecturer in design and horticulture, she also enjoys working with the Registered Master Landscapers team and her fellow judges. Awards night, she says, is “a highlight—a chance to celebrate the best of the best!”

Her advice for entrants, though, starts long before Awards night.

“Allow plenty of preparation time. Schedule photos for when the project looks its best, and collect documentation before assembling your submission.”

That matters because judges are assessing a landscape they may never stand in. Penny explains that only category finalists receive a judges’ visit, so for most entries the photographs and documentation in the online submission do most of the talking.

Show the spaces, not just the details

What makes an entry easier to assess? Penny wants “a wide selection of well composed photos that give us a clear sense of the spaces in the landscape.” Simple videos help too. For design projects in particular, she describes video as a powerful way to show spatial qualities. That builds on the use of video in the 2025 programme, which is being developed further for 2027, with more scope to tell your project’s story on screen

The aim is not just to show that the project looks good. Judges need to understand the context and the spatial and aesthetic qualities of the landscape. Depending on the category, they also look at material selection, construction methods and attention to detail, or at the standard of maintenance.

Explain what the landscape was meant to do

Alongside the images, Penny wants a clear description of the landscape’s intent, from both the designer’s and the client’s perspective. It tells the judges what the project set out to achieve, so they can see how well it got there.

Can a fantastic landscape be let down by the way its story is told? Penny says yes. Her suggestion if writing is not your strength: ask a design-minded employee or friend to help you pin down the central idea and tell a more compelling project story. AI can be a useful writing aid, she adds.

Give the planting time to show its purpose

From a judging perspective, the construction or installation may be complete well before the planting has had time to establish and show the project at its best.

“Recently planted projects seldom give a clear sense of the intended planting design.”

Once plants have filled out and covered the ground, massed planting effects are clearer, and the relationships between colour and texture become easier to see. Penny’s recommendation is to enter a project at least two years after planting, ideally three.

A question to ask before you submit

Could someone who has never visited this landscape understand what it was meant to achieve, and see how well it has worked? If the answer is yes, your submission is doing what the judges need it to do.