The Society of Garden Designers has announced Greenfingers as the new Charity Partner for the SGD Awards, following 5 years supporting horticultural charity Perennial.
Greenfingers Charity is dedicated to supporting children and families who spend time in hospices around the UK, by creating inspiring gardens for them to relax in and benefit from. The charity is driven by the belief that time spent outdoors, away from the bedside, can offer children and families under considerable stress a vital opportunity to embrace the experience of being in the fresh air and engaging with the natural environment. Greenfingers Charity has created over 50 hospice gardens around the country including gardens designed by SGD members Barry Kellington MSGD, Anne-Marie Powell MSGD, Adam Frost, Matthew Wilson and Nicola Wakefield. They are currently working with Andrew Fisher Tomlin FSGD, Darren Hawkes and Carolyn Willitts. A collection for the charity will be made at the Awards ceremony on Friday 1 February 2019.
Cassandra Crouch MSGD, Council Member for the SGD Awards, said: “The Society is delighted to be working with such a worthy charity as Greenfingers. It’s an organisation that many of our members are familiar with and indeed are already working alongside. We hope the SGD’s support will help them to continue the great work they do supporting families and children around the UK.”
In addition, designer, broadcaster and author Ann-Marie Powell MSGD will be joining the judging panel of the 2019 SGD Awards this year, alongside long-standing judges Richard Sneesby, Annie Guilfoyle, Julie Toll and Arabella St. John-Parker, from Awards media partner Homes & Gardens. Ann-Marie Powell said: “Having hosted the SGD Awards Ceremony and received an Award myself last year, it is great to be in the privileged position of joining the Awards judging panel this year. I’m excited to see this year’s entries and really looking forward to getting started”.
The SGD Student Awards, which are assessed separately, will continue to be judged by Society members Andy Sturgeon FSGD and Debbie Roberts MSGD of Acres Wild.
The SGD Awards, which are in their seventh year, are now open for entries for 2019. This year a new award category titled 'Fresh Designer' is added to the line-up. In addition, the Healing or Learning category is expanded to include community gardens.
In total, 15 award categories are open ranging from Large Residential Garden and Planting Design to Garden Jewel and International Garden, for which judges are particularly keen to see gardens of all sizes and concepts built outside the UK.
