We envision a reslient world dependent on the thoughtful cultivation of plants
The Design Futurist Award elevates inspired gardens and designs that showcase our reciprocal relationship with nature. These awards demonstrate personal engagement and appreciation of the beauty of resilience, stewardship of biodiversity, respect for our local ecologies, and the environment.
The Design Futurist Award celebrates how the unique character of each site and its climate, topography, and flora in the Pacific region can be embraced at an intimate scale. These sites demonstrate that any property can have a meaningful design that improves that landscape’s resilience.
Photo Credits: Caitlin Atkinson, Under Western Skies; From Left to Right: Columbia River Gorge Garden, Hood River, OR. Designer: Paden Prichard; Edendale (Echo Park) Garden, Los Angeles, CA. Designer: David Godshall, Terremoto LA
Pacific Horticulture aims to lead and inspire our members to keep climate resilience at the forefront of their decisions and actions in stewarding our gardens and other outdoor spaces. In this inaugural competition, the Design Futurist Award uses the following themes to align with Pacific Horticulture’s core educational content. It intends to represent work that demonstrates professionals working collaboratively with others from allied horticulture fields. Just as important are the nonprofessional and residential gardeners who are valued members of our community and touch so many personal outdoor spaces. While there is no perfect metric to constrain scale or type of landscape, Design Futurist is seeking examples of philosophically aligned projects. These primarily include gardens designed for urban or suburban homes. Gardens demonstrating solutions that are easily replicable, those that are modest in size, or gardens that have been designed for intimate neighborhood community use are ideal.
The winning design will encompass one or more of the following themes.
Ecologically focused gardens that support food webs and pollinators by including native and keystone plants with minimal or no traditional lawn, low water use, and functional planting.
Gardens that demonstrate principles of water wise design or protection from wildfire especially in the urban/wildlife interfaces, including appropriate plant selections for the garden and community.
Gardens that support human health and well-being, connecting individuals or communities with nature and place.
Gardens that embody a vision for future livability in the face of climate change, embracing research, innovation, or inclusivity in connecting people with nature.
Gardens that demonstrate a commitment to green infrastructure, temperature moderation, fossil fuel reduction.
Photo Credits: Caitlin Atkinson, Under Western Skies. From Left to Right: The Nature Gardens, Los Angeles, CA. Designer: Mia Lehrer, Studio-MLA; Marwin Gardens, Watsonville, CA. Designers: Sandi Martin and Art Winterling; Columbia River Gorge Garden, Hood River, OR. Designer: Paden Prichard; The Valley of Hearts Delight, Los Altos, CA. Designer: Leslie Bennett, Pine House Edible Gardens
Top Prize is awarded to one garden that exceptionally embodies one or more themes.
Honors are awarded to designs exemplifying a theme.
Call for submissions opens: March 7, 2023
Deadline to submit: July 26, 2023
Awards recipients announced: October 11
Coming soon
Design Futurist Award Top Prize
The designer(s) receiving the top prize Design Futurist Award will be showcased in a Pacific Horticulture feature article. The top prize winner may use the winning mark and award title on their promotional collateral. The top prize winner will also receive a gift package assembled by our generous sponsors, featuring products and services supporting resilient garden design and creation.
Design Futurist Award Honors
The designer(s) receiving Design Futurist Award Honors will be included in a Pacific Horticulture feature article. Gardens receiving honors may use the winning mark and award title on their promotional collateral. The Award Honors winners will receive a gift package assembled by our generous sponsors, featuring products and services supporting resilient garden design and creation.
Pacific Horticulture is committed to creating an inclusive, equity-based, community focused organization that empowers people to take action on science-based climate solutions.
Award applications may be submitted for gardens within the Pacific Region, defined here as: California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Hawai’i, Alaska, and Baja California.