Péter SCHUCHMANN
The XI.th National Garden Design and Garden Construction competitionThe “Garden of The Year” garden design and
garden construction competition
was organised by SZÉP
KERTEK magazine for the
XI times this year. This competition
was open for any designers,
landscape contractors, and garden
owners to enter with newly
built gardens. Amongst the inviters
for the tender was the Ministry
for National Development
and Economy which added to
the importance and quality of
the event. The competition was
single-handedly organised and
managed – as always previouslyby
the editor in chief of SZÉP
KERTEK, László TEGDES. 
The competition had its original,
unchanged aims: to help
the development of the national
garden design and construction,
to improve the national garden
culture, our responsible thinking
about our environment, to influence
the approach and mentality
of the industry’s professionals
and to introduce new designers
to the public. This event was a
perfect opportunity for young,
fresh designers to prove and introduce
themselves.
The main aspects of the critique
were as follows:
• space and form (functional
lay-out)
• use of materials (application of
building materials)
• choice of planting material
(species, varieties)
• use of garden furniture (style,harmony with environment and
building)
• quality of construction (plants,
technical details)
• maintenance (quality of maintenance,
plant care).
The number of the jury increased
from previous years. On behalf
of the Ministry for National Development
and Economy Dr.
Tamás DÖMÖTÖR landscape architect
joined the Board, and as
experts for the chairman of the
jury and members of the board
of the Landscape division of the
Chamber of Hungarian Architects
Zoltán NEMES and György
SZLOSZJÁR practising landscape
architects joined in.
For the tender in 2009 twenty
one designs were invited – exactly
the same as in the previous
year- and out of these 19
gardens were judged. According
to the jury, the quality of the
designs and gardens were very
high. Compared with the previous
years the built gardens were
richer, more creative, thoughtout
and more complex in their
function, applied elements and
implementation. There was a
nice mixture of different gardens
both in size and function,
amongst the judged works there
were large villa gardens, private
office block roof garden and
courtyard gardens alike. Conclusively
it can be said that the
general standard of most of the
works was high and in some
cases the designs, gardens
were implemented to a very high
quality.
As for the progress of the evaluation;
first the members of the jury
appraised the handed in works
individually, which was followed
by a general discussion of works
against a uniform system of critique,
decision making and the
selection of the prize designs,
gardens. There was a unifying
decision of choosing the three
best gardens. Disagreement
could only be in making the order
of different elements and
their implementation of these
prize gardens which were to be
emphasized during evaluation.
The summary of the jury’s appraisals
of all the handed in
works are going to be publish
in SZÉP KERTEK later on
this year with separate articles
dedicated for the prize gardens.
The jury would like to say thank
you to the designers, constructors
for entering the tender with
these high standard works.
Special thanks to the organisers
and to the editorial office of
SZÉP KERTEK approved
by the Chamber of the Hungarian
Architects, and also to the
Agricultural and technical Centre
of the Debrecen University who
provided the venue.
Prize gardens and designers
Grand prize:
Bonyhád garden
Designers: András KUHN & László KUHN
& Judit TARCSÁNYI
Exeptional merit:
Dunakeszi garden
Designer: Nóra GEIGER
Budapest garden
Designers:
Dominika TIHANYI &
Gábor LENDVAI
Special merit:
Budapest garden
Designer: Klára JORDÁN
Balatonakarattya garden
Designers: Dominika TIHANYI &
Árpád KOVÁCS
Mátészalka garden
Designer: Ágnes LIPCSEI
Certificate of Merit:
Várpalota garden
Designer: Anita HERCZEGNÉ SZÉKELY
Veszprém garden
Designers: Helga HENCZ &
Gabriella NUSSER
Öskü garden
Designer: Olga HAMAR
Eger garden
Designer: Miklós TURCSÁNYI | 
