excellence in landscape tutorial

Prepare Your Entry

In this presentationWhy you should submit a project

About the program

Entry form

Entry requirements

Useful tips

Scoring and judging procedures

Why submit a project

Media exposureAt least 50% of the projects featured in ALCC’s media coverage are EIL Award recipients.

An article has three times more value than the cost of advertising space.

Peer recognitionAward recipients are recognized at ProGreen EXPO, the EIL Dinner and alcc.com.

About the program

EIL CategoriesLandscape Construction

Design/Build

Xeriscape

Interior Landscape

Renovation

Wall Construction

Revegetation

Water Features

Irrigation

Special Areas

Landscape Maintenance

Use of Color

About the program

Types of awards

Award of Excellence

Grand Award

President’s Award

About the program

New this year! Sustainability category - Use the supplemental

checklist to be considered for a sustainability award.

Entry form – The entry form is significantly more detailed and will replace the long description.

Entries may be submitted via Dropbox (www.dropbox.com). CDs are still acceptable.

Entry form

1.Fill out entry form completely.

2.Be sure to sign the release – photos become the property of ALCC.

3.You can submit the project on CD or send us a Dropbox folder (www.dropbox.com)

Entry form

The entry form has been revamped to guide you in presenting the project:

Tell us about the client’s goals. Judges want to know what the clients asked for and how you met their needs.

The work responsibility chart is new. It is intended to give the judges a clear explanation of items that were pre-existing or subcontracted.

Entry form

3.Plant list is not applicable for maintenance, wall construction, irrigation or special areas.

4.The sustainability checklist only applies for projects in the sustainability category.

Entry requirements 12 photos for all categories (provide 16 photos

for renovation only).

Save photos in order, if possible.

Save each photo with project name, category and photo number (e.g. Jones Residence, 1C, 1-12).

Entry requirements

Color Photos, continued

Photos must be provided in jpeg format, 300 dpi resolution.

Do not use Photoshop to alter image or color.

Useful tips

You can enter different elements of the same project in more than one category. For example, the Smith residence can be entered in the design/build category and water feature category. You should have a different description and different photos for each category.

Useful tips Design is not considered in the landscape

construction or landscape maintenance categories.

If your company designed the project, select design/build. If your company did not design the project, choose the landscape construction category.

Include facts, challenges, unique attributes and client needs and wants in the entry form.

Useful tips Immature plant material is the number one

reason for a lower score.

Check your photos; you don’t want dead plant material to reflect your project.

Entries with company logos on trucks, uniforms or signage will be disqualified.

Useful tips Photography is an important element of your

entry. Photos tell the story.

Lighting for photos is best before 10 am and after 4 pm.

Avoid clear blue days because it causes excessive shadowing.

Take several photos so that you can choose from the best.

Useful tips If possible, take work in progress photos.

Consider background and distance in each photo.

Choose photos carefully. Close-ups and “artsy” photos are neat, but not helpful in judging.

Useful tips Pay attention to any special requirements for

the category that you enter.

Be sure to use proper horticultural practices (see GreenCO’s BMPs).

Mark photos, particularly renovations, “before” and “after.” Take the pictures from the same angle.

Ensure that plant material is healthy and mature.

Scoring and judging

Choose the category to view the scoring criteria:Construction (1-4)

Design/Build (5)

Xeriscape (6)

Interior Landscape (7-8)

Renovation (9)

Wall Construction(10)

Revegetation (11)

Water Features (12)

Irrigation (13-14)

Special Areas (15)

Maintenance (16-19)

Use of Color (20-22)

Sustainability (23)

Scoring and judgingJudges will rate the following 1-10:

Overall appeal – first and lasting impression

Plant material – appropriate use of shrubs, plants, turf and trees, plant selection, quality and placement

Unique features- hardscapes and special features, craftsmanship

Quality – Clearly met client goals, use of BMPs, quality of execution

Categories 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 14 Back to category list

Scoring and judgingJudges will rate the following 1-10:

Overall appeal – first and lasting impression

Design/creativity – uniqueness, degree of difficulty, well-balanced with architecture and site (for Xeriscape: adherence to 7 principles of xeriscape)

Plant material – shrub/plant selection, quality and placement

Quality – Use of BMPs, hardscapes, special features, craftsmanship, clearly met client goals

Categories 5, 6, 9, 20-22 Back to category list

Scoring and judging

Judges will rate the following 1-10:

Overall appeal – first and lasting impression

Design/creativity – uniqueness, degree of difficulty, well-balanced with architecture and site

Materials – Appropriate use of materials, choice and quality

Quality – Clearly met client goals, use of BMPs, craftsmanship

Categories 10, 12, 15 Back to category list

Scoring and judging

Judges will rate the following 1-10:

Overall appeal – first impression

Design

Materials and documentation- irrigation components, appropriate use of materials

Quality – appropriate use of materials, use of BMPs, documentation that demonstrates system effectiveness and efficiency, clearly met client goals

Categories 13 Back to category list

Scoring and judgingJudges will rate the following 1-10:

Overall appeal – first and lasting impression

Plant material – quality of turf, trees, plants and shrubs; placement, selection and quality of plant material

Degree of difficulty – site challenges, environmental considerations, micro climates

Quality – clearly met client goals, craftsmanship, irrigation and fertilization, use of BMPs

Categories 16, 17, 18, 19 Back to category list

Scoring and judging

Judges will use the checklist to score the project.

Category 23Back to category list

Scoring and judging Entries are due November 1, 2011.

9-12 judges will review and score each project.

Every project is scored based on criteria previously noted.

Scoring is done by a blind review so that judges don’t know what company submitted the project.

Example

Before

Example

After

Example

Larger, mature plants

Example

Too close, over-exposed

Example

No sunset shots- too many shadows

Example

Too many shadows – can’t see plants and materials

Next steps

ALCC is here to help. Call us at 303 757-5611 if you have any questions about the process or entry requirements.

Next steps Judges will convene in December.

ALCC will notify you in late December with the results.

EIL Awards Dinner is Wednesday, February 8, 2012.

Good Luck!!