FAQs - Frequently asked questions and answers

How can I submit?
The submission is free of charge. You can simply submit by using the online form from now until May 31, 2023. Entries can be made in the following categories:

  • Climate-fit municipal green areas
  • Learning in the Garden – Nature experience gardens in kindergartens, schools and educational institutions
  • Gardens for visitors with the focus on raising people´s awareness for more biodiversity and ecological gardening

Is there a registration fee applied to enter this competition?
There is no registration fee for taking part in the competition.

Why should I submit?
With your participation in the European Award for Ecological Gardening 2023, you make your project known both in professional circles and beyond. Because the projects rated best by the expert jury are presented in the various media (specialist publications, media work, newsletters, social media, etc.) and thus made accessible to a wide audience.

Do you consider realizations including International Garden Festivals in your competition?
Every garden is eligible.

A temporary garden installation has been set up in the city. Can we submit this project to the competition?
Every garden can be entered in the competition.

My project fits into all three categories. Which category should I choose? Can I submit my project in all three categories?
If your submission might fit into all three categories, please select the category in which you see the focus of your project. Please note that the same project can be submitted in one category only.

Can I submit multiple projects?
If you wish to submit several projects in several categories, fill in the forms in accordance with the given categories.

May the name of the designers or client be on the plans, text or pictures?
Yes, it is allowed, the competition is not anonymously.

Is it possible to submit an entry that is currently under development (in design phase) and not complete or should all entries be constructed proposals?
It’s not possible to submit projects, which are not built or finished yet. Therefore, only projects that have been completed within the last five years can be submitted.

Does the entry have to be a constructed project? Could a conceptual project be accepted as well?
The entry has to be a constructed, actualized project.

How will the copyrights of plans, pictures and text be handled?
The entrants also confirm that they are authorized to grant rights of use under the copyright to the materials submitted with the competition entry of European Award for Ecological Gardening, including but not limited to images, and give permission to publicize the project submitted at the exhibition, in a publication and in the media (Internet, print media, TV and radio), as well as in other publications associated with the event and with the organizer, provided the entrants, photographers and location are indicated.

Submission deadline may 31: Is this day the date where the entry must be received in the competition management office or is it the date of the postmark?
The deadline for submitting documents is arriving May 31, 2021. The documents must be uploaded to the server by 23.59 CET. Submissions are only possible online at www.naturimgarten.at/award-english.

Is the competition only open to landscape architects?
Participation is free to everyone. The competition is open gardeners, planners, municipalities & local authorities, educational institutions and associations from all European nations. The projects must have been implemented in Europe and completed within the past five years.

It is possible to participate with my degree thesis?
If your degree thesis is based on a realized project we appriciate your submission. The project must have been completed within the past five years.

May I submit the private landscape project, which has been already submitted in another international competition?
There is no disqualification of projects that have been submitted to other competitions or have been publicized. Projects that have received the European Award for Ecological Gardening within the last 4 years will be excluded.

Must the project be presented personally?
You don´t have to present the project, you only have to send text and photos etc. (see the submission form). Due, it is very important to us to support networking in the field of landscape and garden architecture, we are especially looking forward to getting to know you in person In relating competitions in the past numerous participants took part, which made an extremely interesting exchange of ideas possible.

Do submissions to the competition entail any costs for the entrants? Is there a fee for participating in the competition? Are there costs if the project is nominated and published in the exhibition?
Participation in the competition is free of charge, and there are no competition fees or costs to be paid. Costs, e.g. for your presence at the award ceremony, are at your expense.

How can a shared garden (show garden and playground) of a cooperative be entered in the competition?
By naming a speaker or an executive in charge.

Do the gardens submittedhave to be in Germany?
As this is an international competition, no European countries are excluded.

Our firm is based in the USA and we would like to submit built projects that are outside Europe in the USA —are we still eligible to apply?
If you think your project is inspiring for the European garden sector and garden culture, we will be glad to receive your documents. However, as no projects from outside Europe are admitted according to the conditions of the competition, we are sorry for not being able to take them into account in our evaluation. We cannot award any prize moneys for projects outside Europe. The Jury can, however, decide to include them in our catalogue or publish them on our website.

For entry to the competition the location of the garden should be named in the submission - is naming the region sufficient?
Of course you don´t have to show the address in the submission, but for presenting the garden it will be of interest, where the garden is - so the region is sufficient.

Is the German description of the project required or just optional?
Due to the jury the project has to be described in English. A German text is optional and not necessary.

Should the name of the plants be written in English or is it enough to use the botanical names?
The names must not be written in English; the botanical name of the plants will be understood.

What kind of submission is required? Can you specify that?
The submission (text and photos) should present the idea and the concept of the garden to the jury and later on to the visitors of the exhibition. Experience has shown that e.g. the use of one big meaningful photo in combination with some smaller photos serves this purpose very well.

Which size/resolution of the pictures is required for the digital submission?
The files should be uploaded in a printable resolution 300 dpi/A4. Please avoid higher resolutions.

For the 6 to 12 photographs, do you only want photographs or also meaningful drawings or schematics?
It can be meaningful drawings or schematics too. The files must be uploaded in a printable resolution of 300 dpi / A4.

For the project data, you ask persons involved, could we also state companies involved?
Yes of course.

Could we send you a we-transfer link for the documents? Because our company mailbox can’t send e-mails larger than 10 MB?
No, the submission is made online. A submission by mail is only allowed in exceptional cases. In exceptional cases, submission by post or via we-transfer links is possible.

„Natur im Garten“ Telefon: +43 (0) 2742 / 74 333