The Longhouse Landscape Awards

OvS Principal Eric Groft attended the Longhouse Landscape Award Luncheon last Saturday, September 16. The Longhouse Landscape Awards recognize excellence in four categories: Landscape, Design, Garden Direction, and Publication. Eric presented the Longhouse Award for Publication to Garden Design Magazine, the standard-bearer of garden periodicals. In his remarks, Eric discussed the magazine’s storied history – from its association with the American Society of Landscape Architects to its time in the corporate arena, to its current leadership. As Longhouse stated, “Garden Design Magazine is all about gardens, the plants that fill them, and the people who design them…

[they] strive to be a voice of education and common language between the outdoor design community and homeowners.”

In addition to presenting the award, Eric also accepted it on behalf of Publisher Jim Peterson and Editor-In-Chief Thad Orr, who were both unable to attend the ceremony.

Winners in other categories include the following:

Deborah Nevins, a landscape architect, won the Longhouse Landscape Award. The award was presented by Warrie Price, President and Founder of The Battery Conservancy. The award honors Ms. Nevins for her “spectacular civic gardens in the four quarters but especially those in barren Athens.

Sunbrella won the Longhouse Design Award. Presented by Caroline Baumann, Director of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the award honors Sunbrella “…for their amazing leap forward encouraging us to live outdoors.”

Kris Jarantoski, former Executive Vice President and Director of Chicago Botanic Garden (and long-time OvS friend and collaborator) won the Garden Direction Award, which was presented by Nicole Williams of the Garden’s Board of Directors. The award honors Jarantoski for “…building this remarkable oasis. As he retires, Kris continues to advise us on how to mature gardens brilliantly.”