The Garden Media Guild Awards 2009

The Garden Media Guild Awards celebrate the best in garden writing - including books, newspapers and magazines - photography, broadcasting - TV and radio - and new media - including gardening websites and gardening blogs. They are the garden media 'Oscars'.

 

The Judges' Comments

 

Book Awards

Inspirational Book of the Year

Horticulturally, this book pulls no punches and its coffee-table good looks will keep the novice gardener interested. Wonderful pictures supported by informative captions and text, this is a vivid, lush and inspiring book that takes the reader on a fascinating journey.

Reference Book of the Year

This book deserves a place in the glove compartment of every driver on a tour of Scotland’s gardens. It’s comprehensive, featuring the large and well-known gardens plus lesser-known treasures. It has enough practical detail to make finding and visiting the gardens straightforward. It is lively and enjoyable reading too.

Practical Book of the Year

Mark Diacono has a great message for gardeners, and it’s delivered in a hugely enthusiastic way: “Grow what you want – it’s all about taste!” He’s a gardener who really makes you want to have a go – engaging, bright and uncomplicated, but also clearly expert in his knowledge of raising crops.

 

Broadcast Awards

Local Radio Broadcast of the Year

BBC Essex stood out for its location recording and for a wonderful selection of guests on a lively and varied show. Segments from an olive farm and from the show's garden showed an ability to 'paint pictures' from locations, giving a strong sense of place while at the same time passing on plenty of sound and useful information to gardeners, whatever their level of experience.

National Radio Broadcast of the Year

The winner was a fine piece of radio – engaging, absorbing and, like all the best radio programmes, – as much about the gardeners as about the gardening. The pace was perfectly judged, and the presentation wry but unobtrusive, allowing those taking part in the programme generous room to speak for themselves.

Garden Feature TV Broadcast of the Year

This feature packs all the qualities of a good documentary into eight and a half minutes. It’s beautifully shot, well paced and thoroughly researched. A subject close to the hearts of the nations’ gardeners, it presented a balanced view on how and why numbers of bees are in decline. 

Garden Programme TV Broadcast of the Year

Coming up with a new angle for gardening television isn’t easy, but Grow Your Own Drugs has done it. The combination of gardening, science, cooking and natural remedies is an innovative and inspiring way to introduce gardening to a new audience – and of getting gardening aficionados to see their gardens in a new light.

 

Photography Awards

Book Photographer of the Year

All the entries in this category were of an exceptional quality, but the judges felt that Mark’s approach to photographing organic vegetables was extraordinary and the shots felt very natural. There was great colour, unusual compositions and they particularly liked his very personal approach to the subject.

Features Photographer of the Year

It must have taken weeks of waiting to get the perfect frosty morning. Jurgen consistently demonstrated his outstanding technical use of light. The story he portrayed proved beyond doubt why you really shouldn’t cut back your perennial border before the onset of winter.

Photography Portfolio of the Year

Tim Sandall fulfilled the brief well, with a good selection from the different disciplines of garden photography. He consistently shows a high quality of photographic composition and his were the widest range of images seen in this category. His work took us through all the seasons of the gardening year.

 

Press Awards

Gardening Colum of the Year

Jackie's diary is interesting and chatty and her stories interwoven with useful horticultural advice. It makes gardening fun and was a pleasure to read.

Garden Publication of the Year

The judges felt that this year Gardens Illustrated has really come into its own, producing consistently outstanding issues with some of the best photography, illustration and writing around. The visual and verbal mix produces an informative gardening publication that is inspirational, entertaining and surprising.

 

Journalism Awards

News Story of the Year

Cold-calling contacts has paid dividends here, as the journalist has come up with an exclusive story that is tightly written and well crafted.

Trade Journalist of the Year

This was a tightly contended category. The shortlisted entries are worthy finalists and, of these, three stood out and proved difficult to separate. Kris' articles showed good knowledge of the subject matter covered or, at least, excellent background research to ensure the articles delivered the goods.

Practical Journalist of the Year

Monthly articles covering all aspects of the garden. Well written, topical, easy to read, accurate and interesting. The reader gets the sense that Adam is a hands-on person who is delighted to share his extensive knowledge and experience with both the novice and more expert gardener.

Journalist of the Year

The winner’s consistent, arrestingly descriptive style made her the judges’ unanimous choice, from a very high standard of entries. Her article ‘Inestimable d’Este’ was felt to be the best individual piece of work. From the first sentence to the last, you feel as if you are looking over her shoulder as she takes you on a magical journey through a fascinating Italian garden.

 

Online Media Awards

Blog of the Year

It seems that every horticultural subject under the sun is covered online, with valid and worthy comments and recommendations from real gardeners. This is what the internet community should be all about.

Website of the Year

This year we had a fantastic standard of entries. The winner has superior content and is both technically brilliant and continually being updated. Very well done.

 

New Talent, Young Gardener & Environment Awards

Environmental Award

An in-depth and even-handed investigation into an overlooked, but significant environmental issue. The personal perspective the presenter brought was engaging, and well judged to the audience, yet didn't shy away from a definite conclusion at the end of the programme.

Young Gardener Initiative Award

The passion behind the entries in this category is incredible – there are so many people working behind the scenes on these project that deserve our congratulations. To come up with a project that fits in with a community and/or a school curriculum is not easy and, in order to stand the test of time and change lives, needs incredible commitment.

New Garden Media Talent of the Year

Of Stephanie Mahon: Excellent prose that draws in the reader. Light-hearted and informal, Stephanie allows the gardener’s and the garden’s character to shine through, so that the reader genuinely feels that they are there with her. Yet the horticultural content is enough to satisfy and inspire the keenest gardeners.

Of Mary Griffin: The most polished and transparent prose we saw. Her writing is personal, feisty and funny, as well as informative and very fast to read. It draws you in without resorting to any forced enthusiasm.