“Nature in the Garden”: Receives international “ELCA Trend Award 2024”

With the Kittenberger Adventure Gardens, the Tulln Garden City and the private “Landscape Garden in the Vienna Woods”, three “Nature in the Garden” showcase projects were nominated for the renowned Trend Award of the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA).

At the award ceremony in Nuremberg, the prize ultimately went to the entire network “Nature in the Garden”which means not only the commitment of the Lower Austria environmental movementbut also that of all three Lower Austrian nominees was honored.

The “ELCA Trend Award” is held every two years in collaboration with the Federal Association for Gardening, Landscape and Sports Field Construction (BGL) awards and honors outstanding projects. The aim of the prize is to promote projects that promote innovative approaches to the design of green spaces, green buildings and green infrastructure. The nominations of the outstanding projects were made in collaboration with the Federal Guild of Gardeners and Florists and “Nature in the Garden”.

In Austria The Federal Guild of Gardeners and Florists is the representative of the ELCA. Federal Guild Master David Hertl is proud of the garden designers: “Our garden design companies work with high quality craftsmanship and garden design in the structural, plant and landscape implementation, creating excellent gardens and green spaces with professionalism and passion.”

The fact that the award was given to “Nature in the Garden” this year is special – because for the first time in the history of the “ELCA Trend Award”, not a single green project, but an entire green movement was honored. “With the ‘Nature in the Garden’ award, we honor the harmonious interaction of people and nature – a place where diversity flourishes and sustainable gardening becomes a philosophy of life,” says the ELCA.

The motto of the international “ELCA Trend Award 2024” “Building with Green” is implemented in an exemplary manner by the “Nature in the Garden” network and its partner companies from the garden design industry in Austria. The Lower Austrian environmental movement, which designs gardens and green spaces ecologically, adapts them to climate change and promotes biodiversity, has developed into a broadly anchored movement over the past 25 years. Across Lower Austria, but also beyond the state’s borders, lighthouse projects are being created that have become a model for sustainable gardening in Europe – including the Kittenberger Adventure Gardens, the Tulln Garden City and the private “Landscape Garden in the Vienna Woods”.

The Kittenberger adventure gardens, with their 50 themed gardens and garden chalets, diverse events and numerous animals, offer a unique experience for garden lovers and families. Creative design ideas and fantastic insights and views make it a wonderland of garden fantasy.

The Garden City of Tulln has created a climate-friendly public space with ecological green space, shaded zones and now climate-friendly, permeable parking spaces from Nibelungenplatz, which was used purely as a parking lot. The Donaulände are Tulln’s ecologically maintained “common garden”. Idyllic and naturally planted picnic meadows invite you to linger here.

The “landscape garden in the Vienna Woods” guards chickens, raised beds, fruit trees, sweet bushes and much more – however, not in the form of a classic cottage garden or kitchen garden, but as a designed, linear feel-good garden. High design standards meet the themes of self-sufficiency and sustainability.