Garden of the Year 2026 - results of the 18th edition of the competition

Two gold, one silver and two bronze medals, along with a special jury prize, were awarded to six projects in the 18th edition of the Garden of the Year competition. The results of the competition, organised by the Association for Landscape Construction and Maintenance (SZÚZ), were announced on Friday, 6 November 2026, at the Market Hall on Brno’s Zelný trh square. A five-member expert jury selected the winners from seventeen garden entries. Gold medals went to the Garden of Family Harmony in Tábor and the Garden as an Outdoor Room at a Terraced House in Roudnice nad Labem.
Gardens are entered in the competition by their designers or landscaping contractors with the owners’ consent. The judges personally visit every submitted project, assessing its composition, functionality, use of plants, quality of execution and relationship to its setting and users. This year’s seventeen entries equalled the previous record set in 2022.
“Over the years the competition has been running, I have had the opportunity to visit every garden entered in person. I consider this year’s edition one of the strongest in the entire history of Garden of the Year. It is gratifying to see the quality of Czech garden design steadily improving,” says Jana Šimečková, director of the Association for Landscape Construction and Maintenance.

Gold Medals for Two Contrasting Gardens
The Garden of Family Harmony was designed by Pavel Hofman and Martin Vurst and built by Pavel Hofman (LANDECO). The jury praised the thoughtful layout of the extensive garden, the preservation of existing trees and the way the space connects with the family’s everyday life.
The Garden as an Outdoor Room at a Terraced House was designed by Michaela Zudová of Atelier Za Mák and built by Gabriel. An area of approximately 250 m² was transformed into a planted outdoor living space offering a variety of uses, including a natural swimming pool.

Silver and Bronze Medals
The silver medal went to the Garden at Villa LaLotta in Prague, designed by Atelier Partero and built by LANDECO Praha. The jury highlighted the garden’s relationship to the historic villa, its respect for mature trees and the quality of both its execution and maintenance.
A bronze medal went to the Small Garden with a Swimming Pool in Radotín, designed by Martina Forejtová in collaboration with Marek Vrabec and built by SOTERRA. The second bronze medal was awarded to the Garden of Gentle Harmony with a Studio in Lysolaje, designed by the FLERA team (Ferdinand Leffler, Lenka Dřevjaná and Kateřina Jelínková) and built by VIRTONI.

Special Prize for Transforming an Urban Courtyard
The special jury prize went to the Hidden Garden in Smíchov for transforming an urban courtyard into a green space for people to enjoy, demonstrating the potential of courtyards within city blocks. The project was designed by Šteflovi studio and built by VETOMASTAV. The previously mostly paved space now serves as a place for residents of the apartment building to relax and meet.
“Stepping from a noisy Smíchov street into this courtyard was one of the most powerful experiences of this year’s judging for me,” said expert jury member Daniel Matějka.

A Difficult Decision for the Jury
“I must say that, with so many outstanding projects, it was not easy to award just a handful of medals. As a jury, however, we unanimously agreed on the medal winners,” said jury member Jitka Vágnerová.
The competition showcased a total of 17 gardens of different sizes, characters and uses. Although six projects received awards, the entries as a whole demonstrated a diverse range of approaches to garden design, construction and maintenance.