Four 2010 Industry Awards

The Ocean Hammock community's landscape has been maintained by Austin Outdoor since 1998. Located between the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean, the natural environment creates special challenges.

Austin Outdoor announces that it has been honored with four awards this year by the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association (FNGLA) for its landscape work. The awards won include:

For the Bella Collina Clubhouse project, environmental conditions, such as water restrictions, sandy soil, and the Central Florida climate, posed challenges. Native and drought-tolerant plants were used, including blue Plumbago, trailing Lantana and wispy Fakahatchee grass.

PLANET Environmental Improvement Decade Award

This national award recognizes the landscape maintenance work performed at Ocean Hammock in Palm Coast, Fla. The award is unique in that only a few companies are even eligible to receive it. To be eligible, a company must have maintained the landscape for 10 or more years and also previously won a Grand Award for landscape work performed on the same property. Austin Outdoor has maintained Ocean Hammock's landscape since 1998 and won a Grand Award for its work at Ocean Hammock last year.

PLANET Environmental Improvement Grand Award - FNGLA Award of Excellence

These national and statewide awards, respectively, recognize the landscape installation work performed at the Bella Collina Clubhouse located in Montverde, Fla. The objective for the 65,000-square-foot clubhouse landscape was to create an old-world, Tuscan feel, like the clubhouse had been built by generations of families. To create this feel, mature plant material was installed. It was a challenge to install the larger material since there were niches at every turn of the building, creating a tight working environment.

True to Fleming Island Plantation's ''Live-Work-Play'' philosophy, bustling activity abounds throughout the community. It's important to the community that these activities take place within a well-manicured landscape, including tree‐lined roads, vibrant splashes of color at every turn, and Azalea-lined medians.

PLANET Environmental Improvement Merit Award

This award recognizes the landscape maintenance work performed at Fleming Island Plantation in Orange Park, Fla. The 1,680-acre community's landscape is brimming with color with annuals at every corner and Crape Myrtles and Azaleas lining the streets. The landscape has been maintained by Austin Outdoor for the last eight years.

William Dellecker, president of Austin Outdoor, said, ''It's an honor, not only for our properties to be recognized through these reputable awards, but more importantly, it goes to show that lasting relationships with our clients make all the difference.''

The PLANET awards will be presented during a banquet at the Green Industry Conference on Oct. 29, 2010, in Louisville, Ky. The FNGLA award was received at an awards banquet at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 24, 2010.

Source: Jennifer Zuberer, Austin Outdoor, LLC