Dunedin landscape designer Lisa Bosshard won two gold awards and a silver at the Landscaping New Zealand Landscapes of Distinction Awards announced in Hamilton last week.
The designer, who works for Pukerau Nursery in Gore, won gold in the small project (under $40,000) and landscape design categories and silver in landscape construction for her Longford Kindergarten design in Gore.
"I'm absolutely thrilled," Ms Bosshard said.
"The brief was to design an outdoor play space which could provide an environment reminiscent of the forests, beaches, rivers and wasteland that children of previous generations had access to.
"I think a lot of children today are missing out on the freedom we had; going into the bush and running around in paddocks, collecting blackberries, or exploring the vacant lot next door." The design incorporated local threatened species of skink, gecko, birds and plants.
"It's a small space where children are spending a lot of their week and I hope they get the experiences we did. It's great for them to learn about conservation at an early age," Ms Bosshard said.
Longford is the first of 19 Kindergartens South playgrounds that are being remodelled by Pukerau Nursery.
The robust design and planting at the kindergarten gave children the opportunity to get their hands dirty and explore, Landscaping New Zealand president Adam Pollard said.
The two-yearly awards recognise excellence in landscape design, construction and maintenance.
Dunedin company Design and Garden Landscapes also won three silver and two bronze medals in the large project (over $40,000) category.
