Landscapes will be judged on the following five criteria.
OVERALL APPEARANCE - represents 15% of points
APPROPRIATE PLANT SELECTION - represents 20% of points
EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT - represents 50% of points
MULCHING - represents 10% of points
LANDSCAPE FERTILIZATION - represents 5% of points
During phase 1 of the judging - The team of judges will review the submitted photos
and answers to contest entry form questions to award points in each of the five
criteria listed above. The better a landscape has implemented a criterion; the higher
the score associated with that criteriaion. The total score for each landscape
will be the sum of the five individual criteria scores.
During phase 2 of the judging - The team of judges will visually inspect landscapes
to confirm scoring. The entry with the highest total score at the end of phase 2 will be
the first place winner. The next two highest total scores will be the second place
and third place winners. A coin flip will by used in the event of a tie among any of
the top three total scores. The next five total
scores will be awarded runner-up prizes.
Hardscapes (as benches, walkways, concrete borders,
rocks, walls, gazebos)
Aesthetic use of color, form and texture
Hill County native or adaptive plants
Minimal use of plants with high water requirement
Low water-use plants
Grouping plants with similar water needs (hydrozoning)
Drip irrigation
Rainwater harvesting
Irrigation system of appropriate design to minimize water runoff
Types of mulch used in landscape
Fertilization to avoid runoff in storm or irrigation water