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Traditional-style Landscapes by James Martin Associates Win Seven Awards in National and Regional Competitions

Elegant landscapes with European touches earn multiple awards of excellence for Chicago area landscape firm James Martin Associates in annual competitions.
Vernon Hills, IL, April 8, 2014 – James Martin Associates, Inc., an industry leading landscape architecture firm and contractor announces it has been honored with seven awards for three recently completed landscape projects on Chicago’s northshore. The three residential properties, each designed, installed, and maintained by JMA, demonstrate ways of incorporating traditional European design elements in landscapes that strike a balance between formal and natural.
All three properties, ranging from a five-acre estate on the lake to a tight, urban-like lot enjoy picturesque views from every perspective – laid out with straight-forward geometry that creates a sense of outdoor rooms ideal for entertaining or relaxing with family and friends. In the hands of JMA’s skilled designers and maintenance technicians, the spaces are ordered with elegant touches, but not rigid or restrictive. The clients’ children and pets can enjoy the gardens, fountains, furnishings, pool, and open spaces freely. 
The livability of elegant outdoor spaces and gardens is a hallmark of JMA’s landscape design and maintenance approach. Valuable site features like the numerous mature trees on each property and a protected shoreline, are preserved and honored in the design and maintenance operations. The use of chemicals is minimal with the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. With careful plant selection and proper horticultural practices the gardens are well-behaved without the need for intensive inputs and manipulation.
The three projects, entitled Grand Estate, Lush Elegance, and Subtle Elegance respectively, won three awards for landscape construction and landscape maintenance in an annual competition hosted by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA). The aptly titled Grand Estate project also captured the highest honor in the ILCA’s Excellence In Landscape Awards, winning the best-in-show Judges Award over all project entries in 2013. The three same projects were also recognized nationally in the 2013 PLANET National Landscape Awards of Excellence. The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) is the country’s largest professional association for landscape design, construction, and maintenance companies.
Including the seven most recent awards, James Martin Associates, Inc. has won more than 60 awards over the last ten years, making it one of the most recognized landscape firms in the country. To view beautiful images of each award-winning project visit the JMA website.
About James Martin AssociatesFor more than 37 years, James Martin Associates has provided professional landscape design, construction, maintenance, snow management and holiday decorating services to Chicago area homeowners and corporations. The firm is owned by landscape architect James Martin, who serves as the company President. His career accomplishments include a position as a visiting instructor at the University of Illinois, authoring several landscape management publications, and serving on the boards of highly-respected professional associations including a term as the President of PLANET from 2007-2008. Under his leadership, the company has implemented waste reduction and other sustainable practices and has maintained a program of charitable giving in and around the communities it serves. For more information about the company, its awards, certifications and affiliations, go to:  http://www.jamesmartinassociates.com/chicago-landscaping-company or call 847-634-1660.
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The ILCA Excellence In Landscape AwardsJudged by a diverse panel of landscape professionals and educators, the ILCA’s award-winning projects showcase the Chicago area’s most beautiful public and private gardens and outdoor spaces. For more information go to:  www.ilca.net
The PLANET National Landscape Awards of ExcellenceThe National Landscape Awards of Excellence (formerly the Environmental Improvement Awards) recognizes superior work in the areas of landscape, lawn care, interior maintenance, design/build, as well as installation, container plantings, and more. For more information go to:   https://www.landcarenetwork.org/awards/NLAE.cfm

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