RACINE, Wis. – New Holland Construction delivered a New Holland L218 skid steer, valued at more than $35,000 to Brandon Vaughan, Toms Creek Nursery and Landscaping, Denton, N.C. Vaughan was the grand prize winner of New Holland’s “2011 Extreme Dream contest.” Greensboro Tractor Co., Greensboro, N.C., delivered the tractor.
Sponsored by New Holland Construction, the 2011 Extreme Dream Contest showcased the best landscape design/build projects of the year across the United States and Canada. The contest was tied to the introduction of the New Holland 200 Series skid steer loaders last year.
To participate in the contest, landscape designers and contractors across North America were required to register online and provide a detailed summary of their biggest, best and/or most challenging landscape project, along with photography showing the project from start to finish.
From March through September 2011, the editors of Turf magazine selected entries to be voted on. Vaughan – and two other semi-finalists – received $500 in travel expenses to attend the contest award ceremony held last October in conjunction with the 2011 GIE+EXPO held in Louisville, Ky.
Vaughan, 29, said his winning project was one of the more challenging hardscape projects he has ever worked on. His company was tasked by their client to create a large outdoor entertainment space alongside a home undergoing a complete remodel.
The challenge for Vaughan was that the area to the left of the house provided the sole access to a lake. The property line on the other side of the house did not provide enough room for access. Vaughan and his team hauled in 150 yards of soil to level out the turf area, along with 25 triaxle loads of boulders and 5,000 feet of irrigation piping. Vaughan created a breath-taking area for entertaining and relaxing, complete with stone patios, a curved path leading down to the water’s edge, and a large, tiled fireplace.
One of North Carolina’s most experienced landscape installers, Toms Creek Nursery and Landscaping specializes in landscape design, plants, hardscaping, irrigation, lighting and water features. The company’s craftsmen have been creating stone patios for nearly 30 years.