April is National Landscape Architecture month — a fitting time to draw attention to the importance of home builders to the American Society of Landscape Architects, and a new opportunity involving the professional society's annual awards program.

According to ASLA's latest Business Indicators Survey, residential projects comprise 40 percent of annual billable hours by landscape architecture firms. The study was based on more than 1,000 interviews in 2004. With residential work representing the largest market for landscape architects (followed by, cities/municipalities and architecture firms), the organization now includes residential projects in its awards program.

ASLA invites readers of Professional Builder to nominate for an award, worthy projects that involved a landscape architect. The 2005 call for entries be found at www.asla.org. Entries are due May 13. Awards will be announced in July and presented in October.