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The Canadian Home Builders’ Association of B.C. (CHBA BC)’s Greatest Showman on Earth-themed gala awards celebration was a showstopper, engaging the audience in a circus theatre-style show. Hosted on May 23 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, the crème de la crème of the housing industry gathered under the big top for a night to remember.

As the curtain closed on the 34th year of the 2026 Georgie Awards, winners throughout 52 categories were honoured in home building, renovation, design and marketing.

One of the winners was an off-grid retreat on a remote island off the Sunshine Coast. Vancouver-based Lincoln Construction’s The Nest won Best Custom Home: $1 million to $1.5 million at both the Georgie and HAVAN awards. Perched atop Keats Island, the three-level, 1,063-sq.-ft. home combines cedar cladding, black steel, and a modern roofline that sits impressively alongside the canopy of trees and ocean.

Inside, The Nest’s warm and efficient layout was devised to maximize every square foot. Designed by Daria Sheina Studio, The Nest was conceived to seamlessly integrate with its Pacific Northwest surroundings, while setting a new benchmark for sustainable, prefabricated design. The cabin is powered by solar energy with battery storage, vaulted ceilings and clerestory windows.

Erik Lincoln, CEO and founder said: “The uniqueness is both in the intricate architectural elements, and in the owners vision and esthetics for a one-of-a-kind, picturesque cabin.”

Another top winner was Kelowna’s 3rd Generation Homes Ltd., in partnership with Su Casa Design, which took Best Single-Family Detached Home over 2,500 sq. ft. and Best Indoor Design Display Suite over $100,000 for The Oakhaven in West Kelowna.

Overlooking the lake and surrounding peaks, the 3,786-sq.-ft, contemporary farmhouse rancher is a four-bedroom home wrapped in timeless stone detailing on the exterior and European-inspired curved archways in the wet bar and doorways. The piece de resistance, says president of 3rd Generation Homes’ Gerald deVeer, is the wet bar. Off the living room, he says the wet bar offers an entertainment-style zone that adds a touch of elegance with its brick-inspired brown-black tile, and gold accent with seating for three.

The collaboration with Andy Friesen, principal designer at Su Casa, was invaluable, says deVeer.

Friesen went on to explain that the design team balanced transitional esthetic with a relaxed hint of SoCal-inspired style, creating spaces that felt both timeless and perfectly tailored to modern living.

“The goal was to offer a design that stood apart while still feeling cohesive within its setting. From the moment you enter the house, you are impacted by the views beyond,” says Friesen. “All of the main areas of the house were intentionally placed along the back of the house to capture the best part of the property, which is the view.”

Meanwhile, Whistler-based Coast Construction won Best Multiplex Home Projects for its triplex, Aspen Collective. Jennifer Raffler, marketing and administration manager, says the triplex, which also won the 2026 HAVAN award for Best Multiplex Development, stood out for its distinct yet unified design that focused on refined detailing and efficient layouts.

Each 1,200-sq.-ft., two-bedroom unit offers incredible views to the west and east of Whistler Valley, with boxed balconies, deep overhangs that define the rhythm of elevation, and glazing that captures site angles with dramatic mountain views.

In addition, the rock-stack retaining wall, native planting, and tree preservation zone integrate seamlessly into its forested site, whereas the palette of stone, steel, warm wood anchors architecture within its alpine context while delivering crisp, contemporary curb appeal.

Raffler pointed out that inside, each unit features engineered oak flooring, heated tile, and custom birch detailing in millwork. Unit two adopts bold tone with black cabinetry, quartz counters, and a stone fireplace, echoing a mountainside lodge, while the third unit’s sliding glass wall converts flex office into guest room.

“Unit one replaces kitchen island with dining table for open flow, framed by sculptural slatted stair,” says Raffler. “Compact but bright, each interior leverages light, proportion, and texture for comfort and individuality.”

Storage was integrated throughout with custom millwork, sightlines oriented toward natural views for efficient design that meets personalized use.

Once the black tie show ended and the awards were handed out, several winners, nominees and attendees kept the celebration going with dancing, a little gambling, and for those still hungry, there was a hamburger slider bar.

This year, 600 entries were submitted to CHBA BC in 52 categories. The big winner of the evening, with three awards was Everglade Development. They won for Satori Townhomes, Best Advertising Campaign, Best Corporate/Project Website and Marketing Campaign of the Year. A few other winners, including Hasler Homes Ltd., Alair Homes Squamish and Bhaus Construction, each garnered two wins.

For the full list of winners, visit georgieawards.ca/winners-and-finalists/

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Last July I was invited to visit the Ball Corporation’s head office in Chicago to view their display gardens. As a garden communicator, I appreciated the great opportunity to see many new plant introductions from various companies around the world. I also had the opportunity to see how the plants compared to each other in various landscape situations, especially when used in containers.

It was also great to see some of Chicago’s best garden stores and their summer planters. At 40 C, in very sunny weather, it was the ideal time to evaluate their performance under challenging conditions.

What struck me most was the juxtaposition of unique plants brilliantly used together in combinations you seldom see. It was exciting to see a wide range of tropical plants blending seamlessly with everyday annuals.

Rex begonias, which we always baby by running them extra-dry for fear of overwatering and the resultant mildew, were showing off their unique colour variations as the focal points in many containers. They seemed quite at home when combined with New Guinea impatiens and sun tolerant SunPatiens, and were treated with no special care, even being watered overtop of their foliage like any other bedding plant. Many were in flower, adding another element of creativity to the containers.

Dracaena Massangeana were perhaps the most widely used in the containers, especially varieties like Limelight, with its neon lime green foliage, and wine-dark leaves of Ruby Red. In many cases they were used as the central focal point, replacing traditional canna lilies, phormiums and fountain grasses. Their vibrant colours added excitement to the planters alongside traditional bedding plants.

On the West Coast we seldom use caladiums, because they need significant heat and are not fans of rainy, cool weather. If we wait until the weather warms up in early June, I think we should find space for some in our containers. Their vivid leaves are truly spectacular. With a rainbow of stunning colours and patterns, from speckled white, hot pink and lime green to multi-hued reds, they add the pop often missing in many of our planters. They also thrive in the heat of summer, when many annuals fade and look tired.

Caladiums also tolerate warm shade and can add a much-needed lift to those darker areas. However, if you can acclimatize them to the sun, they make a refreshing new addition and are far more resilient than you might think.

In our part of the world, we have finally discovered the brilliance of mandevillas. They are now available in a wide variety of plant forms from upright to both trailing and climbing, so they make great ‘spillover plants’ for our containers.

Mandevillas are the ultimate top-performing heat lovers. In their many colours including hot reds, vibrant pinks, brilliant yellows and of course the ever-popular white, they deserve star billing in any container. It seems that the warmer the days become, the better they perform.

Mandevillas are just making their debut now in garden stores since they need that heat for optimum performance. Like caladiums, June is the beginning of their summer show and they elevate the look of any container garden. They play nicely with companion plants but are vigorous growers and can overwhelm if allowed. They are not frost-hardy, but you will enjoy them well into September and even October.

Coleus have now become a go-to plant for many combination containers, especially the sun- and heat-tolerant varieties like the Main Street series from Ball. The many hot foliage colours like rusty-ruby-red Beale Street, the hot lime variety Chartres Street, and multi-hued Sunset Boulevard and Franklin Street make all the difference. They add that punch of colour and they are so easy to maintain. Their colours are a natural fit alongside other vibrant tropicals, and for smaller containers, Ball’s dainty new miniature coleus MicroBlaze series is just delightful.

The popular tropical vine Pothos, or epipremnum, now comes in a wide range of colours and variegated foliage blends and they too were used extensively in outdoor containers. As a spillover, they offer a unique flourish, adding a surprising sense of depth and fun to the planters.

All these warmth-loving tropical plants add a whole new dimension to typical containers but combining them with the more traditional foliage plants increases the level of sophistication of the overall effect.

For added impact, don’t overlook the velvety silvers of senecio candicans Angel Wings, and c. aurea Silver Swirl as well as time-honoured Dusty Millers. Formerly called centauria, they create a dramatic contrast to all your other foliage and flowers.

The hot lime of a Japanese forest grass like hakonechloa aurea, is a must-have, and even some of our carex grasses like c. Everillo fit nicely in planters. Golden Creeping Jenny, lysimachia nummularia aurea, is another favourite for any landscape situation as well.

Ornamental sweet potato vines, especially the black, red and hot lime varieties also tie in beautifully with these combinations. They love the summer heat and perform well in either trailing or upright forms.

The secret to using tropicals is to set them outside in a sheltered spot out of the sun and the wind for at least ten days to acclimatize them to our particular conditions. Then, test them gently in your summer hot spots to make sure they won’t burn.

The beauty of containers is that they can be easily moved if necessary.

As we move into the warm summer months, we have the wonderful opportunity to kick up our outdoor planters this year, so why not take your containers to a whole new level?

I do thank the folks at Ball for their innovative leadership in introducing so many new plants and creative ideas to our horticultural industry.

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