Which question did you really want to ask us at EcoFest about how our building and landscape design business might help you? Or did you just want to know more about our model? No question (or project) is too small!
Ludovic and I would like to thank all the many people who stopped by our model house and garden display at last weekend’s EcoFest at Camp Clayton near Ulverstone. We received plenty of interest and fielded many questions. Although, I have a feeling that there were plenty more that people wanted to ask us. So, I am sharing some links related to the key topics of discussion over that weekend to fill in the gaps, from hempcrete to edible and ornamental gardens, we have you covered. Plus, I share some extra information about some of the features in the display. And if there is anything else you would like to know, send us through your questions!
Ludovic received quite a few questions from people visiting our display about using hempcrete to build their homes. If you were one of those people, and would like to know about this building material, read Ludovic’s blogs, ‘Hands-on with hempcrete‘ or ‘Hemp: Houses that breathe so that you can too‘. Likewise, our model home was constructed to showcase the benefits of design based on effective use of passive solar, e.g. orientation to the north (here in the southern hemisphere of course!), and windows protected from the ‘high’ sun during summer time. You can read more about that aspect in another one of Ludovic’s blogs: ‘Harnessing the Sun: The art of solar passive design‘.
Our model home is based on passive solar principles, as well as incorporating renewable energy for powering it.
Every home should have a vegie patch, preferably one that is integrated into the whole garden rather than segregated fro the ‘ornamental’ or ‘biodiversity’ sections. If you missed out on my presentation on Sunday morning, ‘Good looking gardens to tickle your tastebuds’, you can read my blog, ‘Hey good looking! What you got cooking?‘ summarising this content about edible gardens.
We love to help people grow their own food!
What’s not to like about a fire pit? This one seen here could easily be constructed with reclaimed bricks. The way many of our clients have asked us to help them is to create a landscape concept that they can construct and/or plant over time using materials that have sourced themselves. You have heard of ‘Slow Food’, well why not ‘Slow Gardens‘? Let’s work together!
Having a space to socialise through all seasons of the year is a very important part of a garden to us.
The spirit-like creatures that could be found in our display are based on the Kodama, tree spirits appeared in ‘Princess Mononoke’, the famous anime by Studio Ghibli. In that film, the Kodama are children of old trees, and their presence is a sign that a forest is healthy.
The Barcelona chair is a chair Ludovic’s scaled down version of the Barcelona chair designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich for the 1929 International Exposition. Good design last throughout the years!
The Modulor (figure in black) … Devised by Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier, the Modulor is an anthropometric scale of proportions. It was developed as a visual bridge between two incompatible scales, the Imperial and the metric systems. It is based on the height of a man with his arm raised, hence the “Man in Black’ here!
The Modulator, a ‘living’ element in design.
Finally, if you wanted to ask us a question but were either too shy or too busy to do so at EcoFest, never fear! You can find us on Facebook or Instagram. You can also email Ludovic at ludovic@inwardoustudio.com (building design) or me, Gabrielle, via gabrielle@inwardoutstudio.com (the plant stuff!). And if you have a question/topic that you would like to see discussed in a blog, please send us your ideas.
Do you love your plants but weren’t able to make it to this year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show? Don’t worry, we have put together some plantlife highlights just for you! Join me on a personal photographic tour through the gardens, plants, and moments that made the Show bloom.
Show Gardens
These gardens are one of the Show’s headline acts, attracting Australia’s top landscape designers. Today, I will show you some of my highlights from two of those gardens.
ǝ’skāp
A garden designed to inspire connection and reflection. Designed by Rob Cooper from Distinctive Gardens in Adelaide, this garden took out the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best In Show, as well as a Gold medal. I was most interested in it because it also won the Horticultural Media Association Award for Best Use of Plant Life.
When I spoke with Rob, he told me that his team had chosen to do a predominantly native garden: “We’ve tried to make a lush green textured garden to sort of challenge the perception of what native gardens look like. My design style is not this style all the times, but the shape and the form is, so I was really, really wanted to focus on trying to have a place of calm where you can go in and enjoy, but also you could apply it in a residential application where you could do it in a modern style house. So it was just trying to push the boundaries of what I can do, but also show other people what can be done with native plants.”
Coastal banksia (Banksia integrifolia) and the Queensland bottle tree (Brachychiton rupestris) provide height in this garden. Tussock grasses and other tussock-like plants soften this garden, adding gentle movement and a naturalistic texture to anchor the planting scheme. These plants include Dianella ‘Breeze’, knobby club-rush (Ficinia nodosa), sea rush (Juncus kraussii), common tussock grass (Poa labillardierei), and kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra). Banksia ‘Birthday Candles’ provide colour at the ground level, whilst topiaried white correa (Correa alba) spheres add a certain “je ne sais quoi”. That is French for “I don’t know what”, but implying a positive reaction. Should have left it in the French with the over-explanation!
The sharp-eyed among you may notice a few exotic species in the midst of this garden such as the grape vine (Vitis vinifera) on the pergola, the aptly named ‘no mow grass’ (Zoysia tenuifolia) covering the ground, or the Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) or reed grass (Calamagrostis spp.) varieties blowing in the wind. Who said natives and exotics can’t be together in a garden?
NB. The full plant list for this garden is available here.
Between Moments
Ben Hutchinson Landscapes received a Silver medal for this delightful garden featuring many plants, and a sauna and recreational pond – the latter probably one of those names given to a hardscape feature to make it easier to get through planning approvals! Ben is a natural pond specialist, and inspired by Australian landscape, as you can see in his planting selection. HIs connection the wildlife is seen here in the sympathetic sculptures of platypus and spoonbills inhabiting the pond.
Ben’s design philosophy is very close to our hearts. His goal is to maximise the use of rainwater throughout his gardens, and to use regionally and sustainably sourced materials wherever possible and promote the use of indigenous and Australian native plants. Some of the plant highlights here include Bracteantha Whites (Xerochrysum bracteatum), mountain correa (Correa lawrenceana ‘Croajingolong’), spindly grevillea (Grevillea endlicheriana), Grevillea ‘Flame’, Grevillea ‘Murray Valley’, lemon-scented teatree (Leptospermum petersonii), candle heath (Richea continentis), dragon heath or pineapple candleheath (Richea dracophylla), and Xerochrysum ‘Swamp’. Kuranga Native Nursery supplied these plants – link supplied here just in case there are any Melburnians reading this who want to know where they can get some great native plants. I don’t get any commissions!
Note that Richea dracophylla is endemic to Tasmania. You can find this endemic shrub at Plants of Tasmania Nursery. This striking foliage plant can grow up to 3m and is suited to a cool, moist garden or pot. Its creamy white flowers on terminal spikes in summer are pretty stunning too.
Boutique Gardens
Managed by Landscaping Victoria, this garden display category allows established and emerging landscape designers and architects to participate in the Show. One display here really caught our eye.
Room to Breathe
Designed by Riley Field and Marie-Claire Geach from Lone Pine Landscapes, Room to Breathe received a Silver medal in the Boutique Gardens category. For me though, it was a definite show garden winner. Whilst I am all for displays sharing designs that the average punter can achieve in their backyard (or frontyard), I do like designers to push the boundaries and provide a little inspiration above and beyond what we usually see.
Room to Breathe is a beautiful garden. I describe it as a lovely (post-modern?) take on a Japanese Zen garden that would fit neatly into many a city courtyard. Plants for this garden were supplied by Fytogreen, the green infrastructure specialists with whom I completed an internship just before I finished my Master of Urban Horticulture at the University of Melbourne in 2017. Mistletoe cacti (Rhipsalis spp.) drape from the roof, whilst a flurry of ferns and other lush foliage plants reach up from the rocks. If you look closely, you will see that the plants are regularly misted to keep up the humidity. Just love this!
Challenger Achievable Gardens
This competition offers students and educational institutions the opportunity to showcase their design skills and horticultural knowledge, promote achievable gardening and encourage the use of high-quality plants in the landscape. Each year the displays designed and constructed by these students just gets better and better, and their use of plantlife more nuanced. Here are some of my favourites from this year.
Mediterranean Musings
The first stop on this part of my tour is with Adam Clements from Holmesglen TAFE, whose garden ‘Mediterranean musings’ received the Best Use of Plantlife award in this category, as well as a Silver medal. The pollarded olive tree (Olea europa) is a real showstopper ias a feature tree in this setting. An espaliered lemon (Citrus x limon ‘Eureka’) is pretty good too!
The plantlife includes a mix of textures, leaf shapes, sizes, and forms, adding depths and interest. Topiaried tree germander (Teucrium fruticans) and white correa (Correa alba) mirror the concrete spheres, showing that softscape and hardscape can complement and enhance each other in a well-designed landscape. The plants used here are all suited to a dry climate as one would expect of a Mediterranean-inspired garden, note the soft-grey foliage seen on many of these varieties.
The selection of agapanthus in this garden is interesting. I have always thought of agapanthus as weedy. The African lily (Agapanthus praecox) is tolerant of a wide range of conditions and can invade forest edges and open forests across the country. The cultivar used here, (Agapanthus praecox ‘Perpetual Peace’) is said to be sterile. However, if you are thinking of using it, I would suggest that you remain cautious and avoid planting it in environmentally sensitive areas.
Adam has started his own landscape design business, Tall Poppy Landscapes. If you are in Melbourne and like what you see below, you can get in touch with him via Instagram.
States of Green
Next garden on ‘my tour’ is that designed by Emily Rubia and Zoe-Beth Rush from the London College of Garden Design. ‘States of Green’ was the overall winner in this category, taking out the Exellence award and a Gold medal.
Emily and Zoe-Beth brought together a wonderful mix of plants from their respective home states, Victoria and Queensland. Tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica) take pride of place Perhaps living where we do in Liffey, I take having these ferns in our ‘garden’ for granted, forgetting the wonder they provide to those people who don’t live in such a setting. On another note, I loved the little purple pops of colour that the native fan flower (Scaevola aemula) brought through the mostly green foliage; purple and green being the colours of the suffragettes. I have a dream one day to create what I call a garden honouring those women who fought for our rights, featuring plants with purple and green flowers and foliage. One day!
Whilst I had to admit that the bath that Katie Fraser from Melbourne Polytechnic featured in her garden initially attracted me (along with the wineglass!), once I looked closer, I was impressed by her sympathetic planting scheme. Katie also received a Silver medal for her garden, which she told me is an Australian take on the the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku or ‘forest bathing’.
All the plants featured in this garden are locally native, and most of them are edible. Those of you who may have been following me for a while know how much I love plants that are native AND edible AND ornamental too. Apologies for the use of capital letters, but I am a bit excited! Kate really nailed the brief if you ask me. Edible plants in this planting scheme include seaberry saltbush (Rhagodia candolleana) – berries and leaves, berry saltbush (Einadia hastata) – berries, bower spinach (Tetragonia implexicoma) – leaves once cooked, Austral stork’s-bill (Pelargonium australe) – tubers, and coastal saltbush (Atriplex cinerea) – seed, leaves . For more ideas on how to cook these ingredients, do yourself a favour and get a copy of Rees Campbell’s (aka The Feisty Tasmanian) book, Eat More Wild Tasmanian. When you do, make sure to try her recipe for ‘tempura battered coastal leaves’ using Atriplex cinerea. Scrumptious!
The next garden on my tour provided me an opportunity to look past my own personal bias towards what I perceive to be purely ornamental plants. If I said I didn’t like dahlias, would you hold that against me? Mia Zielinski changed my mind about these tuberous perennials when I spoke to her about her Silver medal winning display. The Melbourne Polytechnic student told me that this flower is the national emblem of Mexico, and that it is both ornamental and edible. What’s not to like about that?! Yep, the tuber of this plant was a food source for both the Aztecs and Mayans, and the flower was used in their ceremonies.
Mia says that every plant within this garden is native to Mexico and is available in Australia too as we have many similarities in climates. Sone if these plants are already old favourites in our country. In no particular order, think sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), Mexican asters (Cosmos bipinnatus), century plants (Agave spp.), stonecrops (here = Sedum mexicanum ‘Gold Mound’), ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata) or the magnificent old lady cactus (Mamillaria hahnaria). I could go on!
If you like Mia’s quirky, creative and colourful style (her own words!), you can find her on Instagram.
BONUS STOPS! Therapeutic horticulture
In addition to visiting the display gardens, Ludovic and I also went on a tour, led by Therapeutic Horticulture Australia (THA), during which we learnt about gardening’s restorative power. This tour introduced some of the contemporary applications and science supporting the growing field of therapeutic horticulture. So, now I am going to extend ‘my tour’ so that we may explore how some of the Show gardens were designed to enhance health and wellbeing. Note that this secion is lighter on plantlife detail.
As you view each photo, I will instead ask you to imagine how you can engage each of the five senses in each of the gardens ‘visited’ here:
Sight (vision) – the ability to see, detected by the eyes
Hearing (audition) – the ability to hear, detected by the ears
Smell (olfaction) – the ability to detect odours, detected by the nose
Taste (gustation) – the ability to perceive flavours, detected by the tongue
Touch (tactile sense) – the ability to feel pressure, temperature, pain, and texture, detected by the skin
Wurundjeri Biik Baan
Designed by the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation Elders, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, and SKL Gardens, ‘Wurundjeri biik baan’ is a celebration of water country, and an opportunity to experience a sliver of the interconnected swamps, rivers and marshes that defined Naarm/Melbourne prior to colonial settlement. Its designers invite us to imagine the land as Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung ancestors lived it, and a call to heal and care for Country and its waterways.
For me the most important message I can share here is to ask you to remember that as humans we are part of Country, not separate to it. We can only really care for Country as Country, because everything we do to the land, sea and water eventually impacts us. Do you know that I am even reluctant to use the word landscape as this concept can be seen to imply the absence of humans. Anyway, perhaps a philosophical discussion for another time …
For more information about this garden and the plants featured in Wurundjeri biik baan, please click here.
Nostalgia
Designed by Paul Pritchard from Paul Pritchard Landscape Design, this garden received a Gold medal and the Mark Bence Construction Award. Paul says this garden was inspired by his father, who passed away last year, after suffering dementia.
For more information about this garden and the plants featured in Nostalgia, please click here.
Yutori
Designed by Christian Jenkins and Bailyn Jenkins, this garden received a Silver medal. Christian is big on mental health and wellbeing. Here he embraces the Japanese philosophy of slowing down to simply be. Yutori features a sauna, ice bath, and tiny home, redefining wellness within a serene Japanese landscape.
For more information about this garden and the plants featured in Yutori, please click here.
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Well, I hope that ‘my tour’ has satisfied your curiosity for now. Although not as footsore as when I actually visited the Show in person, my fingers are feeling weary. If you want more inspiration, check out the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show online (website, Facebook, Instagram). Or go one better and follow the designers listed here and give them a like too!
If you like what you saw and would like to do similar in Tasmania, then why not reach out to us?
What do bonsai and scale models have to do with sustainable living? Find out at next weekend’s Sustainable Living Festival!
Ludovic and I have been working hard behind the scenes to put together an integrated building and landscape display for our stall at this year’s Tamar NRM Sustainable Living Festival. This FREE festival will be held from 10am – 4pm next Saturday 2 March 2024 at the Inveresk Precinct in Launceston. Understandably, we are quite busy at the moment. However, I thought I would ‘scratch out a few words’ to let you know what you can expect from our display.
Ludovic is creating a scale model of a home that we would like to call home ourselves one day. This house has a relatively small footprint, and is designed to maximise the power of the sun. This is a topic close to Ludovic’s heart and one he has written on recently. I won’t repeat his words here. However, if you are interested in knowing more about the benefits of solar passive design, read Ludovic’s blog, Harnessing the Sun: The art of solar passive design. Alternatively, you may like to visit us at our stall at the Sustainable Living Festival where you can speak with Ludovic one on one, and get to see the finished result of the model seen below.
‘Ludovic’ checking out construction progress on his latest design … our model display for the 2024 Tamar NRM Sustainable Living Festival
Ludovic has inspired me to think about vegetation at scale to complement our display. My idea? Bonsai! However, I do not have any of these ‘miniature’ plants at home and they take some time to reach their potential. So, I put the feelers out to see who does. Long story short: Shane Boyce from the Bonsai School of Tasmania and Launceston Bonsai Society said he could help me.
It turns out that selecting bonsai to accompany a scale model home is not as easy as it sounds! Sure both the house and tree are smaller than usual. However, you need to ensure that the ratio between the house and tree is similar to what you would expect to see in real life. For us that ratio is 1:25, given the size that Ludovic has constructed his model at. You also need to consider the size of the leaves on the bonsai, which can still be quite large in proportion to the bonsai-ed tree.
I also wanted a tree that is deciduous in real-life given our display’s objective is to demonstrate an integrated building and landscape design that harnesses the sun’s power during winter, whilst staying cool in summer. Shane’s solution? The Chinese Elm, otherwise known scientifically as Ulmus parvifolia, which whilst not fully deciduous can lose its leaves in autumn in some climates. Did you know that parvifolia means ‘small leaves’? Bonus! Shane selected the smallest-leaved version of this tree from his collection for us to loan.
Shane Boyce measuring up this beautiful bonsai Chinese Elm for use in our display at the Sustainable Living Festival
At the festival, I will be giving a presentation on an area of gardening that is quite different to bonsai. Shane is the local expert in that area, no competition there! Instead, I will be presenting on a topic very close to my heart, plants that can be both ‘productive’ and ‘ornamental’, and could also potentially encourage biodiversity in your garden. Why can’t your garden look and taste good?!
I will be presenting my talk, ‘Good looking gardens to tickle your taste buds!‘, from12:40pm – 1:10pm in the Breakout Room at the Sustainable Living Festival next Saturday. Why should you attend my talk? Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to plug a garden gap, I aim to provide you with inspiration and tips so that you can grow more of your own food at home. I won’t give away any more details now about what I will be talking about next weekend. You will just have to come and see me present!
The Sustainable Living Festival program is jam-packed with activities and workshops – from electrifying your home to knitting, test-driving electric vehicles, managing your rubbish bins, remade fashions, managing your bins, garden inspiration, becoming waste-free, making preserves and ferments, and taking steps towards ‘going circular’ – there’s something for everyone at this year’s festival. So don’t just come and see me!
We are very pleased to see that our good friends from Seed Freaks, purveyors of authentic Australian grown heritage seeds, will also be in attendance! Florian Bonenfant will be presenting on regenerative agriculture and seed saving. So check out their stall and find yourself some seeds to get your garden jumping.
Please do let your family and friends know about the Sustainable Living Festival. For some, it might just be a life-changing experience.
School playgrounds, highland homes … just what do we have up our sleeves this year? Continue reading to find out …
We are easing ourselves back into work slowly, having taken time to catch up with family and friends. We have also found time to take some day trips around beautiful northern Tasmania, including Cataract Gorge in Launceston, where Ludovic took this photo of a Golden Everlasting (Xerochrysum bracteatum). We hope your year will be just as sunny as this native daisy makes you feel when you look at it!
Happy New Year to you all!
Over the holidays, I have finally got around to submitting regular observations of flora and fauna found during our outings on iNaturalist, including this image of the Golden Everlasting. iNaturalist is a citizen science platform through which naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists can map and share observations of biodiversity across the globe. Getting into this habit is both useful in my work as an Associate Lecturer of Geography at the University of Tasmania’s School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences, and also here at Inwardout Studio designing landscapes in a more environmentally sensitive way.
We have several new building and landscape design projects to share with you where this type of knowledge is providing extremely useful. Read on for a quick update on those projects. We will share more detailed information in due course.
Highland home
We are currently working on an integrated building and landscape design for an existing dwelling in Miena up on the Central Plateau. We are having to think very carefully about the planting we specify on this block given the sensitive nature of this landscape; firstly the home is located in a bushfire-prone area, and secondly, it is also located in an area of conservation significance that is home to endemic flora and fauna including the Miena cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata) and the Miena jewel beetle (Castiarina insculpta).
The rare, endemic Castiarina insculpta (Miena jewel beetle) found feeding on Ozothamnus hookeri along ther Lake Augusta Road, Central Plateau Conservation Area, Tasmania. (Image: Nuytsia@Tas via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED)
According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE), the Miena jewel beetle occurs in the Great Lake/Lake Augusta area of the Central Plateau and has been recorded in open subalpine woodland and heath above 900 m elevation (Threatened Species Section, 2024). This beetle feeds almost exclusively on Ozothamnus hookerii, one of several species known as Kerosene Bush because of its aromatic, inflammable foliage (University of Tasmania, 2019). No prizes for guessing which plant I am already hoping to incorporate in the planting plan for this site! However, it is early days yet on this job, and before I make any such plant lists, I still have a little more research to do, and a site visit as well. Ludovic and I will probably work in a quick camping trip at the nearby yingina / Great Lake. The perks of the job!
School playground
This month, we are starting Stage 3 of the concept plan for a playground redesign at Perth Primary School, south of Launceston. The school would like to increase the overall area where edible produce can be grown, and to grow more native plants in general to attract fauna. They also want spaces for small group activities where the activities taking place are visible by the teachers and Teaching Assistants supervising them. And on top of the wish list is a teepee and other play equipment made from natural materials! Check out what we have proposed so far in the concept plan illustrated below, including a Lizard Lounge, a warm spot for the children to hang out, and hopefully also the blotched blue-tongue lizard (Tiliqua nigrolutea) might make a visit during the warmer months of the year.
Our concept design for the quadrangle at the front entrance of Perth Primary School in northern Tasmania.
As you can see from the image above, we have already prepared the concept plan. What is left for us to do is to draft the construction details, planting plan and plant schedule. The construction details provide additional information enabling any contractors to build or install hardscape features, e.g. dimensions, material types, fixing/joinings, etc. The planting plan is a two-dimensional representation of the number, type and location of plants in the final design. When accompanied by the plant schedule, this information will provide the contractor responsible for implementing the design with enough detail to complete the planting satisfactorily. The plant schedule is a list of the plants specified in the planting plan, including their general location, botanical name, common name, height and width at maturity, quantity required and recommended purchase size. I am currently working to finalise the planting plan and plant schedule for this concept, whilst Ludovic is finalising the construction details, as is our norm here in our office.
I just love this part of the job, i.e. researching and specifying plants. As I do this for the primary school concept, I am paying special attention to locally native species, in response to student and teacher requests. However, the unique microclimates now found within this quadrangle (it is covered by large shade clothes and walkways) mean that I have to search a little more widely for plants that can tolerate site conditions. It is not always possible to plant indigenous plants on locations that have been highly modified since European settlement and colonisation. Sometimes native cultivars can be useful, so long as they do not become weedy themselves, displacing threatened indigenous species – so think carefully before you buy such plant varieties if your garden is located close to an environmentally sensitive landscape.
2024 Tamar NRM Sustainable Living Festival
Curious about what we do and how we might help you with your building and/or landscape project? Feel free to call or drop us a line. If you prefer to speak face to face, why not come along and have a chat with us at our display at the 2024 Tamar NRM Sustainable Living Festival in Launceston. Book Saturday 2 March 2024 at the Tramshed in Inveresk into your diary now. We are really looking forward to this festival, although we know from experience that putting a display together can require a lot of effort. And festival days are so busy themselves with bump in, showtime and then bump out. Hopefully, we will have enough energy after the festival concludes to take advantage of MONA FOMA’s free concert at Cataract Gorge the same day featuring TISM, yes I am not kidding you. This is serious mum!
Until the next time …
A bientot!
References
Threatened Species Section. (2024, January 19). Miena Jewel Beetle (Castiarina insculpta): Species Management Profile for Tasmania’s Threatened Species Link. Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. Retrieved January 19, 2024, from https://www.threatenedspecieslink.tas.gov.au/Pages/Miena-Jewel-Beetle.aspx
With over 103,000 people in attendance at this year’s show, the first in three years due to the pandemic, it was perhaps no surprise that both Ludovic and myself came down with COVID-19 upon our return to Tasmania. We are both feeling much better now. However, we spent the best part of April catching up with work that we could not get done when we were sick.
So better late than never, I am now sharing some of our show highlights with you, starting with two very important display gardens that I hope resonate as deeply with you as they did with us. Those of you looking for ‘pretty’ pictures of plants and flowers haven’t been forgotten either. Keep scrolling!
Meeting Dylan Alcott, 2022 Australian of the Year
My personal show highlight came on its very first morning, when I was lucky enough to be granted a brief interview with Dylan Alcott, 2022 Australian of the Year, champion wheelchair tennis player and disability advocate. We spoke about inclusivity in landscape design for an article I was writing for Hort Journal Australia. Dylan’s words: “Do it from the start, don’t tack it on. Inclusivity benefits everyone.” With more than one in six Australians having a disability1, either present from birth or acquired through illness, injury, accident or the ageing process, I could not agree more with Dylan on this point.
Interviewing Dylan Alcott, 2022 Australian of the Year
Tramlines’ design highlights included sensory plants to stimulate the senses with touch and smell, a fire pit propped up so that people of all abilities can enjoy sitting around the fire, and a garden brimming with native plants that feature red foliage and red and yellow flowers. Dylan told me that yellow is apparently the last colour that people with fading eyesight can register.
Perhaps most importantly, Tramlines is not signposted, and therefore differentiated and separated out from the ‘mainstream’ (whatever that is), as an ‘inclusive’ garden. The beauty of this garden is that it appeals to all-comers. All of us, regardless of our abilities, appreciate a garden that is easy to navigate.
The fully accessible Tramlines display by Dylan Alcott and Vivid Design shows that an inclusive garden can and should be the norm (Image: Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show)
Coming (all too) soon: Climate change
AKAS Landscape Architecture and Nth Design collaborated on a show garden exploring the effects of climate change on Melbourne’s suburbs. ‘Coming Soon’ was a poignant reminder of the crossroads human civilisation is at. We must stop deforestation and curb carbon emissions if we are to continue living on this planet. The figure 2.6 billion m2 seen in the image below refers to the estimated area of deforestation that would occur across the globe during the five days of the show.
‘Coming Soon’ by AKAS Landscape Architecture and Nth Design
Come May 21, I will be giving my vote to those candidates who will fulfil Australia’s commitments as a party to the Paris Agreement, and I urge you to do the same. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties, including Australia, at the Conference of the Parties (COP) 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.
Climate change is the most pressing issue facing human civilisation. I was heartened to see these designers use the show to highlight what is going to happen to us if we do not face the climate emergency. And it is a credit to show organisers for encouraging the appearance of this thought-provoking display garden.
How’s the serenity?
Whilst at the show, I also had the opportunity to interview Christian Jenkins who took out three awards including the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best in Show and the Gold Show Garden Award for ‘Inner Calm’, a Balinese-inspired Show Garden. Christian told me that ‘Inner Calm’ is designed to transport the viewer from their daily routine to a place full of serenity, calmness, and rest with bench seating allowing for contemplative viewing of the garden’s water feature. “I am trying to specialize more and more in wellness gardens. I personally believe that the tropical planting palette really connects with the wellness garden. I am addicted to Bali, and I am amazed with the quality of plants and the tropical climate (there),” says Christian.
Interviewing Christian Jenkins in his Bali-inspired show garden ‘Inner Calm’
Christian acknowledges that it is hard to recreate Bali’s humidity in Melbourne, so he has used plants that provide an alternative tropical effect. Four metre high Chinese Fan Palms (Livistona chinensis) announce the entry to ‘Inner Calm’, whilst Dragon Trees (Dracaena draco), Mexican Fan Palms (Washingtonia robusta) and Kentia Palms (Howea forsteriana) provide the architectural wow factor. Two Small-leaved Figs (Ficus obliqua) in 500 litre bags ‘bring up the rear’, whilst Port Wine Magnolias (Michelia figo) fill out the garden’s perimeter, along with murraya, gardenia, loriopetalum, nandina, ligularia and liriope.
The Balinese-inspired show garden ‘Inner Calm’ by Christian Jenkins Landscape Design
Christian also has a keen eye for detail, which I believe gave him the winning edge at this year’s show. Check out the beautiful tropical wallpaper lining the ceiling of his pergola, and the elephant statue announcing the formal entrance to the garden, or the outdoor kitchen tucked away discretely from view (image below).
‘Lettuce’ tell you that a garden must not only look good but feed you!
Designed by Warners Nurseries in collaboration with Robert Boyle, ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ tied for first position for Gold Show Garden Award with ‘Inner Calm’, and received the Horticultural Media Association (HMA) Award for the Best Use of Plant Life. A fusion of six outdoor aesthetics, including a parkland, shaded urban woodland and edible garden, many patrons were attracted to this garden by its central corridor of white birches underplanted with white hydrangeas.
This garden also won the People’s Choice Award, and I like to think that this is because it included a potager packed with edible plants. A purely ornamental garden is to me a lost opportunity to feed yourself. I believe that no home is complete without a lemon tree, although I understand that may be difficult for some gardeners to achieve in certain climates in this country! Warners Nurseries and Boyle even elevated the status of the humble lettuce in this corner of their display.
Lettuce shined in ‘More Than Meets The Eye’
Warners Nurseries and Boyle also show how to repeat elements through a design, although not necessarily symmetrically. You can see here how these two large terracotta pots have been positioned carefully to provide balance in the landscape.
‘More Than Meets The Eye’ by Warners Nurseries and Robert Boyle
Are you a member of the Black and White army?
One thing we have learnt is that a garden must look just as good in black and white as it does in colour, and not because I am a Collingwood Football Club fan! ‘Through the Lens’, designed by Matt York at Budling Design, was one of the most colourful and thought-provoking display gardens at this year’s show. But look how great it looks below in good old black and white!
‘Through the Lens’ by Matt York from Budling Design
Balance by nature
‘Balance by Nature’ by Gina Robertson from Melbourne Polytechnic was one of our favourite displays in the Achievable Gardens competition at the show. We love how Gina manages to create depth and perspective in such a small space (4 x 5m) using this winding path. And the gorgeous red ochre tones of the garden wall are simply stunning
‘Balance by Nature’ by Gina Robertson
East meets West
The next garden I am showing you reminded both Ludovic and myself of an artist’s retreat we once stayed in. This retreat featured a Japanese hot tub in which we soaked our bodies after hiking in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park in Victoria.
Joshua Greenwood-Malin is the student designer from Holmesglen responsible for this display ‘By Fire’ seen here in the Achievable Gardens competition at the show. Joshua describes ‘By Fire’ as challenging the concept of the Australian ‘bush-look’ native garden, through the contemporary lens of the Japanese aesthetic. He has incorporated Yakisugi or Shou Sugi Ban into his design, i.e. the traditional Japanese technique of charring the surface of timber to carbonise and waterproof the surface of this cedar tub. And you can see the iconic Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Candles’ framing this water feature effortlessly.
A very beautiful outcome in my opinion. I want that tub!
‘By Fire’ by Joshua Greenwood-Malin
Framing a view to provide a focal point
This restful scene below is from ‘Granum Florere’ designed by Inge Jabara Landscapes. Inge shows us here how to provide a focal point, frame a view and create a space by using these simple steel structures
‘Granum Florere’ by Inge Jabara Landscapes
Borrowed landscapes
‘Resilience’: Designed by Steve Day with plants provided by members of Tree and Shrub Growers Victoria. We love how this particular show garden is integrated so beautifully into the landscape here at Carlton Gardens. Beautiful plant selection complementing a magnificent Moreton Bay Fig in the background (out of sight here).
‘Resilience’ by Steve Day
Okay, I have not forgotten my promise that I would share ‘pretty’ pictures of plants and flowers with you. So here we go!
Plenty of Tractor Seats but no tractors to be found
Ligularia reniformis or ‘Tractor Seat Plant’, is a shade-loving perennial that I found in many of the display gardens at the show this year. No doubt because its lush foliage provides gardens with a tropical feel even in cooler climates. Plant nerd alert: ‘reniformis’ means ‘kidney-shaped’ – Take another look at its leaves! And would you have guessed that this plant belongs to the Daisy family (Asteraceae)?
The Tractor Seat Plant (Ligularia reniformis) was found in many show gardens this year
Bromeliads
The level of detail in Melbourne Polytechnic student William O’Neil’s Achievable Garden ‘What Just Happened?’ was astounding! Just check out this moss growing in the cup of this Neoregelia sp. Enchanting!
‘What Just Happened Here?” by William O’Neil
Osteospermum ‘Sunshine Beauty’
Osteospermum ‘Sunshine Beauty’ on display at Ball Australia’s stand. These beautiful blooms are bright orange at the tips and fade into yellow as they reach the dark centre of the flower.
Osteospermum ‘Sunshine Beauty’
Glory be!
Simply stunning flowers on this Gloriosa sp. otherwise known as a Fire Lily.
Gloriosa sp. (Fire Lily)
Gourds galore
With so many species of pumpkins and other gourds in existence, why do we only find one or two in our supermarkets? Start growing your own heirloom varieties and you won’t go back. Just look at the variety available from The Diggers Club in this image below!
Although, I will give a little plug to local suppliers, Seed Freaks, who grow open-pollinated heirloom vegetable seed organically in the Huon Valley, Tasmania. They can help you find the right gourd variety for your particular micro-climate here on the Apple Isle.
A beautiful display of colourful gourds at The Diggers Club stand
Looking forward to 2023
Well that is it from me and the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show for now. After four days walking around the Carlton Gardens and in the Royal Exhibition Building, you can see that I was more than a little tired in the shot below. I hope you found something of interest in this report.
And if you love plants and design in any way, shape or form, I encourage you to consider attending the show next year. There really is something for everyone. Don’t believe me? Then drop me a line at gabrielle@inwardoutstudio.com and I will be only too happy to answer your questions.
A bientôt!
PS. Credit for most of these photos unless otherwise mentioned goes to the wonderful Ludovic Vilbert
The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is done and dusted for 2022. Can’t wait for 2023!
Our Tree Aeonium was the highlight of our display at Tamar NRM’s Sustainable Living Festival 2021 at the Windsor Park Community Precinct. Note the emphasise on the past tense. Read on to find out how it fared …
Getting to the event itself took a little planning. Looking back now, I would say we were a little optimistic thinking that we could fit all our plants into our smallish Nissan Pathfinder. We left the packing of our Tree Aeonium until last. Given this aeonium was the central feature of our event display, we wanted to minimise the amount of time it spent in our car. However, moving this plant into the car, I managed to bump the top of the aeonium, slightly weakening its stem.
All packed and ready to go!
The Cube
Nonetheless, our Tree Aeonium survived the journey to town and was the hero of our display. Botanically known as Aeonium arboreum var. atropurpureum ‘Schwarzkopf’, this branching succulent shrub caught the eye of festival-goers, many of whom said they had one of their own but had never seen it flowering. “What are you doing to make your plant flower?”, was the question we were asked by more than a few patrons. Finding the right spot for any plant is critical, as is watering and feeding it appropriately. The Tree Aeonium is winter active/summer dormant and requires good drainage. Therefore I am very careful to avoid over-watering it. And when I first noticed its flower buds appearing, I fed it with a liquid fertiliser.
For those of you who came along to the festival and wanted to know which other plants were in our display, here is a quick list:
The Tree Aeonium’s bright yellow flowers and contrasting dark purple leaf rosettes were a real show-stopper
Plant stands
Our plant stands on display
We had several more plants on show in our standing planters located at the rear of our stall. These plants were (from top to bottom in the picture to the right):
Ludovic made these plant stands for Blooming Tasmania’s annual Spring Festival in 2018 using plywood machined on a CNC router.
The Container Connection generously donated the beautiful Deltini planters in which these plants are housed for that same display. These sub-irrigated planters make watering your plants a whole lot easier. Plus they are very easy on the eye and suitable for tabletop arrangements.
Indoor plants: Keeping you and your plants healthy
During the festival, I gave a presentation on ‘Indoor plants: Keeping you and your plants healthy’. I hoped to inspire those in the audience to consider how plants contribute to both the physical and mental wellbeing, especially as they can help to improve indoor air quality. However, more on that topic another time. I received some great questions from people listening to my presentation, including the following:
Which ferns will fare well inside my house?
Which, if any, indoor plants are toxic to pets?
What types of sub-irrigated pots would you recommend?
Stay tuned for my answers to these questions in the near future when I can bring myself to write another blog. Right now though, I am quite frankly ‘zonked’. That is, I am very tired. It has been a busy few weeks in the lead up to this festival, updating our website, developing my presentation, preparing other event materials, and generally just making sure our ‘normal’ business activities tick over (not to mention teaching geography at the University of Tasmania). Both Ludovic and myself though are very thankful that this event was able to go ahead given many other similar events across Australia have been cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chlorphytum elatum, a close relative of the Spider Plant seen in our display (Chlorophytum comosum), was used in NASA trials testing plant’s ability to remove formaldehyde
Well, we eventually got home in one piece. Ludovic has put his flat-packing skills to good use and the Cube is safely stored away until the next event. However, the same cannot be said for our Tree Aeonium.
Our Cube is all packed away until the next event
Packing the car as we left the festival site, the wind picked up and our Tree Aeonium could not withstand its force. The terminal rosette broke off and its lovely inflorescence fell to the ground. And then on the final leg of the journey home, several branches broke off. I salvaged those, and cut them back to essentially make stem cuttings. I also collected many of its leaves to trial some leaf cuttings. All these cuttings are all now having a couple of days in the ‘fresh’ air so that the cuts can callous over before I place the pieces in a propagating mix in which they hopefully develop roots and then become new aeoniums.
The crowning glory of our display in its final resting place
Stay tuned for news on how those little babies fare. In the meantime, I will bid you all a good night and depart for bed. Faire de beaux rêves!
If you are anything like me, you may have been planning to get out into the garden this Saturday afternoon. However, all this wind is not exactly making for a pleasant afternoon outdoors. I have headed back indoors and am undertaking a little online plant research instead.
Yummy garlic!
One of my most pressing tasks is planning the harvest and storage of over one hundred garlic bulbs we currently have growing in our garden. We have planted eight varieties including the hard-necked Dunganski, Rojo de Castro and Tasmanian Purple, and the soft-necked Lokalen and Messidrome. Most we sourced from Tasmanian Natural Garlic & Tomatoes. We did ‘score’ the Tasmanian Purple from the wonderful Jenny Edlington at the Liffey Valley Market in 2018, and saved the best cloves for replanting this winter.
Dunganski is a member of the Standard Purple Strip Group. It has a lovely nutty flavor when cooked and is apparently very nice baked whole. Late planting and harvest.
So I am taking this quiet moment indoors to figure out when I need to harvest each of those garlic varieties. I am also making note of when I will need to plant those bulbs that I will save from the upcoming harvest. To do this I have turned to the Australian Garlic website. This site is jam-packed with fantastic tips on growing location and requirements, planting and harvest, storage and flavour for around thirty commonly grown varieties of garlic here in this country. A detailed garlic glossary is provided to help you better understand the ‘expert’ lingo. If you are growing garlic, check it out now! Don’t say I didn’t tell you 😉
And another tip … Mark Sunday 15 March 2020 on your calendar now. The annual Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival will be held in Selbourne, approximately 30 minutes drive from Launceston. Tino Carnevale from ABC’s Gardening Australia will be there, as well as many local garlic and tomato growers. If you want expert advice on growing garlic in Tasmania, you really need to be there. In the words of the Festival organisers:
“It’s a day steeped in everything tomatoey and garlicky. With tastings, produce, guest speakers, competitions and more, it’s a great day out for the whole family in the glorious Tasmanian countryside”
Happy New Year everyone! You may be thinking we are a little slow off the mark in sending this message out. However, in France it is not uncommon for people to send New Year’s greetings throughout the whole month of January … or so Ludovic tells me.
Anyway, ‘excuses’ aside; we hope you have had a great start to 2019. Ludovic and I enjoyed some time away camping at the beautiful Narawntapu National Park and the serene Arthurs Lake in Tasmania’s Central Highlands. Now we are back at our desks, refreshed and ready for action.
We have a variety of garden/horticultural work on the cards, but we always have room for more! Here is a taste of what we are currently doing:
Designing two residential gardens: one along the Tamar River in northern Tasmania, and the other on a rural residential block in a bush fire zone in Victoria
In 2019, we plan to bring you much more plant information via this blog. So look out each week for an article focussed on one specific plant. I will include its origin, cultivation and maintenance notes, and ideas for its use in the landscape.
In the meantime, If you are thinking of installing a green wall indoors, read my article ‘Green walls: Behind the Hype’, published in the November 2018 edition of Hort Journal Australia.
Two leading green wall proponents in Australia share their knowledge: Erik C van Zuilekom (Fytogreen) and Dr Peter Irga (University of Technology Sydney).
To read the article online, click here and then navigate to pages 26-27. Happy reading!
Fytogreen technicians maintaining the internal vertical garden at Tower 4, Melbourne, Victoria (Image: Erik C van Zuilekom Fytogreen system)
I have an article for the Interior Plantscape Association e-newsletter calling for my attention tonight. So that is all for now folks.
So no, this is not a blog about me and my personal attributes! Rather it is about the flowers, and other things, we saw at this weekend’s Festival of Roses held at the historic Woolmers Estate near Longford. Woolmers Estate, together with the neighbouring Archer property, Brickendon, is one of eleven Australian convict sites awarded World Heritage status by UNESCO in 2010. It is also home to the National Rose Garden built in 2001. We didn’t manage to see the historic homestead during our visit. Instead, we chose to enjoy the great outdoors while the sun was out. Check out some of the things we found that inspired us.
A rose by any other name
Stop and smell the roses … ahem, they’re not roses! Ludovic and Celeste get up close and personal with some heavily fragrant rosemary and curry bush
That’s not a rose! Yes, you are quite correct. There are many other plants in various gardens across Woolmers Estate, including this Digitalis purpurea (Common Foxglove)
Ludovic getting the sense of being one of the estate’s original “labourers” (e. convicts). Behave or I’ll lock the door!
One day I will have a verandah like this. And maybe even a wisteria too! Actually, I think I would prefer a grape vine with edible fruit. Yum 🙂
As well as all the plants, there were a few animals on site. Can you guess which animal below was each of our favourites? That is, me (Gabrielle), Ludovic and Celeste? I bet you can’t 🙂
See that mountain in the middle of the background. Well that is Dry’s Bluff at the end of the Great Western Tiers. And that readers is where we live!
Orange is the new black
Rose garden panorama taken by Celeste
“Very English” is how Ludovic may have described this garden. Or maybe I am just putting words into his (French) mouth?!
Here are a few photos showing you some of the roses that caught my attention. I really liked the simplicity of Rosa ecea ‘Pimpinellifolia’. At first, I thought it was a Hibbertia spp. (Guinea Flower) out of place in the rose garden. No, just another rose. But not one of those fancy-schmancy double-bloomed extroverts!!! Next time, I will just have to try moving the leaf covering the top petal out of the way before taking the shot. Still learning!
Rosa ecea ‘Pimpinellifolia’
Rosa ‘Sally Holmes, a musk rose
Well, who’s going to argue with this name? I might for a start! However, I prefer to think that if we just look we can find the beauty in all things, even roses
Red rose! Why wouldn’t it open up for me?
Hats off to botanical photographers. I will be boning up taking better plant photos over the coming months. Even the slightest breeze makes it difficult to focus the camera. I think the area where I can most improve on to start is patience. I bet that doesn’t surprise some of you! It seems to be all about the lighting and timing. Knowing in advance what is blooming when would definitely help, so obviously good botanical knowledge is an asset that photographers of plants must have.
And for those people more interested in propagating, rather than photographing plants, we highly recommend Angus Stewart’s book: Let’s Propagate. I was able to convince Ludovic that we should buy a copy from Petrarch’s stall at the festival. Well actually, Ludovic wanted it too. So all good there! Angus is an Australian horticulturist, gardening author and former television presenter on Gardening Australia. He is well-known for his work breeding of Kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos spp.). Angus has moved to Tasmania for the cooler climate and now lives on the Tasman peninsula. So I am keeping my eyes open as to what he gets up to down here so I can learn from him.
Look what message Angus scribed to use on his book. Hmmm, was he being a little cheeky?
It was a very enjoyable day at Woolmers Estate. While roses still haven’t made it to the top of my floral picks, I would highly recommend a visit to the gardens here. Spring is obviously the time the flowers are blooming. However, if you are interested in history, then any time of year would be great to take a walk around the estate to check out its buildings and artefacts. But … this being Tassie, just remember to rug up if you’re planning a winter trip.
The rose garden at Woolmers Estate
I will be getting out and about more frequently over the coming months, seeking to improve my photo-taking. Stay tuned for more plant photos. Maybe I might even put in a request to Santa for a new camera? Hmmm … what do you want for Christmas? It’s almost that time of the year. Where has 2018 gone?
Well, 2019 is not yet upon us. So let’s just stay in the moment and enjoy the spring-time blossoms before the heat of summer hits.
Now I am not normally one for formal English gardens. However, today I was drawn away from our hillside retreat to Entally House, an historic estate close to Launceston. Why the drive? Well, it was a beautiful day. And the estate was hosting its annual Gardenfest. So a great time to connect with local growers and the like. Here are a few shots of what caught my eye, and that of Ludo and Celeste too!
Wow! I just love the complementary colours of this iris. Purple and yellow together … my all-time favourite combination. I remember having a “tartan” skirt with these colours as a teenager that I was immensely fond of.
This grass tree looks simply stunning against the blue sky. And somehow it is a jarring image, given that here we see a very iconic native plant set in a very colonial garden.
Looking the other way … another view of the grass tree which gives us a very different feeling with all the background foliage it contrasts with.
Staghorns or Elkhorns? I can’t remember and I can’t tell from this photo. Are they Platycerium superbum (I love that name!) or P. bifurcatum? Help 🙂
Ludo and Celeste outside the Entally House conservatory, reputedly the oldest surviving in Australia.
Inside the conservatory.
Purple! And green! Together!!! The colours of the suffragettes (I will stop using some many exclamation marks. I promise!)
I love the brown and yellow of this iris flower. It really caught my eye, even against all the purples and pinks of neighbouring plants.
“Ginge” the house cat. Resting peacefully in the vegetable garden. Chillax dude! Far from the madding crowds.
Big wheels keep on turning! Well maybe not in the case of this rather antiquated vehicle.
Sure Celeste! Please take Ludo’s phone and get some plant photos. Hmmm, well that is an interesting angle of the tree.
C’est moi dans l’arbre (or something like that!). Some very prickly climbing roses here providing lovely shade. Just don’t get too close.
The walled garden. Something about this shot reminds me of France rather than England. Looking at it now takes me back to our visit to Villandry, a French chateau famous for its parterres. Not quite a parterre here but the box hedge and purple flowers set against the blue sky just take me back.
Hallelujah! I have seen the light … so to speak.
Indoor plants have been around for ever! Although viewing some Instagram feeds, you would think they were only discovered this century.
I love this succulent arrangement for its simplicity.
Bringing the outside in , Victorian-style.
We love Frank and Karen Strie from Frank’s Char. They produce high quality biochar to help improve your soil’s health. Check out their website: http://www.terrapretadevelopments.com.au/
A beautiful succulent display that I think Karen Strie put together. It reminds me of bonsai or fairy gardens. Quite lovely as it is not overdone. And I say that, not usually liking mushrooms like this.
Celeste on “Rhododendron Road” (look closely and you will be able to see why I named this road such)
Well I am tired but happy after our traipsing around the lovely Entally Estate. So that is all there is for now. I hope you have found some inspiration from these photos.
Given our recent absence from the blogosphere, some of you are probably wondering if we had gone back into hibernation. We have been super busy with events and displays over the last six weeks. It’s only now that we are catching our breath and realising that spring has well and truly sprung!
So what have we been up to during that time? Firstly, we exhibited at Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival at Albert Hall on 22-23 September. Ludovic’s unique Cube display, stool and planters certainly attracted a lot of attention at this event. Memo to selves: Next time make enough planters so we can sell them on the day! It is not to late to put an order in if you are interested.
Our display at Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival
Our plant stands at Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival proved a hit. Here they are seen basking in the sun in City Park, Launceston.
Three weeks later, we were once again back at Albert Hall for the Tamar Sustainable Living Expo on Saturday 13 October. Whilst we did bring along our Cube, I was way too busy coordinating the event to be able to staff our display. Yes we also manage events! We generally don’t like to put up static displays without someone to accompany them to answer questions from those people wanting to know more. So we decided to offer a garden design prize as part of the Expo Passport competition to make up for it. We’ll be conducting the site inspection for the lucky winner of that prize next Saturday.
Our display at the Tamar Sustainable Living Expo. We focused on providing information on how indoor plants can help clean indoor air and improve your mental well-being, a great connection the sustainable living theme of the Expo. On another note, kids just loved our stools, and so did many adults.
So what else is coming up?
This Sunday, we are heading out to Entally House for Gardenfest 2018. This time though we are not coordinating the event and/or exhibiting in it! We will be there seeking plants, and checking out local arts and crafts. Gardenfest will also be open on Saturday too, if you are inclined to attend. However, we will be busy checking out the Liffey Valley Market for local seedlings and honey that morning, before lending a hand weeding at the nearby Oura Oura Reserve.
And the following Sunday (18 November), we will be heading out to the Festival of Roses at the historic Woolmers Estate near Longford. Now I am not normally inclined to “take time out to smell the roses”! Yes, I do enjoy slowing down and relaxing. However, roses are not especially my favourite plant. However, in the interest of research, I will be heading out to Woolmers to explore their gardens. With over 80 stalls ranging from wine, food, jewellery, art and crafts, I think I will find something I like! And I may be lucky enough to catch up with gardening guru, Angus Stewart, who now lives in Tasmania. Angus has been in Western Australia recently experiencing that state’s beautiful wildflower displays. Jealous!!!
We have also been busy growing and buying seedlings for our own summer vegetable garden. Believe it or not, the silverbeet we planted in November last year has only just started to “bolt”. So we have been able to harvest its fresh leaves all throughout winter. So fresh and delicious! We’ll hopefully get a few more weeks out of it as I pinched out its growing tips to stop flowers being produced just yet. Although this year, Ludovic wants to put in the more colourful rainbow chard instead. But first we have to harvest our garlic in early December. Fingers crossed, we’ll have over 50 bulbs to collect and store for use next year.
Everlasting silverbeet? Maybe not, but it certainly has stayed the distance! And we can’t wait to harvest our garlic soon.
So we’re not letting this warmer weather get away from us! We’ll be out and about in our own and other gardens over the coming months. Stay tuned for details of what is inspiring us and also tips for your own gardens.
Wow, the last fortnight has just flown by! Where has the time gone? We have been busy putting together the final details for our display at Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival.
Our Cube is going public this Saturday and Sunday (22-23 September 2018) at Albert Hall, Launceston. Two days away! So tonight I am giving you a sneak preview of what to expect if you are planning to attend.
We have assembled and disassembled the Cube several times now. Well, credit mostly goes to Ludovic for doing the majority of this work. He is pretty much a flat pack legend now. Look out Ikea!
About to hit the road to Launceston with the Cube
Here is the final planting plan for the Cube. We have had a few hick ups along the way. The latest was discovering what looked like Bacterial Leaf Spot on our Taro plant. Luckily it was isolated to only one leaf. However that had to come off. We could not risk infecting the rest of the plant or our display.
We have learnt a lot by having a go at creating this display. I think it is important to keep challenging your knowledge. You will never know what you will come up with if you stay within your comfort zone!
Speaking about comfort, I am desperate to get to my warm and cosy bed. I have had some seriously late nights this week, working on this and other projects. Last night was 4am! It would be great to get to bed before midnight tonight, so I am keeping this post short.
However, before I sign off, I would like to say a big thanks to our sponsors who have helped us to create this display:
Thanks Chris for donating the beautiful Live Picture, Deltini, Zoie Anouk and Maxi-Cubi planters to our ’cause’.
Thanks Gabe for donating a whole box of your informative magazines for us to give away to Festival-goers.
Thanks Elaine for your wonderful support in helping us to connect with our sponsors.
Finally, we really hope to see you all at the Festival! It is a big weekend for us and we would really love to share it with those of you able to make it.
Featured planters: Deltini (in stands) and Zoie Anouk (on ground)
Here you can see the plant stands that Ludovic has designed and constructed, ready to display some great indoor plants in two weeks time at Albert Hall, Launceston.
Many thanks to the Container Connection for their generous support of our display. They have kindly donated these and several other planters to our cause. So head on over to their Facebook page and give them a like to show your appreciation too 🙂
We will feature more of the Container Connection’s beautiful planters here shortly. We have a nice little Live Picture ready to be be planted out. So stay tuned!
Hi all, we are almost here and the cube we have designed for Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival is ready. It just needs a bit of love and then it is done.
Before the result, I want to show you the start of this idea. First the concept, the cube, our logo. Yes I am an architect and I love cubes of course. How can you work with this shape? This is probably the first exercise in any school of architecture. So this is our starting point: the cube as an infinite shape, the base of a lot of fractal geometry, the cube in the cube and so on. Our cube concept is based on the Menger sponge.
The Menger sponge (Image: WIkipedia)
Secondly, how to go in and out of the cube, how to unfold it? That is when the second concept of a geometric ribbon comes into play.
For making this cube come to life, we decided to use plywood. This is a very versatile material. It is inexpensive, easy to cut and being flat, so easy to transport.
To make the components of the cube, all the design was generated in CAD and then cut via a CNC router.
And the plants! The cube is a kind of a big pot for plants, inside the cube (900 x 900 x 900mm) there are 27 smaller cubes (each 300 x 300 x 300mm). And all of this will be filled (with love).
We had some space left in the sheets of plywood, so we also designed stools and standing planters. This is another story. I will tell it to you the next time. And you will also hear more from Gabrielle about plant selection soon.
You may disagree with me on the correct way to say the plural of “terrariums”. However, you will probably agree that these living gifts are “on trend” right now. One prototype terrarium is even linked to Smartphone technology. So what else is new with these miniature gardens?
To find out, read my latest article “Trendy terraria: A Wardian (case) in point”, published in the August issue of Hort Journal. Click here to access the article, then skip to pages 26-27.
A Wardian case: The original terrarium (Image: Alamy)
We have been a little quiet lately getting prepared for Blooming Tasmania’s Flower & Garden Festival, which will be held on 22-23 September at Albert Hall. We will be exhibiting, promoting our garden design services. So if you are in Launceston at that time, come and check us out.
In the meantime, stay tuned for some photos of our display which is starting to evolve. We will share them with you over the next few days. And who knows we may even have a terrarium to add to it!
Now before you tell me off for uncouth language, it must be said that Peter Cundall, legendary local gardening guru, is well-known for throwing the “b” word into pretty much every second sentence. Okay so I may be slightly exaggerating!
So what does Blooming Tasmania have to do with us here at Inwardout Studio? Well, Blooming Tasmania is the industry body for garden tourism operators in Tasmania. As well as promoting Tasmania’s unique garden attractions, they actively seek to raise standards and assist the development of member properties.
For the last few years, Blooming Tasmania have held an annual Flower and Garden Festival at Albert Hall, Launceston. And we have decided to have a stall there to promote our garden design work. Not just any old trestle table and chairs for us though! Check out our concept below…
Our concept for our stall at Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival.
This indicative drawing will give you an idea of what we hope to present to festival-goers on 22-23 September 2018.
Pencil the dates into your diary now. We will share more information about our stall and the festival closer to the date.
Why oh why do some ‘reputable’ garden centres still sell plastic plants? All the scientific evidence points to the indoor air quality and well-being benefits of using real plants; just check out facts and figures produced by the Plant Life Balance program.
By now, my regular readers would know of my aversion to plastic plants, especially when used indoors. If you are a new reader, check out my earlier blog on artificial plants to catch up. Then take a look at the photo below …
Artificial plants … why oh why?
This makes me very sad. Artificial succulents? Succulents are probably the easiest plants to grow. You don’t even have to have a green thumb. Yet some marketing whiz has decided that people are too dumb to grow an Echeveria or similar.
Okay I am starting to get a little melodramatic. And perhaps my rant is not so inspirational today. However, it is currently Plastic Free July. So I thought it might be an appropriate time to ‘re-vent’ my disdain for artificial plants.
Choose to refuse single use plastics
Don’t get me wrong. Plastic has done a lot of good in certain areas. Way back in the ‘good old days’, I was an apprentice Fitter and Turner for a company that make the moulds for Tupperware. Now that plastic was definitely not single-use. It could be used over and over and over again, and came with a 25 year warranty. The precision work on the seals of Tupperware containers was excellent, with the product surface on the die being polished to a tolerance of one thousandth of an inch. Think about it! These containers were made to last.
However, these days people think nothing of packing their sandwiches in a single use bags, swigging on a bought bottle of water when mains water is just as good if not better, or carrying their groceries in plastic bags. These objects often end up in landfill, rather than recycling, or as litter. Just check out the film: A Plastic Ocean.
A very easy way to get started on the Plastic Free July challenge is to say “no” to the Big 4: single use bottles, bags, straws and cups. There are many excellent reusable items which can replace each of those four objects.
You can do it … say no to plastic’s Big 4!
Those of you who live in northern Tasmania like me may like to check out the good works of Plastic Free Launceston. This community group are very active in this part of the state. Plastic Free Launceston hold regular sewing Sundays, where they group together to make reusable bags. Their Last Straw campaign has resulted in many local restaurants, cafes and take-aways ending their use of single-use plastic straws. Keep up the good work, Plastic Free Launceston!
And lastly for my French readers: Vous pouvez “Dire non à usage unique en plastique” aussi! 🙂
“Winter is coming!” That is a cry most Game of Thrones fans would be most familiar with. But what does that have to do with indoor plants?
Well winter has actually well and truly arrived here in northern Tasmania. This morning when I woke up, I saw the nearby Norfolk Plains covered in fog, and frost coating the grass down slope of our home. Let’s just say it was a wee bit chilly.
So with the cooler weather, I am now spending more time indoors. And so are many of you, except you lucky people in the Northern Hemisphere! Oh to be in France at the moment!
Anyway, back to reality. And the point. Ahem.
If you are cooped up indoors, you may be spending less time gardening outdoors. So why not garden indoors?!
To provide you with a little indoor planting inspiration, check out my latest article for Hort Journal Australia. My article starts on page 26.
In the article, I detail my trip to the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, where several interior installations caught my eye, including the Flamingo Hotel pictured below.
This display certainly inspired me. I hope it inspires you too!
A bientôt!
Alice Crowe was kept busy with the crowds visiting the Flamingo Hotel display
We made a little road trip to #Hobart last week, ostensibly to attend the International Plant Propagators’ Society (IPPS) annual conference. However, we also managed to fit in a little wining and dining along the way. But don’t worry food bloggers … I won’t be challenging you anytime soon. My focus remains on #plants!
First stop: Government House. Of course! We attended the official IPPS conference welcome on a dark and chilly night. However, we were very warmly received by the Governor, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC.
Don’t worry mum, I was on my best behaviour. Promise!
Leaving the warmth of Government House we ventured back into the Hobart CBD. At the Urban Greek restaurant, I discovered the deliciousness of Mastika, a liqueur apparently flavoured with a resinous sap harvested from the mastic tree. That definitely warmed me up!
Mastika and me: The start of a new friendship
The next day was strictly business, attending the first day of the IPPS conference. I was well in my element, although I only have limited, and I mean limited, propagation experience when compared to fellow attendees.
I learnt a new #acronym “DIFOTET: Delivery in full on time every time”. Sounds like something Henry Ford would have said on his production line.
One of the most interesting presentations concerned the Tasmanian Mountain Pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata). Apparently all parts of this plant contain the compound that gives it its distinctive peppery taste. So a very edible crop indeed!
Day Two saw us out and about touring local nurseries. First stop was Granton Plants, a retail #nursery in the foothills of Hobart. This neat and tidy establishment was easy to navigate, and even better is also the home of the online Succulent Store. I was definitely in my element browsing through their #indoorplants.
Checking out the Tillandsia at Granton Plants…one day I will create my own living curtain with it
Ludovic also enjoyed his time at the nursery. It is so nice to see an architect who is comfortable being amongst plants.
Ludovic at Granton Plants
Next we moved on to Westland Nurseries. Here I was able to further indulge my love of indoor plants, along with Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal and fellow Interior Plantscape Association board member.
Autumn is here! With Karen Smith at Westland Nurseries.
And now for an indoor plant shot 🙂
Pilea peperomioides (Chinese Money Plant) at Westland Nurseries. This plant is “on trend” with interior designers right now.
On our last full day in Hobart, Ludovic and I wandered around the CBD. We found some council planters replete with ornamental and apparently quite edible (when young) Brassicas. Yes, cabbages! Who knew that the food you (but not me) detested as a child could look so beautiful?
Brassica oleracea in a City of Hobart planter in the Elizabeth St mall
Continuing our walk, we came across some indoor and outdoor #greenwalls that had obviously seen better days. Upon research, I found that they had only been installed last year. However, there large gaps in the walls where plants had obviously died and not been replaced. Upon closer inspection, I found that the substrate was too wet, so the plant roots were probably rotting out.
A very gappy green wall that does the industry’s reputation no favour
In these green walls, I also found what appeared to be scale insects on multiple plants. These insects feed by sucking sap through piercing-sucking mouth parts. This may cause yellowing or wilting of leaves, stunting plant growth. If heavily infested, the plant may die. Weakened plants may also lose vigor and become more susceptible to injury or attack by other insects, or infection by diseases. Soft scales can also excrete “honeydew” which can attract flies, ants, bees, and other insects. The honeydew may encourage the sooty mold fungus, a real plant killer.
Scale-infested Chlorophytum sp. (Spider Plant)
We decided to make a break for it and check out some real “nature”. So we wandered up Mount Wellington (okay we drove up!), where we enjoyed the sunset before venturing back into town.
Sunset at kunanyi / Mt Wellington and it is smiles all around, despite the cold
Back in town, we enjoyed a delicious meal at Ottimo Ristorante Italiano. This bistro had a whole section of the menu devoted to vegan food. Yes! #Veganpizza and homemade #veganpasta. I highly recommend a visit to this establishment if you are into plant-based foods, especially if you have to keep a carnivorous companion happy.
On the way back to our accommodation, we did come across two hanging planters that met with my seal of approval. These installations in the front entrance to the RACV Club were “right on the money”; elegantly constructed, well-lit and beautifully maintained. Top marks to the crew who put these together.
Suspended in style at the RACV Club…very nice 🙂
We left Hobart the next morning, making the trek back to Launceston via the Midlands Highway, arriving at my mum’s place just in time for home-made vegetable soup with more than a hint of chilli.
By now you have probably realised why I have combined the food and plant blogging. I prefer plant-based food, so it sort of makes sense that the two topics go together. However, next time I will stick to the horticultural issues.
Why? All this talk of food is making me hungry. Is that dinner I can smell? Time to go 😉
A bientôt!
PS. A big shout out to Gabe Mostafa from Hort Journal Australia for making it possible for me to attend the IPPS conference. Merci beaucoup! Click here to check out his latest magazine – skip to page 28 for some words from an author familiar to you 😉
No video did not kill this radio star, but nerves almost did. There’s nothing quite like a late request for a radio interview to get the adrenaline pumping, especially when you are new to your position. And when the topic is “how do you make sustainability mainstream”, you know you have your work cut out for you.
Having recently been appointed to coordinate Tamar NRM’s inaugural Sustainable Living Expo, I was asked by ABC Northern Tasmania radio for an interview on Piia Wirsu’s “Drive” program. “Would I be available at 4.10pm this afternoon”?, they asked. “Of course”, I said, as I felt the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
So just before the appointed time, I steadied my nerves with a warm cup of “Relax” tea and prepared to answer some tough questions. I did a little preparation trying to anticipate the key questions I may be asked, and thinking how I could get in a few key messages to promote the Tamar Sustainable Living Expo. After all, that is what I was there to do.
The seven minute interview flew by so quickly that I was left wanting an hour slot to continue the conversation. I hardly got a chance to talk about all the interesting topics that we hope to cover at the Expo, including sustainable design, plastic-free living, ethical investment and more.
So I went from “how can we just get this over and done with” to “I have a few more things I would like to say” but nobody to say them to.
So here are some of those “things” I have to say on the topic of making sustainability more mainstream. In no particular order …
1. Understand that we all start from different spaces
Some of us may be further along the sustainability path and that is great. Well done! However, others may have had a different journey in life. If we really want to make a difference on this planet, we need to embrace everybody, regardless of where they are at. For some people, knowing where to start can be very confusing. There are so many messages out there: “do this”, “do that” … it is almost like a game of “Simon Says”, with some people scared to participate in case they are caught responding incorrectly. So let’s encourage everyone to make a start.
These messages are very important, however they can also be overwhelming for some people who are not sure where to start
2. Link it into people’s experience
Don’t get me wrong. The environment is important and we need to respect it. After all, there are no jobs (or food) on a dead planet. Once again, many people become overwhelmed if they are asked to understand issues on a global basis. To engage people, you need to be able to connect issues to their own experience. What is important to them about this issue? How does it connect to their day-to-day living? Look at the knowledge, attitude, behaviours and values of people to understand what motivates them. Then and only then can you start to understand how to work with them.
3. Speak people’s language
No, I am not asking all of you to learn Mandarin or Zulu. What I am suggesting is that when discussing sustainability issues, you can phrase some suggestions for change in terms you may not necessarily be comfortable with. No … I don’t mean those four letter words! What I am referring to are those phrases such as “save money”, “save time”, it is more convenient”,”c’est plus confortable” …oops, well there you go. I was speaking somebody else’s language! Gold star to me!
4. Recognise effort
Most people like their efforts to be recognised (ahem!). Acknowledging people’s efforts along their sustainability journey can help to keep them motivated when things get difficult.
5. Reduce the barriers to action
Fully understand the problem at hand and how it affects a particular community before preaching to them about it. Understand the barriers that may be preventing people from taking up more sustainable practises in their daily lives. Then develop solutions with them to suit their local needs, i.e. training, information, incentives and so on.
The experts behind this sort of thinking call it community-based social marketing. Check out Doug McKenzie-Mohr’s work in this area. McKenzie-Mohr is an environmental psychologist with a wealth of knowledge about how to work with people to bring about sustained behaviour change.
Finally … if you would like to hear me speak on this topic, click here to listen into the interview I did with Piia on ABC Northern Tasmania. I am interviewed at about 4.12pm, about ten minutes into the broadcast. As for the “Radio Star” moniker … well let’s just say that I gave it a go 😉
A bientôt!
POSTNOTE: I was thinking a lot about this topic overnight. What I have written here emphasises the role of the individual in making a difference. Now we all know that some individuals have more power than others to affect change. So in order to make sustainability truly mainstream, we need to have sustainable practices become norms, i.e. accepted behaviours. We need our leaders to step up to the challenge. Incorporate sustainability into every aspect of government and business policy and operations. Make it business as usual.
