Logo for inwardout studio in thin, rounded lowercase letters. The dots over the i and at the end of studio are green. The background is light grey.

Category: Community events and conversations

Updates from community events, stalls, talks and workshops, sharing conversations and learnings that shape our design thinking and practice.

  • Size does not matter

    Size does not matter

    Who said size matters? These days our homes are getting smaller, and not surprisingly, our gardens. So how do you do more with less?

    Visiting the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show recently,I came across some very lovely displays in the Avenue of Achievable Gardens. These gardens managed to pack quite a punch in a quite a small space (5m x 3m). So how did they do it? Let’s check out some of the tricks these horticulture and design students employed …

    1. Be crafty with construction

    I just loved “Retro Urbana” a compact, edible garden that is also very functional. Check out the red table. Being hinged, it can be stored vertically against the fence to create more space when not needed. The table is made out of an old door, so when in the vertical position, it looks like an exit from the garden … what is behind it? 😉

    A small garden with lush green plants, a red table and bench, a wooden fence, potted plants, and a charcoal barbeque. A 3rd place gardening award sign is displayed on the ground near the table.

    “Retro Urbana” by Ricky Hayward and Gayle Benchley (Image: Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show)

    2. Rethink space

    Inner-city balconies can be quite small. So how can you fit as many plants into them as possible without them getting in the way? Here, plants have been selected to suit the shadier micro-climate underneath this bench. This space would normally be under-utilised. Using it this way means more plants can help to create a more lush sense of greenery in a limited space.

    Modern outdoor patio with a floating bar counter, three wooden stools, decorative dark panels, lush green plants, and a cityscape backdrop, all set in a garden surrounded by trees.

    “The New Horizon” by Charlotte Wiltshire (Image: Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show)

    3. Elevate or lift plants

    Can’t go under it? You’ll have to go over it! In this garden, plants have been lifted onto the rooftop of these benches. This sort of structure would be well suited to displaying hanging plants.

    A circular metal trellis frames a lush, green garden with tall grasses, leafy plants, and blue cushioned seating on either side, creating a tranquil outdoor retreat.

    “Reused and Adored” by Nicole Taylor (Image: Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show)

    4. Trick the eye

    Some of you may know I have a fascination for most things French, especially the trompe-l’œil. Trompe-l’œil is a technique that uses realistic imagery to create an optical illusion that the depicted objects exist in three dimensions. It is a common feature in many gardens, big and small. Trompe-l’œil literally means “deceive the eye”. It can create the illusion that there is another garden or space beyond the one the viewer is standing in.

    A whimsical garden scene features a tea table with mismatched chairs, a teapot, and teacups. There’s a mouse figurine, a clock made of moss, a stone archway, flowering plants, and a wooden signpost with arrows.

    “Welcome to Wonderland” by Christina Dinakis

    5. Do more with less

    Minimalism may not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, sometimes a space is so small that it can be overwhelming if you try to put too much into it. Stick to a theme, limit the colours selected and include just a few pieces of quality furniture.

    A small, modern urban garden with a bistro table and two chairs, potted plants, green shrubs, and a young tree. Tall buildings are visible in the background above dark and light-coloured privacy fences.

    “Wonder Wall” by Sarah Jardine

    6. Select smaller varieties of plants you love

    Click here to read my article for the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia’s National Nursery News e-newsletter. In it, I discuss how the trend to inner-city living is creating demand for smaller plants that fit smaller gardens, i.e. balconies, courtyards, even indoors. Think dwarf varieties, compact cultivars and more.

    If you need any advice with your smaller garden design, contact us at gabrielle@inwardoutstudio.com

    A bientôt!

  • Sustainable Living Expo – We’re coming to the party! Will you?

    Sustainable Living Expo – We’re coming to the party! Will you?

    Following on from their successful Energy Expo last year, Tamar Natural Resource Management (NRM) has decided to give this year’s event a broader sustainable living theme. And guess who they have appointed to deliver it?! 🙂

    We are thrilled to be working with Tamar NRM to plan, deliver and evaluate its expanded Sustainable Living Expo. Tamar NRM’s small but dynamic team work on a range of environmental, agricultural and urban programs in the Tamar Region, all issues that we here at Inwardout Studio care deeply about.

    The 2018 Sustainable Living Expo, to be held on Saturday 6 October in Albert Hall, Launceston, will:

    • Present the benefits of sustainable building design and sustainable living,
    • Showcase sustainable living options to reduce costs and benefit the environment,
    • Demonstrate energy saving technologies and options for homes, farms and business,
    • Show the pathways when converting to sustainable energy sources, and
    • Promote local business and local knowledge.

    Interested? Mark the date in your calendar now and “like” Tamar NRM’s Facebook page to stay abreast of Expo news. We’ll be creating an Event page soon. Or drop us a line at gabrielle@inwardoutstudio.com or 0400 431 277 to find out how you can exhibit or volunteer.

    Au revoir!

    #sustainableliving #sustainablebuilding #renewableenergy #plasticbagfree

    Logo with two green leaves encircling a landscape showing brown land, blue river, and sky. The text Tamar NRM appears below the image.
  • A few of our favourite things …

    A few of our favourite things …

    “Grass trees in halls, and queens on their thrones, Hills Hoists on lawns, and an Elkhorn alone” … these were a few of our favourite things at this year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

    Ludo, Celeste and I trekked around MIFGS last Wednesday, ostensibly so I could report on what was happening in the Achievable Gardens section. I am writing an article for the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) on the trend towards more compact gardens, and what that potentially means for plant breeders. So it was only natural that I took a look at these smaller competition gardens. However, we found inspiration in many different ways …

    “Grass trees in halls” … Check out this Xanthorrhoea specimen from West Australia!

    A large blackened sculpture resembling a charred tree with green-tipped branches is displayed in an ornate hall with arched windows, painted walls, and wooden floors.

    “Queens on their thrones” … Me in my element, purveying the fine Flamingo Hotel indoor garden put together by the Biophilia Collective

    A woman sits on a wicker chair surrounded by lush green plants and foliage-themed wallpaper. She is smiling, wearing a blue top and black trousers, in a room with a chequered floor and natural, tropical decor.

    “Hills Hoists on lawns” … the very functional, yet highly pleasing “Australian Case Study Garden” put together by Eckersley Garden Architecture and Australian House & Garden.

    A lush back garden with various plants and flowers, a brick path, a rotary washing line, and a wooden structure. Two trophies are displayed on a low brick wall in the foreground under a sunny blue sky.

    “And an Elkhorn alone” … Robbie Lucas from Holmesglen Institure of TAFE found a lovely way to display this Platycerium bifurcatum in his “Life Outdoors” display in the Achievable Gardens competition.

    A mounted staghorn fern in a black frame hangs on an orange patterned wall, with sunlight casting shadows. Green trailing vines hang to the left.

    There was so much more to see! Check out some of our favourite MIFGS “things” below!

    A gorgeous Guzmania in the Flamingo Hotel

    Close-up of a pink star-shaped bromeliad flower with pointed petals and green leaves, displayed in a white pot indoors.

    The Collectors’ Corner definitely caught our eye with this Tillandsia “tree”!

    A lush indoor display features a tall tree draped with moss, surrounded by vibrant green plants and large, upright geode-like purple crystals, with a shimmering blue and silver backdrop.

    A different perspective on the Cubby House Challenge

    Colourful butterflies, both blue and orange, appear to fly along the curved, layered wooden surface of an abstract installation, creating a dynamic and whimsical scene.

    Heads Up! A modern take on the cubbyhouse tradition. By the Buildher Collective, Beirin Projects and Bellemo & Cat. And one of Ludo’s show favourites.

    A large blue sculpture of a human head composed of stacked horizontal layers stands outdoors on grass, with trees and people visible in the background.

    Celeste and friends at Emmaline Bowman’s “Living Garden”.

    A smiling child with short brown hair stands outdoors, with a colourful rainbow lorikeet perched on their shoulder. An adult and trees are in the background, and the sky is bright and clear.

    ‘Dream to Conquer, Conquer to Dream’ by Michelle Simnett

    Wire sculpture of a seated human figure with flowing hair, positioned on the edge of a brown rectangular structure outdoors, surrounded by trees and greenery.

    ‘Antediluvian’ by Gavin Roberts

    L’orbe Du Plantes by David Figliuolo

    Nepenthes in ‘Brazztralia’

    Texture and tone … I usually don’t have much time for Phormium tenax. However, here its vertical strappy nature goes well with the corrugated fence.

    Guess whose favourite this was?

    I really liked the way that Charlotte Wiltshire found a way to increase the number of plants on this ‘balcony’. Growing shade-tolerant species under the bench adds a lushness in otherwise under-utilised space. Well done!

    Seam Lam’s naturalistic plantings, seemingly inspired by Piet Oudulf (think High Line in New York), were beautiful. Here Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’, Echinacea purpurea and Perovskia atriplicifolia delight the eye. However …

    I just thought Seam placed her bird-bath in a very awkward position on an extremely narrow path.Yes, I am a mum! All I could think of was bruised heads as tiny tackers took the corner too quickly. The Achievable Gardens are small. But that is the point, make the garden work within its contstraints.

    And finally, here we are all together at the Plant Life Balance display where Celeste got the opportunity to create her own “indoor” garden.

    I hope you have enjoyed these photos and have been inspired.

    Joyeuses Pâques!