Category: Studio news

Updates, announcements and reflections from Inwardout Studio, offering insight into our work, values and evolving design practice.

Happy New Year!

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

University of Tasmania. (2019). Ozothamnus hookerii. Key to Tasmanian Vascular Plants. Retrieved January 20, 2024, from https://www.utas.edu.au/dicotkey/dicotkey/AST/gnaph/sO_hookeri.htm

#happynewyear #happynewyear2024 #northerntasmania #tasmania #discovertasmania #design #buildingdesign #landscapedesign #sustainableliving #nativeplants #daisy #daisies #flower #flowerphotography #growyourownfood #kitchengarden #schoolgardens #schoolgarden #gardening #kidsgardening #playground

20/01/2024
$Who gives a flying fractal?$

Who gives a flying fractal?
Watching a webinar on biophilic design recently, a question popped up in my brain: “What exactly is a fractal?” Then a second question: “How is it relevant to building and landscape design?”

The first time I can remember really attaching myself to the term ‘fractal’ was when watching an episode of Coast some years ago now. I was fascinated as the presenter explained that the more closely you measure a coastline, its length increases due to this phenomenon: fractal geometry.

Seeking out a more nuanced definition of a ‘fractal’ online, I came across an organisation entirely dedicated to fractals! The Fractal Foundation’s mission is to use the beauty of fractals to inspire interest in science, math and art. This foundation says that a fractal is a never-ending pattern: “Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales. They are created by repeating a simple process over and over in an ongoing feedback loop.”

The Fractal Foundation says that the coastline phenomenon mentioned above is an example of the Koch Curve (1). The Koch Curve is made by repeatedly replacing each segment of a generator shape with a smaller copy of the generator. At each step, or iteration, the total length of the curve gets longer, eventually approaching infinity.

$Three black line drawings show the first, second, and fourth iterations of the Koch snowflake fractal, labelled n=1, n=2, and n=4, with each shape becoming increasingly detailed and jagged.$

Koch Curve construction (Image: Melikamp (CC BY-SA 3.0))

By now I am guessing you are wondering how this relates to building and landscape design? Hang in there, it is coming! Fractals are just one natural pattern used in biophilic design.

The International Living Future Institute defines biophilic design as the practice of connecting people and nature within our built environments and communities. If you do your own Google search, you will find many variations on that definition. The institute’s definition is clear and simple. However, it may be beneficial if I also elaborate on the term ‘biophilia’ here.

Edward O Wilson popularized the term in the title of his book Biophilia (1984), defining it as an instinctive bond or sense of affinity of human beings with nature, or ‘an innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes’ (p. 1). (2)

US design firm Terrapin Bright Green say that biophilia helps explain why crackling fires and crashing waves captivate us; why a garden view can enhance our creativity; why shadows and heights instill fascination and fear; and why animal companionship and strolling through a park have restorative, healing effects. (3)

Given our interest in improving health and wellbeing through the built environment, it is only natural (pardon the pun!) that we are interested in applying biophilic design elements into our work. The International Living Future Institute’s Biophilic Design Guidebook lists 6 biophilic design elements and their corresponding attributes, as categorised and explained by Stephen Kellert:
- Natural patterns and processes
- Environmental features
- Natural shapes and forms
- Light and space
- Place-based relationships
- Evolved human-nature relationships (4)
The biophilic design element I would like to discuss in more detail is natural patterns and processes, given my current interest in fractals. Fractals are only one of many attributes associated with natural patterns and processes, with others including:
- Sensory variability
- Information richness
- Age, change, and the patina of time
- Growth and efflorescence
- Central focal point
- Patterned wholes
- Bounded spaces
- Transitional spaces
- Linked series and chains
- Integration of parts to wholes
- Complementary contrasts
- Dynamic balance and tension
- Hierarchically organized ratios and scales (5)
The Fractal Foundation describes a fractal as a never ending pattern that repeats itself at different scales. This property is called “Self-Similarity” (6). So although fractals appear very complex, they are made by repeating a simple process. The Fractal Foundation tells us that in nature, fractals include branching patterns like trees, river networks, lightning bolts, blood vessels, and spiral patterns like seashells, hurricanes and galaxies. As a horticulturist, I am fascinated too by the fact that the plant kingdom is full of spirals, think spiral aloes, sunflowers, pinecones or the fiddle head of a fern, a self-similar plant that forms as a spiral of spirals of spirals.

Aloe polyphylla (spiral aloe) (Image: Sam (CC BY-SA 4.0))

Birth of a cube

Discussing fractals with my partner Ludovic, he reminded me that The Cube we designed and built for our display at Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival in late 2018 was inspired by the Menger sponge. According to Wolfram Mathworld, the Menger sponge is a fractal which is the three-dimensional analog of the Sierpiński carpet. Yes, I am almost losing myself too!

$Five white cubes are shown side by side, each with increasing levels of square-shaped holes, illustrating fractal-like progression from a solid cube to a highly perforated, intricate structure.$

5 stages in the evolution of a Menger sponge (Image: Niabot (CC BY 3.0))

You can read more about Ludovic’s design process in our blog ‘Birth of a cube’. If you are interested in seeing the cube itself, come along to the Sustainable Living Festival at the Windsor Community Precinct in Riverside, Launceston on Saturday 9 October 2021. We will be having a stand there so you can also meet us in person and find out a little more about what we do.

Our cube inspired by the Menger sponge

Until then, we hope you make the most of this beautiful weather before the worst of winter sets in.

And remember: who gives a flying fractal about integrated building and landscape design?

We do 😉

$A colourful hot air balloon with intricate blue and orange fractal patterns floats against a bright blue sky scattered with a few clouds.$

Who gives a flying fractal about integrated building and landscape design? We do! (Image: Fractal Foundation)

A bientôt!

References

(1) The Fractal Foundation 2009, Fractal Pack 1: Educators’ Guide, viewed 25 June 2021, https://fractalfoundation.org/fractivities/FractalPacks-EducatorsGuide.pdf (page 6)

(2) Oxford Reference 2021, ‘Biophilia’, viewed 28 June 2021, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095507389

(3) Terrapin Bright Green 2014, 14 Patterns of Biophilic Design: Improving health & well-being in the built environment, viewed 28 June 2021, https://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/14-patterns/

(4) International Living Future Institute 2018, Biophilic Design Guidebook, June 2018,viewed 24 June 2021, https://living-future.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/18-0605_Biophilic-Design-Guidebook.pdf (page 11)

(5) International Living Future Institute 2018, Biophilic Design Guidebook, June 2018,viewed 24 June 2021, https://living-future.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/18-0605_Biophilic-Design-Guidebook.pdf (page 11)

(6) The Fractal Foundation 2009, Fractal Pack 1: Educators’ Guide, viewed 25 June 2021, https://fractalfoundation.org/fractivities/FractalPacks-EducatorsGuide.pdf (page 3)

#buildingdesign #landscapedesign #biophilicdesign #biophilia #fractal #fractals #nature #geometry #kochcurve #mengersponge
28/06/2021
Renewing ourselves …

We have been in a process of reinvigoration recently. Find out how we are seeking to sustain our business and our planet too.

Developing ourselves professionally

Firstly, Ludovic has been quietly working behind the scenes to have his building design skills recognised here in Australia. He successfully completed the Diploma of Building Design and is now a Registered Building Designer in Tasmania. Well done Ludovic! To continue his professional development, Ludovic recently joined the Building Designers Association of Australia (BDAA). I am already a member of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (and its Tasmanian Regional Convenor) and Horticultural Media Association Australia, and I sit on the Executive Management committee of the Interior Plantscape Association.

Ludovic is now a member of the Building Designers Association of Australia

Joining like-minded organisations

Secondly, we have been looking at where we spend our earnings. We want our money to support good work. So we have joined Renew. Renew is a national, not-for-profit organisation that inspires, enables and advocates for people to live sustainably in their homes and communities. This organisation has been providing expert, independent advice on sustainable solutions for the home to households, government and industry since 1980. They used to be called the Alternative Technology Association (ATA) back in the day. However, the technologies that Renew spruik should be considered mainstream, i.e. not ‘alternative’, if we want to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and avoid dangerous climate change.

Inwardout Studio is now a member of Renew.

Renew publish two excellent publications that you really should read if you are seeking an environmentally sustainable home and lifestyle. According to Renew, Sanctuary is Australia’s only dedicated sustainable house design magazine, profiling the best in environmentally aware architectural and design solutions. Sanctuary’s tagline is ‘Modern green homes’. Renew’s Renew magazine is a great read if you are interested in making your home and lifestyle more environmentally sustainable, i.e. doing it yourself. Its byline is ‘Technology for a sustainable future’ environmentally sustainable home and lifestyle.

Switching our banking

Thirdly, we have been reassessing where we save our money. We currently bank with one of the Big Four, a hangover from my childhood when the state supported banking, i.e. it was not all privatised. I have investigated options to switch our savings and find that Bank Australia is the financial institution most closely aligned with our values, i.e. seeking to live more sustainably. Bank Australia supports projects that have meaningful positive social, environmental, economic and culture impacts; staying carbon neutral and contributing to a healthier planet. The only downside is that they are yet to have a branch in Tasmania, and most likely won’t in the near future. However, they do have excellent call centre staff based here in Australia. I like to speak with people! We will be making the change in the coming weeks.

Our superannuation is with Australian Ethical. Australian Ethical seek out and support investments that provide positive, sustainable change for society and the environment. They do not invest in industries such as tobacco, uranium, coal mining, coal seam gas (CSG), exploitation of people or old growth forest logging. They claim to be the first publicly listed company in Australia to earn B Corp certified status and donate 10% of their profits as part of their annual Community Grants program.

Want to do your own research so you can invest your money differently? Check out Responsible Returns for a start. Responsible Returns is an initiative of the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia. This initiative can help you to find responsible or ethical banking, superannuation and investment products matching your values and interests. Simply select the top themes you would like to support (positive screening), e.g. renewable energy and energy efficiency, and those issues you want to avoid (negative screening), e.g. fossil fuels. It will then ask you what kind of product you are looking for, e.g. superannuation, investment, banking. Hit ‘Search’ and you will be provided with a list of results for financial institutions fully or partially meeting your criteria. Highly recommended!

Refreshing our website

Finally, we have been working to refresh our website. So you will notice a few changes coming up! We hope that these updates will make our website easier to navigate so that you can quickly find what you need.

Anyway, I better get back to that work. So I will sign off for now.

A bientôt!

NB. We received no endorsement from any of the organisations listed in this article. We just wanted to share our story to encourage you to explore options to become part of the change required to sustain human (and other) life on this planet.

#buildingdesign #buildingdesigner #buildingdesigners #landscapedesign #landscapedesigner #garden #gardening #sustainableliving #transparency #banking #ethicalbanking #superannuation #launceston #northerntasmania #tasmania #bdaa #renew

28/05/2021
Be my Valentine!

With tomorrow being Valentine’s Day. I have been thinking about how special days like this have perhaps been taken over by consumerism.

While I do not think there is anything wrong with giving gifts to that special person in your life, I really would like to encourage people to think carefully when choosing a token of affection.

Rather than add to the planet’s increasing plastic pollution problem, why not buy your Valentine a plant?

There are many indoor plants that have beautiful heart-shaped leaves that may just do the trick, including String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii), Heart-leafed Philodendron (Philodendron cordatum), Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) plus more!

Speaking about love, I adore anthuriums. Anthurium andraeanum, or the Flamingo Flower, would make a lovely gift. It has bright-red spathes that resemble hearts. Stunning!

The Flamingo Flower (Anthurium andraeanum) is my pick this Valentine’s Day ((Image: Dryas 2013, Licensed under Creative Commons 3.0)

What’s not to like about this beautiful indoor plant, I ask you? Hint, hint … 😉

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone xxx

A bientôt!

#love #valentinesday #indoorplants #sustainableliving

13/02/2021
Looking forward to 2021

It would be an understatement to say that many people are glad to see the back of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused so much disruption to our lives. Living in Tasmania however, we have mostly been able to escape the worst impacts of this virus (fingers crossed). This means we were fortunate enough to be able to travel around this beautiful state over the festive season, whilst other people around the globe had to stay mostly indoors. A healthy dose of nature is always restorative, especially camping in the beautiful Southwest National Park (aka “The end of the earth”).

Bonne année is French for “Happy New Year” 🙂

Last week, we stayed in Cockle Creek, Australia’s southernmost point accessible by road and the start (or end) of the multi-day South Coast Track. This area is the homeland of the Lyluequonny Aboriginal people, and the location of a French expedition in 1792 and 1793 led by Bruni D’Entrecasteaux, hence the name Recherche Bay. British settlement and whaling, timber and coal industries soon followed the French. These days the area is visited by keen campers and kayakers as well as enthusiastic hikers. Well worth a visit! We came back relaxed and ready to take on the new year.

Why is nature so restorative and how can it be incorporated into building and landscape design? If you would like to know more, read my article published in the March 2020 edition of Hort Journal Australia (see below). For that article, I interviewed two well-known proponents of biophilic design, Dr Dominique Hes and Dr Jana Soderland, just before the COVID-19 pandemic took off.

Whilst contemplative about the future, we are also excited to see what opportunities this year may bring. Re-reading my article makes me think about how plants may potentially be used both indoors and outdoors to facilitate physical distancing, as well as providing all the other great benefits they already do.

Anyway, food for thought. You will be hearing more from us on these and other topics in the near future.

In the meantime, stay safe everyone.

A bientôt!

#buildingdesign #landscapedesign #horticulture #interiorplantscapes #indoorplants #biophilia #biophilicdesign #tasmania #australia #staysafeeveryone #happynewyear2021

29/01/2021
Does your room have a view?

Firstly, we would like to apologise for our online absence in recent months. Such a busy time! Ludovic spent Christmas in France with his family, fortunately returning home before the coronavirus craziness hit full steam. We then went to the mainland for a working holiday for five weeks. I presented at Greenlife Industry Australia’s Healthy Plants, Healthy People conference in Perth in early March, after which we road-tripped our way across southern Australia.

NB. For those of you who are not Australian, the mainland is that part of our country that you think of as Australia. Many of you leave out our lovely Apple Island from your maps of Australia. Don’t worry, we will forgive you … eventually!

Tasmania: AKA ‘Apple Isle’ as it produced large volumes of that fruit

We have been in self-isolation since arriving back in Tasmania a week and a half ago. I have had a lot of time for contemplation about .. well life in general, haven’t we all?

View from my window

I have also spent a lot more time than usual on Facebook. One group in particular has caught my attention: View from my window. This group has been created to connect people from all around the World during these tough times. People are encouraged to share pictures of the view from their window as they are experiencing lock-down, whether it be the rooftop of their town, overview of a park, nearby buildings, the ocean, a tiny street or even the sky. With 400,000 members (and counting), this group has obviously struck a chord with people seeking a human connection, but I also think these people are missing their nature fix. It is NOT a photographic competition. Some of the views shared make you wonder how people can live in such confined spaces with next to no greenery. Humans are truly resilient creatures!

I was inspired to share a photo of the view from my window with this group. This is essentially the space I use as a home office. I have been working from home for the most part of two years, so I am pretty accustomed to this view. However, I never take it for granted. Why?

View from my ‘home office’

Provoking a biophilic response

For a recent article on biophilic design for Hort Journal Australia, I interviewed Dr Dominique Hes from the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne School of Design who said: “We evolved in nature, so our brains are more relaxed when we are connected to nature and that is all connected to well-being. It is like the difference between how you are after a good night’s sleep compared to having an okay but not great night.”

That is what some experts call a ‘biophilic response’. I know that I am very privileged to have this view as it helps to relax and re-centre me during difficult times. That is why I don’t take it for granted.

(NB. To read my article on biophilic design, click on this link and skip to page 40)

Getting your nature fix during lock-down

One of the most common design considerations associated with biophilia is the desire to establish a strong visual connection with nature. Whilst real nature is preferred over simulated nature, biophilic design experts claim simulated nature is better than no nature. “If you cannot keep live plants, then have nice pictures or have fake plants,” Dr Hes told me. We both agreed though that real plants help to improve indoor air quality, an attribute that fake plants do not share.

So how can you add a little nature to your home?

1) Grow an indoor plant

Nurseries and garden centres are still open, although you will have to conform to physical distancing requirements in-store if you choose to visit them. And many are offering home delivery services too. You may even want to shop online and not have to leave your home.

My tip: Now is definitely the time to support your local independent nursery (and other small community owned and operated businesses too). Find a nursery that is Plant Life Balance accredited as they are super-informed on the benefits of indoor plants and can help you choose the right ones for your particular interior. Click here to find an accredited nursery near you.

The very hardy Zanzibar Gem makes an ideal indoor plant (Image: Ambius Australia)

2) Go botanical

If you don’t have enough light in your room to grow an indoor plant, don’t worry (too much!). Consider incorporating a botanical theme into the room where you spend the most time. Choose a new wallpaper, furniture coverings, prints, whatever. Get your plant fix!

My tip: I still can’t come at fake plants … maybe you could put in some dried flowers? They are not made of plastic and they can decompose in your compost later on (or someone else’s compost if you don’t have one).

This botanically-inspired wallpaper brings some nature indoors (Image: Plant Life Balance)

3) Grow a vegetable garden

Last but definitely not least! I have also been chatting with industry experts who say that the sale of vegetable seeds and seedlings has skyrocketed over the past few weeks. Not surprisingly, people hunkered down in their homes are looking for a project to keep them busy and gets them outdoors. Growing your own vegetables also helps to feed your family in an uncertain time.

My tip: Not surprisingly my advice to you once again is to visit your local nursery and ask for their help. Right now they need your support. And they have loads of experience to share with you.

We recently constructed some raised garden beds in a pest-proof enclosure for a couple living nearby (see illustration below). Stay tuned for more pics of this project coming soon.

Enclosed garden beds perfect for growing vegies in the country

If you have any questions about any of these topics, please reach out to me at gabrielle@inwardoutstudio.com or hop on over to our Facebook page and leave us a message.

A bientôt!

#biophilia #biophilicdesign #indoorplants #plants #coronavirus #staysafe #keepcalmandcarryongardening

10/04/2020
Digital plants

Today, we are happy to show you another part of what we can do at Inwardout Studio … ‘digital’ plants!

If you are an architect, interior designer or horticulturist seeking different ways to visualise your concepts, you may want to check out our new collection of ‘digital’ plants. We have started to build these 3D models for use in our visualisation.

You can view our collection online on Sketchfab or check out a few examples below.

Kokedama and Lemon Button Fern

https://cc553bc7-bdf6-4be5-91fe-23e4cbc251ef.usrfiles.com/html/2b2e4b_d767b483cae16e027c4ea8ac7906fbf4.html

Kokedama dreaming!

Kokedama with Epipremnum ‘Aureum’

https://cc553bc7-bdf6-4be5-91fe-23e4cbc251ef.usrfiles.com/html/2b2e4b_d767b483cae16e027c4ea8ac7906fbf4.html

Kokedama with Epipremnum ‘Aureum’

And of course, last but not least: Terry the Taro!

https://cc553bc7-bdf6-4be5-91fe-23e4cbc251ef.usrfiles.com/html/2b2e4b_d767b483cae16e027c4ea8ac7906fbf4.html

Feel free to contact us anytime if you have any special requests for new plants to add to our collection.

And keep looking on our Sketchfab page, as we will add one new plant there every week.

14/06/2019
Marching into a busy month!

2019 has started a little differently to what we expected! I have some new work and Ludo has been getting his creative juices flowing. We also have our hands full designing and writing. How to fit in the wonderful gardening events that occur this month in Tassie and Melbourne?

“What new work?”, you may be asking. I was recruited by University of Tasmania to its Sustainability team and Geography department. So I am working to reduce the environmental impact of the university and tutoring students (first semester only). Working to make our planet more sustainable has always been a big part of who I am, so I just could not turn down this opportunity.

“Creative juices? What is Ludo up to this time?”, I hear. Always one to be doing something different, Ludovic has been busy teaching himself Blender, a free and open source 3D creation suite. Keep an eye out for his interesting new design concepts coming soon. Let’s just say he is keeping the plants real!

We are both still busy designing gardens and I am writing horticultural articles as usual. Here a few recent ones

GARDEN DESIGNS …

We are putting together the finishing touches to a garden design for a residence in Hillwood (Tasmania), costing another residential garden project in country Victoria we designed recently, and are about to design a new front yard garden in outer suburban Melbourne. More on these projects soon.

RECENT ARTICLES …

An ‘Oasis’ is growing in the new, urban ‘High Street’

In the meantime, if you are interested in reading more about how retail shopping centres are being greened, click here to find out how one nursery man is creating the ‘garden centre’ of the future, although he would not call it that!

Inside the Gro Urban Oasis store at Warringah Mall (Image: Gro Urban Oasis)

Are you ready for robots?

Just what have robots got to do with plants? Plenty if you are a grower looking for help to meet a labour shortage or to provide crop intelligence. Want to know more? Click here to read my latest article for the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia.

The University of Sydney’s Digital Farmhand (Image: Australian Centre for Field Robotics, University of Sydney)

Green makeover for busy retail centre

If you are interested in how shopping centres are using greenery to entice shoppers, check out one of my latest articles in Hort Journal Australia: “Green makeover for busy retail centre”. Click here and then navigate your way to pp.26-27.

Read my latest article in the February edition of Hort Journal Australia (Image: Hort Journal Australia)

UPCOMING EVENTS…

Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival

The Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival is coming up on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March 2019. So we will be heading out to Selbourne to sample the goodies on offer, and will share a few photos with you afterwards.

Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show

We will be once again be heading to the mainland to take in the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show at the end of March. Affectionately known as MIFGS in the industry (well otherwise it really is a mouthful!), this event really is the go to place each year for anyone interested in gardens and gardening. MIFGS attracts both professional horticulturists and lay-people, seeking inspiration and advice. At the beautiful Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens site, you will find show gardens, floral displays, student competitions, landscape advice, hanging baskets, art, sculpture, entertainment and much, much, more. We can’t wait to check it all out and share our favourite finds with you.

So here we go! Let’s march into March!

A bientôt!

02/03/2019
Bonne année!
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
- Writing articles on indoor plants and interior plantscaping for Hort Journal Australia
- Freelance writing for the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (NGIA)
- Visiting the Tasmanian Garlic and Tomato Festival, 17 March
- Planning to attend the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, 27-31 March
- Thinking up new blog ideas!
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.

A bientôt!
17/01/2019
Spring has sprung!

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.

A bientôt!

09/11/2018
Flat chat, flat-packing

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.

A bientôt!

20/09/2018
The Container Connection

September is just rushing by! Plans for the upcoming Tamar Sustainable Living Expo are keeping me increasingly busy. However, I have made time to bring you a sneak peak behind the scenes as we prepare our display for Blooming Tasmania’s Flower and Garden Festival.

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!

A bientôt!

07/09/2018
Birth of a cube

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.

$Five cubic structures are shown in a row, each progressively more complex, with increasingly intricate square holes carved through them, illustrating the stages of a fractal called the Menger Sponge.$

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.

A bientôt,

31/08/2018
Hello Hobart!

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 😉

30/05/2018
Video did not kill this radio “star”!

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.

07/05/2018
It’s getting a little “chilli” down here

While the weather is starting to cool down here in Tasmania, things are actually heating up in the kitchen. Our Capsicum annuum ‘Ring of Fire’ may have been a late bloomer, but as the adage goes: better late than never!

The ‘Ring of Fire’ – Johnny Cash wrote a song about it. Don’t believe me? Google it 😉

The ‘Ring of Fire’ measures 70,000 ~ 85,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). The Scoville Scale measures the sensory heat or pungency of chillis. Whilst not quite up there with the Carolina Reaper (>1.5 million SHUs), this little beauty packs a punch nonetheless.

Our baby arrives home

When putting our summer garden plan together, we were a little unsure whether we would be successful in growing chillis here in Liffey. Despite our garden being at an altitude of 400m and in a cool climate growing zone, we decided to test our luck. Initially we planted the seedling into a pot and placed it on our balcony which faces almost due-north. I thought it would receive more sunlight at this elevated position. I was right. However, the poor little ‘Ring of Fire’ was at times hammered by the local winds. The consequence was that although flowers were developing, they were not being pollinated as pollen was being dispersed elsewhere.

Flowering but not setting fruit

So we moved the pot to a position in our vegetable plot sheltered from these winds by a mature Acacia melanoxyon (Blackwood). Pretty soon our little baby was producing fruit. However, the onset of fruit occurred as the heat of the short Tasmanian summer was fading. The sun was starting to dip in the sky, and that Blackwood was now shading out our precious chilli.

And so the ‘Ring of Fire’ was returned to the balcony where its fruit have been able to ripen. And they continue to ripen even though it is almost May! So far we have picked 18 chillis. There are perhaps 30-40 fruit still ripening. Not bad for one plant!

The Ring of Fire in its current position on the balcony. Note the vegetable plots in full shade to the rear

This little beauty measures eight centimetres. Pas mal!

Our chilli yield is yet to measure up to that of Regan Parkinson, another local chilli enthusiast. Parkinson grows 53 chilli plants inside a home made polytunnel in his home in Launceston, including the deadly Carolina Reaper.”They [chillies] absolutely love heat so it’s pretty important in Tassie if you want to grow chilli successfully you have a glasshouse or a polytunnel,”said Parkinson in an interview with ABC Northern Tasmania.

I am not quite sure what Parkinson would make of our attempts to grow chilli outdoors here in Liffey. If like us, you want to grow chillis and other edible plants in Tasmania, talk to a grower who specialises in cool climate varieties. We did our research and purchased this plant as a seedling from Inspirations Garden Centre in Exeter, northern Tasmania. Sadly this lovely little nursery closed its doors not long after. However, Inspirations Vegetable Seeds is now trading online. Its claim to fame is that it sources top quality, high germination vegetable seeds for cool climate regions. Perfect for Tassie!

Our chilli sunbathing

Recently I purchased some Raphanus sativus var. sativus (Black Spanish Radish) seeds through Inspirations’ online store. Now we are just awaiting a delivery of local mushroom compost to add to the plot before sowing these seeds, along with our precious garlic sourced from Jenny at Liffey Market.

And in the meantime, we are enjoying these delicious, pungent chillis in pizza, pasta, Asian-inspired dishes and with our breakfast beans. We have saved some seed too. So cross fingers, next summer we will propagate even more seedlings and increase our yield.

Souhaitez-nous bonne chance!

22/04/2018