Stars of the show

Local lovelies
For Millie Ross, the heartening development at MIFGS 2024 was the prominence of Australian natives. “When I first started coming to the Show, it was rare to see native plants in the show gardens, but increasingly, they are used in so many of the designs,” says Millie. “This year, some of the standout gardens are purely native, but Australian plants feature alongside exotic species in many of the displays.” A highlight for Millie was the ‘SaltBush’ garden (below), a collaboration between Phillip Withers and Fiona Brockhoff depicting the transition from coastal to bushland vegetation with naturalistic plantings combined with a pool and seating area. “We’re in this beautiful time where we’re creating inviting gardens you want to spend time in, not just look at, using plants we can connect to. There are so many Aussie plants we haven’t grown yet in gardens, and there’s so much experimentation to come – it’s an exciting time.”

Chilli weather
“I love edible gardens,” says Jane Edmanson, who was drawn to ‘Urban Harvest’, a 5m x 4m Achievable Gardens display, designed by Justin Rhodes from Melbourne Polytechnic. “Just because you have a small courtyard or patio space, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a thriving productive garden,” says Jane. “And this kind of design is something lots of people could create for themselves. It’s small, but it still has a sense of journey about it.” Justin designed it as a multi-level space, featuring a central seating area infused with plants. The rear beds contained olives, apples, lemons, bay trees, rainbow silverbeet and eggplants, while modular corten steel containers were brimming with tomatoes, sweet potatoes, lavender, chillies, nasturtiums and nine varieties of herbs, including purple basil. The edibles were planted so the foliage would cascade like a waterfall. “I love the chillies – I grow lots of them myself!” says Jane. “I can imagine myself sitting in a space like this, grabbing a moment in the sun or grabbing a handful of herbs for cooking.”

Overarching issues
Tammy Huynh is a passionate advocate for increased greenery in urban design. It was no surprise, then, that she gravitated towards this boutique garden, ‘Breath of Fresh Air’, by Paul Alexander of Paul Alexander Landscape. Designed to highlight the importance of plant life in our densely built cities, it featured arched structures made from laser-cut aluminium – representing architectural forms – which became frames and windows for the plants to grow in and around. “I love the message of this garden – that it’s easy to bring greenery into architectural spaces,” says Tammy. “The arches are a bit cathedral-like, and I love the soft textures of the plants contrasted against the hard structures. The great thing is that the elements aren’t fighting each other – they complement each other. Everyone benefits if we bring greenery into our built forms.”

For more ideas, inspiration and plant info from the show, get the June issue of ABC Gardening Australia magazine – out now!

Photos by Simon Griffiths