THE BEST
PLANTING FOR YEAR-ROUND BEAUTY
HEALTHY SOIL, BETTER GARDENS
INSIDE VICTORIA’S BEST LANDSCAPES
BUILDING A NEW HOME? DON’T FORGET YOUR GARDEN
BOUTIQUE GARDENS
Our Cover: Peninsula Project, by COS Designs, winner of the Landscape of the Year award at the 2025 Victorian Landscape Industry Awards.
THE BEST
Publisher: Landscaping Victoria
Editor: Lauren Bianchi
Contributing Editor: Ritchie Hinton
Writers/Contributors: Lee-Ann Officer, Ritchie Hinton, Supreme Green New Home Landscaping, Rob Mihailescu, Lauren Bianchi, Warners Nurseries, Greg Carrick.
Art Director: Lauren Bianchi
Photography: Images are sourced from our Members, from commercial use stock libraries, or are AI generated, unless otherwise stated. COS Design project photography by Erik Holt.
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The Best is published once a year. It is your ultimate guide to inspired outdoor living, showcasing the finest in landscaping, design trends, and expert advice to help homeowners create beautiful, functional, and sustainable outdoor spaces.
© 2026 The Best. All Rights Reserved. The content in this publication is for general information only and not intended as specific advice. Readers should seek professional advice before acting on any material. While all efforts are made to ensure accuracy, The Best and Landscaping Victoria assume no responsibility for errors or omissions.
From the President
Planting for Seasonal Diversity Lee-Ann
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Add to Cart: Product Ideas for your Garden
Autumn
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Talk to us about
WELCOME
TO 2026
Every great outdoor space begins with a vision; a place to relax, connect and bring your dream garden to life. In this edition of The Best , you’ll discover expert guidance, fresh inspiration and practical ideas to help you shape a landscape that reflects your lifestyle in every season.
MATHEW WANDMAKER
Welcome to the 2026 edition of
This year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden celebrates the vibrant theme Kaleidoscope ; a fitting reminder that great landscapes are layered, dynamic and ever-evolving.
Like the shifting colours of a kaleidoscope, our gardens transform with the seasons, reflecting light, texture and life in new ways throughout the year.
Across the state, Landscaping Victoria’s members continue to shape outdoor spaces with
FROM THE CEO
CELEBRATING LANDSCAPING
RITCHIE HINTON
creativity, skill and care.
Whether your vision is a tranquil retreat, a sustainable native haven or a refined space for entertaining, our members bring the expertise and craftsmanship required to deliver landscapes that endure.
Designing and building exceptional gardens requires experience and precision. While the industry continues to navigate evolving costs and strong demand for skilled professionals, the commitment to quality remains unwavering.
Investment in thoughtful design and professional delivery
Welcome to the 2026 edition of The Best , where creativity, craftsmanship and nature shape the landscapes we live in and love.
This year, the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show’s Kaleidoscope reflects the diversity, colour and innovation flourishing across Victoria’s landscaping industry.
From bold show gardens to the imaginative Boutique Gardens , the Show continues to inspire fresh thinking about what’s possible in your own outdoor space.
A thoughtfully designed garden enriches daily life, creating room to unwind, entertain and reconnect with nature. Whether your vision is a native landscape, architectural courtyard or family-friendly retreat, this issue offers inspiration
ensures your landscape performs beautifully, not only today, but for years to come.
Within these pages, you’ll find inspiration from award-winning projects, practical advice from trusted experts, and ideas to help you reimagine what’s possible in your own outdoor space.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the very best of Victoria’s landscaping industry.
We hope this edition sparks new ideas and encourages you to bring your own landscape vision to life.
to help you take the next step.
When it’s time to build, partnering with a Landscaping Victoria member provides confidence; skilled professionals committed to quality workmanship and lasting results.
For those considering a future in landscaping, our industry offers a dynamic and rewarding career grounded in creativity and technical expertise.
To learn more, search “Landscaping Victoria” to discover the professionals shaping Victoria’s most inspiring outdoor spaces.
TUNE INTO SEASONAL DIVERSITY
A truly beautiful garden doesn’t peak for just one season; it evolves. With thoughtful species selection and layered diversity, your landscape can deliver year-round colour, structure and resilience, even as Melbourne’s weather keeps us guessing. The result is a garden that feels alive, adaptable and enduring in every month of the year.
Magnolia ‘Teddy Bear’ TM
Planting for diversity is about far more than selecting climate-ready species. It’s about creating a garden that offers year-round interest, layering trees and plants for structure, colour, height, texture and seasonal change.
In an ideal world, where weather behaves as expected, this is a straightforward task. But with increasingly variable temperatures within seasons in Victoria, planting has become more challenging.
I have a beautiful mature 5–6 metre Crab Apple (Malus ioensis ‘Plena’) at home, and last spring it simply didn’t flower. Normally, it’s unforgettable; masses of soft pink blooms buzzing with bees and alive with birds, petals carpeting the ground below. But last year? Nothing.
It’s no surprise horticulturists are fielding more enquiries from puzzled gardeners wondering why their trees aren’t performing “on schedule”.
Traditional season markers, December to February for summer, June to August for winter, feel increasingly out of sync with actual weather patterns. In Melbourne, we joke about experiencing four seasons in one day, but what does that mean for thoughtful, resilient planting?
Now more than ever, we need to select trees and plants that offer both visual impact and tolerance to sudden temperature shifts.
Many of the trees we grow in our nursery are selected for their resilience. While research suggests certain species are better suited to cope with temperatures up to 1.5 degrees warmer, that doesn’t mean we abandon beloved varieties that aren’t on those lists.
As advocates for horticulturally rich green spaces, we know that in many situations, drought-sensitive Birch or heat-sensitive Japanese Maples can thrive beautifully. Microclimates exist, and can even be created, allowing for diverse planting well beyond traditional Eucalypts.
Your home itself creates a microclimate, influenced by building materials, orientation and surrounding vegetation.
For example, Japanese Maples should be planted with protection from harsh northern or western sun, often thriving best on the eastern side of a building. The key is thoughtful placement and informed selection.
Our advice? Apply critical thinking to the plants you love and seek guidance on where and how they’ll perform best.
A Balanced Planting Guide
As a rule of thumb, avoid planting a garden dominated by a single species. A mix of evergreen, native, and deciduous trees creates a healthier microclimate, improves resilience and delivers colour and interest throughout the year.
Consider a balanced approach such as:
• 3 × Indigenous natives
• 3 × Broader Australian natives
4 × Deciduous or exotic feature trees
Your local council can advise on indigenous species suitable for your area, while specialist nurseries can guide you towards broader native selections with greater heat tolerance.
From there, add feature trees that reflect your personal style, selecting trees with varying heights, forms, and foliage to shape your unique garden aesthetic.
By diversifying species, you reduce pest vulnerability, improve climate resilience and create a landscape that evolves beautifully across the seasons.
Practical Steps for Success
• Prioritise autumn planting to give trees time to establish.
• Improve the soil before planting.
• Avoid placing heat-sensitive species in full sun.
• Don’t rely on historical rainfall patterns.
• Mulch generously; it is now essential, not optional.
• Water deeply, and extend irrigation beyond the root ball as trees mature.
Melbourne’s changing seasons mean trees are experiencing greater stress.
As growers, we are continually improving plant quality and resilience.
As gardeners, smarter selection and establishment practices will ensure our landscapes remain vibrant, diverse and enduring.
Thoughtful diversity today will shape healthier, more resilient gardens for tomorrow.
For expert advice on landscaping trees and screening plants, visit: specialitytrees.com.au
Banksia integrifolia
Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Luscious’® PBR
GREAT GARDENS START WITH HEALTHY SOIL
Before a single plant is placed, the real work begins beneath the surface.
For Rob Mihailescu of The Cutting Hedge Landscaping and Garden Design , soil health is the cornerstone of lasting landscapes. His deep knowledge and passion for the ground beneath our feet have shaped countless successful gardens across Victoria.
Years of hands-on experience have shown him that plant performance, resilience, and longevity are all determined by the quality of the soil below. In this piece, he explains why strong foundations create thriving outdoor spaces.
Plant performance, resilience and longevity are all determined by the quality of the soil below.
ROB MIHAILESCU
Preparation Sets the Standard
Soil plays a pivotal role in every landscape, and it’s one area where shortcuts simply don’t pay off.
It directly affects how well your plants perform and how successfully your garden establishes over time.
It begins with careful preparation and excavation of your designated garden zone. Ensuring the correct depth is critical so new plants can establish fully within nutrient-enriched soil.
For example, if planting from a 20cm pot, allow approximately 30cm of prepared soil depth so the entire root ball integrates seamlessly into its new environment.
If only half the root ball is placed into fresh soil while the remainder sits in depleted ground, plant performance will suffer.
This “band-aid” approach often leads to unnecessary stress, leaving plants vulnerable to pests and disease.
Think Like a Plant
Before planting, pause and consider what you expect your chosen plants to achieve. Then imagine being that plant, experiencing the microclimate of its new position.
Hydrangeas, for instance, flourish in protected, shaded areas. In exposed or unsuitable conditions, they will struggle. Understanding microclimate, soil depth and nutrient content is essential to long-term success.
time nurturing
for our gardens. To honour that effort, plants need more than simply being placed into tired soil.
Feeding for Function
Different plants have different root and nutrient requirements.
Flowering, fruiting, and fragrant varieties are often heavy feeders, requiring rich soil abundant in humus and organic matter.
Turf, on the other hand, performs best in a specialised turf blend designed to support dense, fibrous root systems.
Before you begin, it’s wise to understand your existing soil type; whether sandy, clay-based, silty or loam, your soil type will influence how you prepare and improve it.
Protect and Preserve
Mulching is essential; don’t think of it as simply a decorative finish.
A generous layer of quality mulch helps regulate soil temperature, suppress weeds and retain vital moisture during warmer months.
It also protects roots from sudden temperature fluctuations, creating a more stable growing environment. As mulch breaks down, it contributes organic matter back into the soil,
gradually improving structure and nutrient availability. Applied correctly, avoiding direct contact with plant stems and trunks, mulch becomes one of the simplest yet most powerful tools in maintaining long-term soil health.
When soil is thoughtfully prepared and protected, plants establish faster, grow stronger, and require fewer interventions over time.
The Foundation for the Future
Healthy gardens are never accidental. They are the result of preparation, understanding and respect for the living system beneath our feet.
By investing in proper excavation, selecting the right soil blends, considering microclimates, and committing to ongoing care through mulching and nourishment, you give your plants the best possible start. The reward is a landscape that performs season after season; resilient, vibrant, and built to last.
Because when the foundation is right, everything above it flourishes.
Plant growers invest significant
healthy specimens ready
COS DESIGN | PENINSULA PROJECT
2025 VICTORIAN LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY AWARDS
CELEBRATING VICTORIA’S BEST LANDSCAPES
Every year, the Victorian Landscape Industry Awards, presented by Landscaping Victoria, celebrate the projects that redefine what’s possible in our outdoor spaces. From intimate courtyard sanctuaries to expansive public landscapes, these award-winning gardens represent the very best in design vision, technical expertise, and enduring craftsmanship.
Behind every winning project is a team of skilled professionals who understand how to balance beauty with function, shaping landscapes that not only look extraordinary on opening day, but continue to thrive
for years to come. These are gardens designed with intention, built with precision, and grounded in deep horticultural knowledge.
For homeowners, this level of excellence translates into something powerful: confidence. Confidence that your investment is thoughtfully planned. Confidence that materials are carefully considered. Confidence that your garden will perform as beautifully as it looks.
The projects featured here represent the pinnacle of Victoria’s landscaping talent; they are proof of what’s achievable when creativity meets
experience. Whether your dream is a layered native garden, a refined architectural courtyard, or a relaxed coastal escape, the right professional makes all the difference.
To begin your own landscape journey, explore Landscaping Victoria’s online Find a Professional search tool, and connect with the trusted experts shaping Victoria’s most inspiring outdoor spaces.
BOTANIC HORTICULTURE | MALVERN EAST PROJECT
PHILLIP WITHERS LANDSCAPE DESIGN | EAST GEELONG PROJECT WINNER LANDSCAPE DESIGN UP TO 250M2
OCEAN ROAD LANDSCAPING | FAIRHAVEN PROJECT
IN
PETER CHRISTOPHER GARDENS | HAWTHORN PROJECT
WINNER
EMERGING TALENT - NIC VAN DIEMEN AWARD
OCEAN ROAD LANDSCAPING | WARRNAMBOOL PROJECT
WINNER
CREATIVE NON-BUILT LANDSCAPE DESIGN
2025 VICTORIAN LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY AWARDS
When inspiration turns into action, Landscaping Victoria makes the next step simple.
LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION $100,000-$300,000 including our awards winners, review your brief before responding, creating an efficient pathway to partnering with a landscaper who’s ready to deliver.
Submit your project details and plans on the LV website, and members,
Submit your project through the Landscaping Victoria website and connect with professionals ready to turn your plans into reality. To submit your project visit: landscapingvictoria.com.au/submit-a-project
“
...a showcase of beauty, innovation, and engineering skill in perfect balance.
”
2025 VICTORIAN LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY AWARDS
LANDSCAPE OF THE YEAR
Some landscapes do more than look beautiful; they transform the way you live outdoors.
COS Design’s Peninsula Project, named 2025 Landscape of the Year, is a refined coastal sanctuary where architecture, water, and planting come together with clarity and purpose.
From the moment you arrive, the design reveals its intention.
A sculptural pool anchors the space, its wet edge extending toward the horizon and establishing a strong visual focal point. Surrounding alfresco areas, sun decks, and layered planting zones are carefully arranged to create defined spaces for entertaining, relaxing, and everyday living.
Rather than relying on dramatic gestures, the project succeeds through balance.
Materials are selected for durability in coastal conditions, planting softens
structural forms, and transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces feel seamless.
What elevates this landscape is the precision behind it.
Every curve, level change and sightline reflects careful planning and coordination. Steve Taylor and the COS Design team worked closely with project partners to ensure the final result performs as beautifully as it appears.
The outcome is a timeless, highly functional garden designed for real life. A space that supports family gatherings, quiet retreat, and longterm resilience.
It’s proof that exceptional landscapes are built on thoughtful design, technical expertise, and a commitment to quality from the ground up.
Whether you’re planning a coastal garden or reimagining a suburban backyard, the Peninsula Project stands as
inspiration in how landscapes can:
• Use key focal elements, like a pool or water feature to anchor views and define purpose.
• Shape transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces for seamless living.
Respond to climate and context with materials and planting appropriate to the site.
Balance form and function so beauty enhances lifestyle, not just aesthetics.
To learn more about COS Design visit: cosdesign.com.au
Images: Erik Holt
2025 VICTORIAN LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY AWARDS
GROWING THE FUTURE
Landscaping is an industry built on skill, passion, and dedication, and the Apprentices of the Year represent the very best of the next generation.
At the 2025 Victorian Landscape Industry Awards, two remarkable emerging professionals were recognised for their outstanding contribution to the craft. Their achievements reflect not only excellence in trade, but a commitment to growth, precision and the future of landscaping in Victoria.
Will Hetherington
Building the Landscapes of Tomorrow
In the dynamic environment of landscape construction, Will Hetherington has stood out for his technical ability, precision, and initiative.
With Nature’s Best Landscapes, he has demonstrated confidence and control across site set-outs, machinery operation, and complex tasks, consistently delivering work of a high standard.
Judges were impressed by Will’s clarity of vision, leadership potential, and depth of practical knowledge; an exciting indication of his strong future within the industry.
Mathew Arthy
Cultivating Excellence in Horticulture
Mathew Arthy’s entry into horticulture is defined by professionalism, focus, and genuine enthusiasm for the natural world.
At Botanic Horticulture, he has quickly become a trusted and capable apprentice, respected by colleagues and clients for his reliability, attention to detail, and consistently high standards.
Judges praised Mathew’s calm determination, strong technical knowledge, and mature approach to his trade; qualities that signal a bright future and emerging leadership in landscape horticulture.
Shaping What Comes Next
These apprentices are tomorrow’s leaders; the future business owners and industry voices shaping how our outdoor spaces are designed and built. Recognising and supporting their development helps safeguard the professionalism and quality homeowners value. Celebrating their achievements today ensures the landscapes of tomorrow are in skilled, capable hands.
Scan this QR code for information on how to become a landscaping apprentice.
Sangeeta Alex from Apprenticeships Victoria, award category sponsor, with Mathew Arthy.
Mathew Arthy from Botanic Horticultre.
ADD TO CART
The right detail can change everything. Here we highlight standout products from trusted Landscaping Victoria Members. Curated solutions that add structure, artistry and atmosphere to your outdoor space. Happy shopping!
Click Connect
ClickConnect™ by Straightcurve gives your garden clean, longlasting edges for lawns, paths and planting areas, crafted from durable weathering steel that ages naturally and requires little to no maintenance.
Straightcurve straightcurve.com/au/
Tricycle
Size approx. 1000mm H
Aluminium
Black Matt Textured powder coated finish
Suitable for both indoor and outdoor
$8470
Lump Sculpture Studio lump.com.au
Linear Neon Side Flex COB
New Neon Side Flex COB linear lighting solution in a contemporary black casing for seamless project integration features Chip-on-Board technology to deliver a smooth, flexible, and uniform ribbon of light. Stockists Australia wide and in New Zealand.
Gardens At Night www.gan.com.au
Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’
Deciduous tree with unique heart-shaped leaves, turning from rich purple in spring to green in summer, then red/apricot/gold in autumn. Grows to 5m tall x 5m wide
Speciality Trees www.specialitytrees.com.au
BOUTIQUE GARDENS
Step into a world where big dreams flourish in small spaces.
The Boutique Garden Competition at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is where landscape design meets artistry, showcasing the creativity of both emerging and established designers in a challenge that redefines what’s possible in a five metre by five metre space.
Presented by Landscaping Victoria, this competition has become a must-see feature of the show, offering a glimpse into the future of garden design. Each boutique garden tells a unique story; some tranquil, some bold, all beautifully crafted, designed to spark fresh ideas for your own outdoor space. Whether you’re dreaming of a backyard sanctuary or just love great design, these gardens capture the very essence of modern Australian living.
Proudly supported by Gardens By Night and Stilla timber studios and garden sheds.
Read on to find out more about this year’s entrants and their garden vision. Then wander through the Boutique Gardens to see each design come to life.
SITE: B01A
2026 BOUTIQUE GARDENS
RE-LEARN, RE-GROW
Gardens can hold memory. They reveal what lies beneath; not just soil, but stories.
Re-Learn, Re-Grow by Olivera Garden Designs explores the Victorian Volcanic Plains and our shifting relationship with land. Rising from left to right, the garden moves through time, its structural layers reflecting Aboriginal pre-colonial care, colonial disruption, and a presentday reawakening.
At the lower level, indigenous planting speaks to stewardship and thriving biodiversity. The mid-level acknowledges clearing, grazing and compaction, a period of erosion when land was treated as resource. At the upper level, built forms reference contemporary life, yet indigenous species return as a renewed commitment to habitat and connection to place.
At its heart stands a River Red Gum stump, its roots stretching across these layers of time. Though the original tree has fallen, life continues: fungi form new soil from decay, and a juvenile tree emerges from ancient roots, a quiet symbol of regeneration.
Through growth, loss and renewal, Re-Learn, Re-Grow becomes an invitation to reflect on how we engage with the land today, and how thoughtful design can help restore balance for the future.
SITE: B01B
LONGEVITY
Some gardens are designed to impress. Others are designed to sustain.
Longevity by Luxescape Design explores how a compact outdoor space can support a longer, healthier life through simple daily rituals. This compact garden becomes a sanctuary for slowing down, where movement, nourishment and restoration are seamlessly woven into the landscape.
A wellness-driven planting palette engages the senses. Lemongrass, white sage and lavender scent the air, while blueberries, finger limes, grapevine, and a carefully espaliered ‘Gala’ apple provide seasonal harvest.
Silver-toned Astelia and cascading Casuarina ‘Cousin It’ introduce texture and movement, creeping thyme and native violet soften the ground plane, and a graceful ginkgo offers cooling shade and quiet permanence.
Beneath a slim louvred canopy, a warm deck invites breathwork, stretching, and moments of pause. Tempo steps encourage balance and gentle circulation, turning movement into mindful practice. Every element feels purposeful, yet effortless.
Longevity proves that wellbeing doesn’t depend on scale, it begins with intention and a landscape designed to support you every day.
RE-LEARN, RE-GROW
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Olivera Garden Designs Alannah Easton olivera.com.au +61 461 484 126
BOUTIQUE GARDEN SITE B01A
SITE: B01C
WHITE
2026 BOUTIQUE GARDENS
Elegance doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes, it unfolds quietly through balance, proportion, and light.
White by Centred Landscapes is a study in restraint, precision, and warmth, where a refined white palette becomes the foundation for texture and atmosphere. Designed and constructed by the Mornington Peninsula–based studio led by Paul and Lockie, the garden reflects their belief that outdoor spaces should feel like natural extensions of the home.
Circular forms move gently through the design, creating continuity and calm. Large-format concrete and limestone steppers arc across the space, leading to a curved seating zone that anchors the garden. A plunge pool clad in limestone crazy paving continues the motif, offering a quiet place to retreat, while a sculptural pizza oven becomes the social heart of the space.
Layered planting softens the architectural lines, introducing sculptural shapes, subtle movement and edible elements without disturbing the palette. The result is neither stark nor cold, but textured and inviting, a garden where simplicity reveals depth and thoughtful restraint feels timeless.
SITE: B01E
REVERIE
There’s a quiet moment just before you exhale. The world slows. Your senses sharpen.
Reverie by Timeless Outdoors captures that feeling. Conceived as a contemplative retreat, the garden explores materiality, movement, and mood, drawing visitors’ immagination into a space designed for calm curiosity and gentle escape.
Based in Daylesford, the studio founded by Aaron Leslie and Kelsey Johns is known for crafting enduring landscapes grounded in regional sensitivity and practical expertise, and here, that philosophy is distilled with clarity.
Material experimentation sits at the heart of the design. Repurposed slate roof tiles form a textured walling element, introducing depth and sustainability in equal measure. Circular forms guide the layout, with a central spa anchoring the space and drawing the eye outward to a surrounding band of lush lawn that creates rhythm and contrast.
Floating elements introduce lightness and artistic expression, softening structure with subtle movement. Conceived as a modern watering hole, Reverie becomes a sanctuary for reflection, a place where water, texture and planting work together to encourage stillness, imagination and restoration.
Coastal
BOUTIQUE GARDEN SITE
B01E
SITE: B01F
2026 BOUTIQUE GARDENS
NATIVE WHISPERS
There’s a softness to Native Whispers, a sense that the garden is breathing gently around you.
Designed and constructed by Rubira by Design, this immersive space celebrates the meeting of nostalgia and nature. Landscape designer Emily draws on her deep respect for the natural world, creating a garden that feels both romantically layered and ecologically purposeful.
Grounded in native planting and inspired by cottage-core charm, the design places pollinators at its heart. Flowing drifts of native grasses mingle with sculptural shrubs and upright perennials, creating movement, texture and seasonal variation. Every plant serves a dual role, enhancing the garden’s beauty while strengthening biodiversity and resilience.
A handcrafted greenhouse built from recycled materials becomes a practical yet poetic focal point, while a low flagstone bubbling water feature threads sound through the space, offering refreshment for birds and insects and inviting moments of pause.
2025
BOUTIQUE GARDENS
Each year, the Boutique Gardens Competition at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show transforms a compact footprint into a canvas for bold ideas, layered storytelling, and immersive design.
The 2025 competition was no exception, delivering a compelling collection of gardens that invited visitors to slow down, reflect, and reimagine their connection to the natural world.
Across the show, themes of restoration, wellbeing, and environmental responsibility emerged with clarity and creativity. From contemplative sanctuaries to visionary explorations of land and ecology, each entry demonstrated how powerful design can be within even the smallest of spaces.
Ultimately, Re-Set by Earthcore Landscapes claimed the Gold Medal, offering a calming antidote to the pace of modern life and reminding us of the restorative power of considered landscape design.
Each finalist brought a distinct perspective, united by craftsmanship, innovation and a deep respect for place. Together, these gardens were more than temporary installations; they were reflections of an industry continually evolving in artistry and intent.
Congratulations to all entrants for creating spaces that captivated visitors and left a lasting impression long after the show doors closed.
Re-Set
The New Nature
Room to Breathe
2025 BOUTIQUE GARDENS
FIRST PLACE
RE-SET
Re-Set offered an antidote to the chaos of modern life, and earned a Gold Medal in the process.
Designed by Earthcore Landscapes, this garden became a sanctuary. A space where nature quieted the noise and invited visitors to pause.
With minimal sensory input and a calming, grounding atmosphere, Re-Set created a moment of stillness in a world that so rarely slows down.
Rooted in the landscapes of the Yarra Valley, Earthcore Landscapes is a family-run company dedicated to crafting outdoor spaces that feel deeply personal; gardens that resonate on an instinctive level.
Connection remains at the heart of their work: connection with the environment, with clients, and with the quiet beauty of the natural spaces.
At the 2025 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, Re-Set invited visitors; human and non-human alike to step away from the rush, take a breath, and rediscover the restorative power of a landscape designed for pause.
Design & Construction: Earthcore Landscapes
2025 BOUTIQUE GARDENS
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE
The Boutique Gardens Competition is a testament to the artistry and innovation shaping the landscaping industry.
While Re-Set claimed first place, four other exceptional gardens left a lasting impression, each telling its own unique story.
Second Place: Room to Breathe
Design: Lone Pine Landscapes
Construction: Lone Pine Landscapes
Some gardens are simply spaces to admire. Others pull you in, connect, and restore, and Room to Breathe did exactly that.
Rooted in the idea that humans have an innate, biological need to connect with nature, this garden explored how the built and natural worlds can not only coexist, but elevate one another. Plants spilled into structures, hardscapes dissolved into greenery, and the result was a space that felt both grounding and expansive.
Third Place: The New Nature
Design: Carla Perry, Michael Rochelle & Alistair Kirkpatrick
Construction: Innerbloom Landscapes
Rather than mourning what’s been lost, The New Nature asked us to see the potential in every space, to embrace a world where people and plants collaborate for a sustainable future.
Michael’s design practice centres on creating gardens that are both attainable and environmentally responsible, while Carla’s expertise in softscaping ensured a seamless balance between beauty and function. Together, they offered a vision that redefined our relationship with nature; one where we step back, pay attention, and let plants lead the way.
The Breakup Garden | Kaz Krasovskis Landscape Design | Bryscapes Construction Gardens tell stories, but few felt as personal as The Breakup Garden. Embracing change, creativity, and the beauty of imbalance, this design challenged the idea that landscapes must be neat or predictable.
Created during a period of personal transformation and influenced by Kaz’s time in Europe’s Great Dixter and Hermannshof, it blended Australian natives with Asian species in a progressive fusion of texture and tone.
Timeless Repose | Timeless Outdoors | Latham Landscapes
Timeless Repose invited visitors to sink in, exhale, and stay a while. Designed by Aaron Leslie and Kelsey Johns of Timeless Outdoors, the garden balanced rugged Melbourne bluestone with the refined elegance of English tradition, creating a space that felt both classic and contemporary.
Structured yet serene, the design celebrated natural materials, authenticity, and seamless flow. More than a garden to admire, this was a place to experience; a setting designed for lingering, connection and unhurried moments outdoors.
A new online experience is on the horizon for our valued Arborgreen customers.
THE GARDEN EFFECT
Spending time in the garden offers more than beauty. It creates space to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the natural world. Whether you’re planting, pruning or simply enjoying the view, gardens have a remarkable way of restoring both body and mind.
LANDSCAPING VICTORIA
Step into a garden and something shifts.
The air feels different, your shoulders relax, and the pace of the day seems to slow. Whether you’re planting herbs, trimming a hedge, or simply enjoying a morning coffee surrounded by greenery, time spent in the garden has a remarkable ability to restore both body and mind.
Science increasingly backs up what gardeners have long known: being around plants and nature has measurable benefits for our health.
Gardens encourage movement, reduce stress, and help us reconnect with the rhythms of the natural world, something many of us crave after long hours indoors and in front of screens.
A Natural Stress Reliever
Spending time outdoors can significantly reduce stress levels. Studies show that even brief periods in green spaces can lower cortisol (the hormone associated with stress) while improving mood and mental clarity.
Gardening adds another layer to this benefit. The simple, hands-on act of planting, watering, or tending to plants provides a mindful break from the demands of daily life. Many people describe it as a form of gentle meditation; a chance to slow down, focus on small tasks and reconnect with the present moment.
Gentle Movement, Everyday Exercise
Unlike structured workouts, gardening encourages natural movement. Digging, pruning, planting and carrying pots all engage the body in ways that improve flexibility, strength, and balance.
Even lighter activities such as pottering around the garden or tending to a few containers can keep you active while providing fresh air and sunshine, both important contributors to overall wellbeing.
A Space to Gather and Connect
Gardens are also places where people come together.
A thoughtfully designed outdoor space becomes an extension of the home; somewhere to share meals, celebrate milestones, or simply unwind with family and friends. These moments of connection are vital for emotional wellbeing, creating memories that are often rooted in the spaces we share outdoors.
A Garden Designed for Living
Creating a garden that truly supports your lifestyle doesn’t happen by accident. Thoughtful planning, the right plants, and quality materials all play a role in shaping a space that will flourish over time.
This is where professional landscapers, designers, and horticultural experts can make a real difference. Their experience helps transform ideas into practical, sustainable landscapes, ensuring the garden not only looks beautiful but functions well for the way you live.
By working with experienced professionals and choosing quality plants and materials, homeowners
can avoid common pitfalls and create outdoor spaces that thrive for years to come.
Investing in Your Well-being
A well-designed garden is more than a visual feature of your home. It becomes a place for relaxation, activity and connection; a living environment that supports both physical and mental well-being.
Across Victoria, the members of Landscaping Victoria bring together expertise in landscape design, construction, plant production, and garden care.
By working with trusted professionals, homeowners can create outdoor spaces that are not only beautiful, but deeply rewarding to live with.
A beautiful garden doesn’t just change the look of a home, it changes how you live in it.
When outdoor spaces are thoughtfully planned and expertly created, they become places of calm, connection, and everyday enjoyment. And those benefits, much like the garden itself, continue to grow over time.
Find out more about Supreme Green’s landscaping services on their website: supremegreen.com.au
NEW HOME LANDSCAPING
DON’T FORGET YOUR GARDEN
A new home promises a lifestyle, but too often, landscaping is left off the plans.
As specialists in new home landscaping, the team at Supreme Green sees firsthand how delaying outdoor design can lead to months or years of living with unfinished ground, drainage issues, or compromised outcomes.
Planning your landscape from day one ensures your home feels complete, cohesive, functional, and ready to live in from the moment you move in.
Building a new home is one of life’s great milestones. Whether you’re starting fresh in a new estate or embarking on a knockdown rebuild, it represents achievement, aspiration, and a long-term investment in how you want to live.
Display homes and marketing campaigns promise more than bricks and mortar; they paint a picture of the lifestyle that comes with it. Barbecues with loved ones, refreshing dips in the pool on a hot day, relaxing with a good book, pets roaming the lawn, and children at play.
Those moments don’t just happen inside the house; they happen outside too.
When landscaping is considered from the beginning, the entire property works together as a cohesive environment designed for how you live.
Landscaping Adds Value to Your Home
A well-designed landscape relies on many of the same principles as a wellbuilt home: thoughtful planning, sound construction, compliant drainage, and materials suited to the environment.
When these elements are considered early, outdoor spaces function beautifully and perform reliably over time. From garden levels and drainage to pathways, retaining walls and planting design, every detail contributes to a landscape that supports the home and enhances daily life.
Just as homeowners carefully select their builder, choosing an experienced landscape professional helps ensure outdoor spaces are designed and constructed with the same level of care.
Design Your Home and Garden Together
Most homeowners begin a new build with
a vision for how they want to live; where friends will gather, where the kids will play, and where you might relax at the end of a long day.
By engaging a landscape designer and experienced landscaper during the planning phase, outdoor spaces can be shaped alongside the home’s layout. Sightlines, outdoor rooms, planting zones, and entertainment areas are considered as part of the overall design, creating a place that feels balanced and purposeful from the moment you move in.
Why Plan Your Landscaping Early?
Seamless Indoor–Outdoor Living
When landscape design is integrated with the home’s architecture, outdoor areas connect naturally with key living spaces. Windows frame garden views, alfresco zones open onto welcoming outdoor rooms, and the landscape becomes part of everyday living.
Space for Signature Features
Dreaming of a pool, pergola, fire pit, or water feature? Planning these elements early ensures they sit comfortably within the property and work seamlessly with the home design.
Confidence in Your Budget
Early landscape planning provides clarity around costs and helps prioritise the elements that matter most.
A Cohesive Design Language
Materials, colours, and textures can flow naturally between indoors and outdoors, creating a result that feels refined and intentional.
Navigating Site Conditions with Ease
Every property has its own characteristics, from council requirements and planning overlays to slope and soil conditions.
Addressing these early helps the design respond thoughtfully to the site.
A Smooth Path to Completion
Coordinating landscaping with the build allows levels, drainage, and access to be addressed efficiently, helping homeowners move into a truly finished property sooner.
A Smoother Building Journey
Building a new home is an exciting journey, and clarity along the way makes the experience even more rewarding.
Working with an experienced landscape professional early helps align vision, budget, and construction timelines, allowing outdoor spaces to evolve naturally alongside the home itself.
A Home That Feels Complete
Landscaping plays a powerful role in shaping how a home is experienced every day. It defines outdoor living spaces, frames views, and creates the setting for the moments that make a house feel like home.
For anyone building or planning a new home, whether in a new development or a knockdown rebuild, considering your landscape from day one ensures your entire property is designed with intention.
The result is more than a beautiful house with a garden. It’s a complete, thoughtfully crafted home, inside and out.
Your outdoor space is a big investment.
Choosing the right landscaper makes all the difference.
Find a trusted professional with Landscaping Victoria.
Why choose a Landscaping Victoria member?
QUALIFIED & PROFESSIONAL
Reputable businesses operating to recognised industry standards.
INSURED & ACCOUNTABLE
Protection and peace of mind for your project.
TRUSTED INDUSTRY LEADERS
Committed to best practices, innovation and ongoing training.
Get it right the first time.
Find a trusted local landscaper using Landscaping Victoria’s Find a Professional tool.
5 TIPS TO CREATE A MEDITERRANEANINSPIRED GARDEN
As Victoria’s summers grow hotter and drier, Mediterranean-inspired gardens are proving to be both beautiful and brilliantly resilient.
With expert insight from 2025 Victorian Landscape Industry Awards Supplier of the Year, Warners Nurseries, here’s how the right planting palette can deliver a garden that thrives in our changing climate.
WARNERS NURSERIES
Victoria’s changing climate is encouraging homeowners and landscape designers to rethink how gardens are planted and maintained.
Long, dry summers are making drought-tolerant landscapes not just practical, but increasingly desirable.
Mediterranean-style gardens offer the perfect solution. Inspired by the sun-drenched landscapes of southern Europe, these gardens combine hardy plants, textured foliage, and sculptural trees to create outdoor spaces that feel relaxed, beautiful, and resilient.
With careful plant selection, the look can be perfectly adapted to Victorian conditions.
Here are our top five Mediterranean planting secrets for Victorian gardens.
5. Anchor the garden with feature trees
1. Start with a sun-loving planting palette
Mediterranean gardens thrive in hot, dry conditions, much like many parts of Victoria. Plants with silvery foliage, tough leaves, and drought tolerance form the backbone of this style, creating landscapes that are both practical and beautiful.
2. Let groundcovers soften the space
Trailing plants like Rosmarinus ‘Santa Barbara’ spill naturally over edges, pathways, and retaining walls. They soften hard surfaces, release fragrant oils on warm days, and attract beneficial pollinators.
3. Build structure with hardy shrubs
Plants such as Euphorbia ‘Silver Swan’, compact citrus and other hardy shrubs create rhythm and form within the garden. These structural layers provide contrast, texture, and year-round interest.
4. Blend Mediterranean classics with Australian natives
A modern Mediterranean garden in Victoria often combines traditional species with resilient natives. Plants such as Westringia ‘Jervis Gem’ and Acacia ‘Sterling Silver’ echo the soft grey-green palette while thriving in local conditions.
Olives, cypress, and pomegranate trees bring height, shade and sculptural beauty to Mediterranean-style gardens. Paired with clipped forms like bay tree spheres or viburnum topiary, they create the relaxed structure that defines the style.
Designed to thrive
Mediterranean-inspired planting offers more than timeless beauty. With the right plant selection, these gardens deliver resilience, biodiversity, and year-round interest, creating outdoor spaces that feel relaxed, enduring, and perfectly suited to Victoria’s climate.
Mediterranean-inspired gardens are both beautiful and resilient.
Olea Garden Harvest fruit
$5,000 of
Create a garden you’ll love spending time in. Straightcurve makes it easy to achieve with precision engineered products that are fast to install and even easier to maintain.
THE PRIZE INCLUDES:
Up to $5,000 worth of Straightcurve products
A 2h personalised one-on-one online garden design consultation with renowned landscaper Jeremy Davis from Nectar landscapes.
Get professional advice tailored to your space, your style and your needs. Create a garden that looks great now and for years to come with Straightcurve. Scan the QR code* or visit us at Stand B36 at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.
*Terms & Conditions apply
ENTER TO WIN
Scan the QR code to go in the draw by 06 April 2026.
5 AUTUMN CARE TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER LAWN
As the heat of summer fades, autumn offers the perfect opportunity to reset your lawn. Cooler temperatures and steady soil moisture create ideal conditions for strengthening turf, repairing summer damage, and preparing your grass for the months ahead.
LANDSCAPING VICTORIA
After a season of backyard cricket, barbecues, and plenty of foot traffic, lawns often show the signs of a summer well spent.
Compacted soil, dry patches, and opportunistic weeds can all creep in, but with a few simple maintenance steps now, your lawn can bounce back stronger than ever.
Here are five easy ways to help your lawn thrive through autumn and beyond, recommended by landscaping professionals.
1. Raise Your Mower Height
As growth slows, mowing frequency naturally decreases, but mowing smarter becomes more important.
Raising the mower height slightly in autumn helps grass retain more leaf area, allowing it to capture sunlight and store energy for the cooler months
ahead. Longer blades also shade the soil, helping suppress weeds and maintain colour.
2. Check for Compacted Soil
Summer activity can leave soil compacted, restricting the movement of water, oxygen, and nutrients to your lawn’s roots.
A quick test is the screwdriver check: push a long screwdriver into the ground. If it struggles to penetrate around 10–15cm, the soil may benefit from aeration.
Using a garden fork or lawn aerator to create small holes in the soil improves airflow and encourages deeper, healthier root growth.
3. Stay on Top of Weeds
Autumn is the perfect time to tackle weeds before they take hold over winter.
While lawn growth slows, many weeds continue to spread. Removing them now by hand or with a suitable herbicide helps prevent them from competing with your turf during the cooler months.
4. Feed Your Lawn
After a long summer, lawns benefit from a nutrient boost.
Applying a balanced fertiliser with essential trace elements helps restore nutrients lost during the hotter months and supports steady growth as the seasons change. Healthy turf heading into winter will bounce back faster when spring arrives.
5. Autumn Is Ideal for New Turf
Thinking about installing a new lawn? Autumn is one of the best times to do it.
Milder temperatures and consistent moisture allow turf to establish strong roots without the stress of summer heat. With less watering required and favourable growing conditions, new lawns often establish more successfully during this time of year.
A Little Care Goes a Long Way
Autumn lawn care doesn’t need to be complicated. A few thoughtful steps now can repair summer wear and create the conditions for healthy growth through winter and into spring.
With the right attention at the right time, your lawn will continue to provide a welcoming green space for outdoor living year-round.
Need some extra help caring for your lawn? Landscaping Victoria’s landscape gardeners and maintenance members can help! Visit landscapingvictoria.com.au to search for someone in your area.
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For 6 months and pay zero card fees for a year!*
*Terms and conditions apply.
Save time, reduce costs and earn rewards with Shell Card.
This exclusive offer for Landscaping Victoria members will save your business a fortune. But Shell Card can also help reduce paperwork and stress. Plus, you can earn Flybuys points every time your drivers fill up at Reddy Express.*
Scan the QR code and apply for your Shell Card now. If you’d like a hand, our Customer Service team is at your service. We’re open Monday to Friday 8am-8pm AEST. Call us on 13 16 18 or email AccountsAdmin@vivaenergy.com.au
CLOSING THE LOOP ON PLANT POTS
Every year, millions of plastic plant pots travel from nursery benches to gardens across Australia.
Most are made from polypropylene, the familiar PP5 plastic identified by the number ‘5’ inside the recycling triangle on the base of the pot.
Yet despite being fully recyclable, many of these pots never make it back into the recycling stream. With more than 15,000 tonnes of PP5 horticultural plastics used nationally each year, and only a small proportion currently recovered, the opportunity to reduce waste and reuse valuable materials is significant.
For home gardeners and landscape professionals alike, these humble plastic pots are part of everyday gardening. But once the plant is in the ground, the pot is often left with an uncertain future; stored in the shed, thrown in general waste, or forgotten entirely.
Garden City Plastics, Australia’s largest manufacturer of PP5 plant pots and carry trays, is helping address this challenge through its national PP5 Recycling Program.
Developed in partnership with Norwood Industries (Plant Labels) and Polymer Processors, the initiative connects growers, retailers, landscapers, and recyclers to create a genuinely Australian-made, Australian-used closed-loop recycling system.
By focusing specifically on PP5 horticultural plastics, the program ensures clean, consistent recycling streams that can be efficiently reprocessed into new products for the industry. This clarity of material makes recycling far more effective, allowing recovered plastics to be turned back into new pots, trays, and other horticultural products.
Today, more than 300 PP5 recycling locations operate across Australia, including retail garden centres, commercial grower sites, and many Bunnings Warehouse stores.
Gardeners can simply return clean PP5 pots, trays, and labels to participating locations, where they are collected, recycled, and transformed into new horticultural products.
Once the collection cages are full, Garden City Plastics retrieves the materials and returns them to the recycling stream, where they are processed and remanufactured into new products. It’s a practical system that keeps valuable materials in use while reducing the amount of plastic heading to landfill.
The impact is already being felt. In 2026 alone, around 1,000 tonnes of PP5 material has been collected nationally, and diverted from landfill, helping increase the availability of recycled plastics within Australia’s
horticultural supply chain.
You may already be holding an example of this circular system in action. The Landscaping Victoria buckets distributed at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show are made from recycled PP5 plastic by Garden City Plastics, demonstrating how recovered materials can be reprocessed and used again in practical ways. And of course, once your LV bucket has lived its life, you can recycle it in the same convenient way.
By enabling a national closed-loop recycling system for PP5, Garden City Plastics and its partners are helping the horticulture industry better manage waste, reduce environmental impact, and build a more sustainable future.
And for gardeners, it’s a simple reminder that even small actions, like returning a used plant pot, can help keep the cycle of growth going. Plus, it’s another reason to visit your local gardening centre!
To find your nearest PP5 recycling location, visit www.pp5.com.au
GREG CARRICK
