12 0417 294 778 A Touch of Grass Garden Care GARDEN CLEANUPS / REJUVENATION & MAKEOVERS A SPECIALTY We offer an experienced, professional and reliable service Call Jeremy on ... Est. Gold Coast since 2001 We’ll bring your garden back to life - creating a refreshed space where you can relax and enjoy your tranquil surroundings * Garden Care * Plant Selection * Soft Landscaping I’m writing just as London opens the gates to the Chelsea Flower Show, remembering how inspiring it is, and how I would like to be there for a sixth time. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend long days revelling among the flower displays in the Grand Marquee, walking along the Avenues, and vying for a space to take in the inspiring Designer Gardens. As an Australian at Chelsea, I have been struck by the immense interest of the crowds in Australian-designed gardens and Australian flora. One of many sponsored by Australian Nurseryman Wes Fleming and a Gold Medal Winner in 2008 for celebrity gardener Jamie Durie was inspired by the natural landscapes of Kakadu. In 2011, Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) Melbourne, with several sponsors including the Victorian Government, was another Gold Medal winner. Landscape Designer Jim Fogarty, with Dr Philip Moors, then Executive Director of the RBG Melbourne, based the garden on the remarkable landscapes of the Australian Garden at RBG Cranbourne. I missed this one at Chelsea, but I eventually saw it recreated at London’s Capel Manor Environmental College. A few years later, I was back cheering for another Wes Flemingsponsored garden, which took out a Gold Medal and the Grand Prize - Best in Show. There was a procession of Chelsea visitors standing in awe at the brilliant design by Landscape designer Phillip Johnson. This inspiring garden featured Australia’s native plants and, like the gardens before this, wowed everyone with Australia’s native flora. A more extensive version of this landscape has been reproduced at Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges. This year, a small garden titled ‘Journey Beyond the Tracks – from Adelaide to Perth’ picked up a SilverGilt Award for British designer Max Parker Smith. The design showcases the climate-resilient flora of South and Western Australia and uses reclaimed and environmentally responsible materials. At the end of the show, they are to be introduced into London’s Kensington Gardens. Chelsea Flower Show never fails, evolving with the changing environment and leading sustainable gardening practices. Australian plants and Australian landscapeinspired designs have made an impact in Britain, stunning Chelsea audiences and contributing to ethical, low-impact gardening. The Gold Coast region has an amazing number of plant species that can be introduced into the landscape palette of our private and public gardens to showcase our own local character. Gardening by Kate Heffernan Honorary Life Member Friends of GCRBG, Botanic Garden Consultant • Wes Fleming Jamie Durie Garden • Phillip Johnson Design
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