ACHIEVABLE GARDENS

DESIGNING FOR A GREENER FUTURE

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

Now in its 15th year, the Achievable Gardens sponsored by Australian Growing Solutions, offers students and educational institutions the opportunity to showcase their design skills and horticultural knowledge, promote achievable gardening and encourage the use of diverse, high-quality plants in the landscape.

The nine students compete for the honour of winning the prestigious ‘Excellence Award’. It’s a great learning experience for students, allowing them to go through the process from concept design and project coordination to construction of a show garden.

Each small garden represents the average balcony garden or small courtyard garden of five metres in width by four metres depth. The brief is to design a garden that is ‘achievable’, meaning that an average home gardener would be capable of replicating the design, materials and planting within a virtual budget of $8,000. At least 50 per cent of the garden must be soft landscaping (plants). Every student comes away with invaluable practical experience for their future careers. Previous submissions have consistently wowed visitors with their fresh design concepts and this year promises to do the same. The Achievable Gardens is always a drawcard with attendees, and we are very excited to share with you the following student designs for this year.

ABOVE: Winner of the 2019 ‘Award of Excellence’, ‘Redivivus Materia’ created by Jason Donnelly.

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

BALANCE BY NATURE

GINA ROBERTSON

MELBOURNE POLYTECHNIC

THIS MODERN AUSTRALIAN OUTDOOR SPACE RESTORES THE BALANCE TO OUR LIVES BY ENTICING US INTO A RELAXED GARDEN TO RECONNECT TO NATURE.

The garden path guides our imagination to remote places beyond its swirling. Balance by Nature introduces a selection of native Australian plants suitable for small, sunny, moderately-dry gardens in Melbourne.

It uses shades of green, blue, and grey foliage, to calm the senses, while complimentary earthy tones of red ochre, orange and yellow radiate warmth. Long-lived and blossoms are a highlight throughout the year. The sculptural walls redefine the shape of the garden and conceal elevated planter boxes. The curved path slows our feet and minds. It guides us past bird, butterfly, and insect-attracting plants.

Groundcovers and climbers spill over the edges. Sunlight quietly reflects in-between aquatic plants floating and emerging from a shallow water pond. Climbing vines wind their way through a trio of trellis columns. We are invited to rest on a Sugar Gum bench in the dappled light surrounded by weeping silver Gungurru tree branches. KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME

AB Anigozanthos ‘Bush Blitz’ Kangaroo Paw BS Banksia spinulosa Hairpin Banksia CA Chrysocephalum apiculatum Yellow Buttons CG Casuarina glauca prostrate Ground Sheoak CM Clematis microphylla Small-leaved Clematis DBS Dianella revoluta ‘Blue Stream’ Blueberry Flax-lily DR Dichondra repens Kidney Weed

EC Eucalyptus caesia

Gungurru FN Ficinia nodosa Knobby Club Rush LL Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’ Mat Rush MP Myoporum parvifolium Creeping Boobialla NC Nymphoides crenata Wavy Marshwort PG Pycnosorus globosus Billy Buttons RA Rhodanthe anthemoides Chamomile Sunray TT Themeda triandra Kangaroo Grass VH Violacea hederacea Native Violet

RE-FRAME

EMMA POWELL

MELBOURNE POLYTECHNIC

CANOPY LOSS FROM RECENT STORMS INSPIRED THIS DESIGN USING QUICK-GROWING ‘RE-FRAMING’ PIONEER PLANTS AND PERENNIALS PLANTED ALONGSIDE SLOWER GROWING PLANTS THAT HOLD STRUCTURE.

Natives and exotics are represented in equal mix, with texture and tactility being a unifying thread, a sensory invitation to reconnect with place.

Lawn is reinterpreted using a common Festuca left to grow long and cascade through the silver plants creating contrast and negative space.

Silver foliage plants are key for providing year round highlights in the garden. The tiny hairs or ‘fur’ on the plants reduces moisture loss and heat stress while the pale foliage reflects the heat making them perfect for our changing climate. The white trunk of the Lemon Scented gum is framed by charred Shou Sugi Ban timber providing contrast. The screen is visually permeable giving depth and layering to a small space. Mirror panels also add dimension reflecting and re-framing.

Materials re-framed. An old copper becomes a bird bath. Weathered hardwood fence palings are given a fresh new start. Fallen tree logs become family totem sculptures and seats for relaxation. KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME

AC Astelia chathamica ‘Silver Spear’ Silver Spear AB Acacia binervia ‘Sterling Silver’ Coast Myall Wattle AS Adenanthos sericeus Woolly Bush CA Correa alba White Correa CC Corymbia citriodora ‘Scentuous’ Lemon Scented Gum CG Centaurea gymnocarpa Velvet Dusty Miller DA Cotula hispida Silver Cotula

DR Dianella revoluta Black Anther Flax Lily DSF Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’ Silver Kidney Weed EGK Eremophila glabra ‘Kalbarri Carpet’ Tar Bush EPP Eremophila hybrid ‘Pink Pantha’ Emu Bush Hybrid EW Eremophila warnesii Ken Warnes’ Emu Bush

FR Festuca rubra Red Fescue

MT Miscanthus transmorrisonensis Silvergrass OP Oxalis palmifrons Palm Leaf oxalis PLB Pachystegia insignis SA Salvia argentea TP Tetrapanax papyrifer Marlborough rock daisy Silver sage Rice Paper Plant

ALPINE CALM: AT THE RETREAT OF SNOW

SARAH TULLOCH

MELBOURNE POLYTECHNIC

AT THE TURN OF SPRING IN THE ALPINE REGIONS OF VICTORIA, SNOW MELTS SLOWLY REVEALING THE LIFE BELOW ITS CLEAN WHITE COVER.

KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME EP Eucalyptus pauciflora Snow Gum PS Poa sieberiana Grey Tussock Grass SC Senecio cineraria Dusty Miller PG Pycnosorus globosus Billy Buttons CC Convolvulus cneorum Silver Bush WF Westringia fruticosa Coastal Rosemary DA Dichondra argentea Silver Falls PA Pratia angulata White Star Creeper VH Viola hederacea Native Violet

Grasses spring to life; small plants begin to sprout and the true shape of the formerly hidden landscape is revealed. Vast areas of rocks, low shrubs and windswept Snow Gums populate the horizon. Gullies teem with creeks and groundcovers begin to blossom.

This design serves to complement that moment by transposing its forms and composition into an urban courtyard. For a client that enjoys the simplicity and calming nature of the high country.

Mounded earth with sculptural Snow Gums form the structure of the space. Clipped Westringia serves as the mid-height formality, punctuating ribbons of white foliage shrubs. Underfoot, groundcovers live in the shade of a steel-grate walkway and two rocking chairs. Sweeping lines of Poa sieberiana blur the connection between garden and sky. A nod to the ghostly texture of leafless Snow Gums after the harsh summer brushfires. Swathes of unmelted snow litter the corners of shady areas represented here with white quartz gravel. Long stems of grass and cheerful bursts of Billy Buttons interrupt the silver foliage and soften the edges of the stern metal walkway.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

WILLIAM O’NEIL

MELBOURNE POLYTECHNIC

A GARDEN THAT REFLECTS ON HOW OUR LIVES HAVE BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.

Warped lines draw down from a Cypress timber bench seat to the reflective pool.

Steel balls represent community and lock downs. The gold line represents evolving circumstances. A granite gravel path represents the present and leads on to the future.

The plants represent emotions and immerse the setting with vibrancy. Optimistic and sombre tones are interwoven. The hard landscape colour palette is influenced by the coloration of the Eastern Spinebill honeyeater.

The garden design is influenced by lived experience, modernist art and design, and Aboriginal craft. KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME

AG Acorus gramineus ‘Variegatus’ Variegated Japanese Sweet Flag AI Alcantarea imperialis Giant Bromeliad AP Aloe plicatilis Fan Aloe AS Aloe striata Coral Aloe AV Aeonium ‘Voodoo’ Giant Red Aeonium

CA Cordyline australis Cabbage Tree CAL Carex albula ‘Frosted Curls’ Frosted Curls Sedge CH Calibanus hookeri Mexican Boulder CO Crassula ovata ‘Red Coral’ Money Tree CP Cussonia paniculata Mountain Cabbage Tree EQ Elaeagnus ‘Quicksilver’ Silverberry FJ Fatsia japonica Aralia

LT Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip Tree OJ Ophiopogon japonicus Mondo Grass PT Phormium tenax New Zealand Flax

PL Psuedopanax lessonii Houpara QA Quercus acutissima Sawtooth Oak SA Sparmannia africana African Linden SS Stenocarpus sinuatus Firewheel Tree TP Tradescantia purpurea Purple Heart

ANDRUM (SWEDISH TRANSLATION, “BREATHING SPACE”)

PIERRE JACOBSSON

BENDIGO TAFE/KANGAN INSITUTE

‘THE REAL VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY CONSISTS, NOT IN SEEKING NEW LANDSCAPES, BUT IN HAVING NEW EYES.’ – Marcel Proust

KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME A Ophiopogon planiscapus Black Mondo Grass ‘Nigrescens’ B Heuchera micrantha Coral Bells ‘Palace Purple’ C Heuchera hybrida Corel Bells ‘Fire Alarm’

D Cotyledon orbiculata Pig’s Ear E Macropidia fuliginosa Black Kangaroo Paw F Carex flagellifera Weeping Brown Sedge G Thymus serpyllum Creeping Thyme ‘Creeping Pink’ H Poa labillardieri Common Tussock Grass

I Themeda triandra Kangaroo Grass J Echinacea purpurea Coneflower K Agastache hybrid Hyssop ‘Royal Scepter’ L Acacia cognata River Wattle ‘Limelight’ M Anigozanthos hybrida Kangaroo Paw N Dianthus caryophyllus Carnation O Agastache hybrid ‘Blue Giant Hyssop Boa’

This design has been heavily influenced by the experience of living through COVID-19.

The toll on individuals and society as a whole have been immense. Through lockdowns some of us have lost; contact with friends and loved ones, but also our connection with nature.

This garden shares a story about the transition from a hard and sometimes hostile place to a place of healing and nurturing. The plants will be one of the ‘voices’ to tell this story, but other ‘voices’ can also be heard in the art installations. This story of transformation highlights that we are part of nature, and that nature is part of us. The word human derives from the Latin word humus, we are indeed nature!

A scorched tree commences the healing journey – a place of darkness. A single Dianthus caryophyllus represents the human heart/soul in isolation. From this place of darkness, shoots of recovery emerge. A lone figure embraces “Mother Earth” and feels heard and met on their healing journey.

SPONSOR Aaron Jones – Wood Sculptor

BY FIRE

JOSHUA GREENWOOD-MALIN

HOLMESGLEN

BY FIRE CHALLENGES THE CONCEPT OF THE AUSTRALIAN ‘BUSH-LOOK’ NATIVE GARDEN, THROUGH THE CONTEMPORARY LENS OF THE JAPANESE AESTHETIC

Yakisugi or Shou Sugi Ban is the traditional Japanese technique of charring the surface of timber, for increased durability, carbonising and thus waterproofing the piece without damaging its integrity.

For eons, Australian natives have evolved similar adaptations to the extreme conditions of bush-fire and drought, building not only resilience, but also dependence upon fire for essential processes such as germination. A mix of resprouters and reseeders are integrated into the garden design. Plants known to not only survive but thrive in the wake of bush-fires.

Be it their foliage, flower or form, these plants lend themselves to the application of Japanese design principals. This connection allows for the modernisation of the bush landscape incorporating current design trends. This also allows for a Japanese style garden using a wider range of plants, suitable for the Melbourne climate. KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME LSN Leptospermum obovatum Tea Tree ‘Starry Night’ AL Allocasuarina Littoralis Black She-oak XJ Xanthorrhoea johnsonii Grass Tree ABG Adenanthos sericeus ‘Bronze Woolly Bush Glow’ DVP Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’ Purple Hop Bush BSBC Banksia spinulosa ‘Birthday Hairpin Banksia Candles’ BSCC Banksia spinulosa ‘Coastal Hairpin Banksia Cushion’ LSA Leucadendron salignum x Leucadendron ‘Amy’ laureolum ‘Amy’ LA Leucadendron argenteum Silver Tree BB Banksia blechnifolia Southern Blechnum Banksia CG Casuarina glauca ‘Shagpile’ Swamp She-oak DAS Doodia aspera Prickly Rasp Fern

DAU Doodia australis

Common Rasp Fern OPN Ophiopogon planiscapus Black Mondo Grass ‘Nigrescens’

EARLY YEARS NATURE PLAYSCAPE

RICHARD MALCOLM ORR

HOLMESGLEN

FAMILY GARDENS SHOULD ALLOW FOR A DIVERSITY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FAMILY; PLAY, RELAXATION, SOCIAL INTERACTION, VISUAL PLEASURE AND SO ON.

This garden allows children to interact with their family and friends, but also retreat to an out of the way corner overlooking the yard.

A mixture of play and educational opportunities are provided. Areas such as, sand play, water play in the creek, balance coordination on the creek edge rocks and log, and a fruit and vegetable garden for the production of healthy foods and for the children to learn to grow and cook them.

The decking and pergola area allows for interaction on many levels; a quiet space for structured and unstructured play while, all the while overseeing all aspects of the garden. BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME

Acacia cognata ‘Limelight’ Acacia Limelight Callistemon viminalis ‘Slim’ Bottle Brush slim Callistemon viminalis ‘Better John’ Bottle Brush Better John

Eremophila glabra prostrate Emu Bush Dianella longifolia Flax Lilly Anigozanthos flavidus ‘Gold’ Kangaroo Paw – Gold Anigozanthos flavidus ‘Kanga Red’ Kangaroo Paw – Red Citrus x limon ‘Lisbon’ Lisbon Lemon

Prunus salicina

‘Mariposa’ Plum Lomandra longifolia ‘Tanika’ Mat Rush Correa ‘Dusky Bells’ Native Fuchsia

Citrus x sinensis

Rhagodia spinescens Banksia marginata Orange Valencia Salt Bush

Silver Bansia

Eucalyptus scoparia Wallangarra White Gum Acacia cognata ‘lime magik’ Wattle Westringia hybrid ‘Blue Gem’ Westringia Blue Gem Grevillea hybrid ‘Royal Rambler’ Grevillea Adenanthos sericeus Woolly Bush Various herbs and vegetables Various herbs and vegetables

WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE

HAN LIN

HOLMESGLEN

A GARDEN DESIGNED TO RELAX OVER THE PAST AND FIND YOUR INNER PEACE.

KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME Ap Acer palmatum Japanese Maple No Nymphaea odorata Water Lily Hp Himalayacalamus porcatus Nepalese Blue Bamboo Cr Cycas revoluta Sago Palm Cb Cordyline banksii x pumillo Cordyline Red Fountain Ce Chamaedorea elegans Parlour Palm

Rm Ravenala madagascariensis Travellers Palm Sf Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’ Kidney Weed Ea Echeveria affinis Black Prince

Oj Ophiopogan japonicus Ar Phormium ‘Anna Red’ Dwarf Mondo Grass

Anna’s Red Flax Lc Loropetalum chinensis Loropetalum ‘Plum ‘Plum Gorgeous’ Gorgeous’ Fe Ficus elasctica ‘Burgundy’ Rubber Fig Cm Clivia miniata Bush Lily

Everyone might have their own baggage of the past in life. Hence this design inspired from, whatever happened in the past should stay in the past. This garden is designed to relax in, leaving the past behind, to find a moment of peace.

This garden is designed to be separated into two different vibes by the water pond in the middle. The front of the garden is using tropical plants to create a passionate effect in the garden, before visitors step into the calmer, resting area in the back of the garden.

Plants chosen for the rear of the garden, like bamboo, maple and water lily, are simple and calming to create a harmonious environment for people to rest and relax. You could sit on the bench, light up the fire pit to warm yourself at night, enjoy a few beers, and have a moment of peace.

SPONSORS Speciality Trees • True Green Nursery • All Green Nursery & Garden • Bamstone • FormBoss

THE QUIET CORNER

GALIN DIMITROV

HOLMESGLEN

ESCAPE TO YOUR OWN LUSH URBAN OASIS EVERY DAY.

KEY BOTANICAL NAME COMMON NAME

AC Acacia cognata ‘Limelight’ DR Dichondra repens SB Stachys byzantina Acacia

Dichondra

Lambs Ear

LD Ligularia dentata Leopard plant HA Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ Hydrangea FF Ficus microcarpa hillii ‘Flash’ Ficus CL Citrus latifolia Tahitian Lime CM Clivia miniata ‘Peach’ CF Carex ‘Feather Falls’ Clivia

Carex

TJ Trachelospermum jasminoides Chinese Star Jasmine LM Liriope muscari ‘Isabella’ Lilyturf HC Hedychium coccineum ‘Tara’ Ginger Lily HP Hosta ‘Patriot Hosta

This garden comprised of predominantly evergreen plants with a splash of bright blooms, was designed to inspire outdoor living. Take a seat on the bench and leave your workday behind enveloped by the lush vegetation. Why not enjoy a gin & tonic with a slice of homegrown lime, while you contemple the restorative beauty and tranquillity of your own urban oasis.

The shade from the overhead vines or alternatively, the warmth from the firepit, mean that this outdoor space can, and should be, enjoyed year-round. This modest space also works well for small soirees and family gatherings.

Whether enjoyed quietly or socially, immersion in this garden will be the tonic and sparkle in your day.

SPONSORS Botanix Plant Supply • Brother Nature Nursery • Humphris Nurseries • Yamina Rare Plants • Tall Trees • Luxescape Design • Bamstone • Aussie Heatwave Fireplaces