Lessons in Australia

You might not know but we have some connections down under through Andrew’s partner college LCGD Melbourne. Opened in 2020 with Brent Reid, the Australian landscape designer, the college is based in the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Melbourne Gardens and continues the work of the Kew Gardens based London College of Garden Design, teaching students professional garden and planting design.

He’s down there right now on an annual month-long visit to kick off the new academic year and always has something to learn that we can take away and help us here in the UK

In design one of the things that comes straight to mind is that Australia is a very outdoor culture and wherever you go you’ll likely find swimming pools and spas in people’s homes. Automated steel pergolas with outdoor kitchens are coveted as part of a year round climate that allows Aussies to spend  plenty of time in their gardens.

We probably learn even more from the way that Australian plants are being used to counter the impact of a changing climate. Australia is rich in native plants and many are indigenous or regionally native and so ideally adapted if you study those thriving in likely future climatic areas. Many people do not realise that plants we find in the Mediterranean are Australian natives and so when we look to the Med for inspiration you might be looking to Australia!

The response of plants to a changing climate down under is helpful to us in Northern Europe and we’ll continue to learn lessons from our trips down under.