Three Bendigo TAFE horticulture students have been awarded bronze medals for their unique garden showcases at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) which is on now.
Part of the Achievable Gardens design competition, students Clair Derwort, Fleur Clausen and Craig Wilcox are presenting three self-designed gardens, including a cottage rose garden, small inner city courtyard garden and a Japanese-inspired serine courtyard space.
Preparation for the showcase took three months with a combined effort of more than 10 students and Bendigo TAFE educators and considering design, planning, sourcing materials and construction.
Designer of the cottage rose garden, Clair Derwort said her creation celebrates cottage style plantings with European and Australian influence, while recognising Melbourne’s rich and diverse history.
“The mixed plantings of natives and exotics in the garden acknowledge the collaborative efforts of horticultural influences in Australian history and future,” she said.
“The garden references the site history and location, and reflects the Royal Exhibition Building dome, arched windows and the original rosary designed by landscape gardener William Sangster.
“Using roses at this time of year was a bold decision. The roses are a new release of English rose breeder David Austin. With the late Queen's passing, the roses are a slight nod to her influence in the Australian horticultural scene. It is a juxtaposition of new and old, history and the future.”
Clair said strong support from Bendigo TAFE educators have enabled the team to successfully pursue the tri-garden project.
“Our educator Stan Smith and Bendigo TAFE have supported our learning by encouraging us to be prepared and to challenge our creative thinking. His support in our MIFGS endeavour was nothing short of remarkable and his experience and passion for horticulture set us up for success,” Clair said.
“Our course knowledge enabled us to confidently and professionally design, construct, and deliver three very different, yet refined gardens.
“The generosity of horticulture students from other Bendigo TAFE classes who have participated in this construction speaks volumes of the comradery we've developed as a cohort across our studies.”
Clair hopes her garden showcase can inspire others to create their own green space.
“Gardening is accessible to everyone. It doesn't have to be expensive, grand, or time consuming, and it has been proven to have multiple health and wellbeing benefits,” Clair said.
“If just a few people walk away with more confidence to create their own beautiful and functional garden, then I’d say we have met the brief of the Achievable Gardens designs.”
(Clair at her garden.)
Craig Wilcox said he was motivated to create a courtyard design that would showcase something impressive with less intensive maintenance involved.
“These days people are often living hustle-and-bustle lifestyles that can mean they don’t have time to do a great garden in the traditional sense because there’s often a lot of upkeep needed,” he said.
“I wanted to create something that gives the feeling of a beautiful Japanese garden but that doesn’t require weekly hedge clipping or raking up leaves and so on.
“Features of the garden include weeping maples, reclaimed slate paving and a fettucine river wattle (acacia cognata nana) which looks striking against the black background.
“I’ve had lots of comments already from visitors to the show about how impressive it looks with the colour contrast, so it’s great to see people enjoying the space.”
Craig said the competition at the show this year was tough so it was great to be acknowledged with the bronze medal.
“The standard is so high it’s great to be recognised. It makes me want to be even more competitive in the future,” Craig added.
(Craig at his garden.)
Fleur Clausen drew inspiration for her garden from experts she heard speak about harvesting stormwater and the value of real turf over synthetic.
“With the impact of climate change upon us, I’ve looked at how we can futureproof gardens even in small spaces and urbanised areas,” said Fleur.
“I’ve incorporated elements such as tanks to collect and use rainwater, real turf which has a cooling effect and an ancient Gingko tree, which has survived nuclear bombs and dates back to Gondwana. A great deal of the hard landscaping contents also come from upcycled materials.
“I’ve also made sure this is a garden that bees and butterflies want to be in by including flowers and perennials to attract them, as well as a bee drinking station. It’s working because I was stung by a bee in here the other day!
“It’s amazing what you can do with a small space and I’ve designed this garden to show aspects that can be achieved in the inner city or suburbs.”
When asked about the bronze medal, Fleur said she was amazed and happy to be involved in the show.
“I’m a mature age student and if you had told me that two years ago I would be going back to school and doing the Diploma of Horticulture, I would have said you were crazy. This has all been really quite amazing,” said Fleur.
(Fleur at her garden.)
Bendigo TAFE Chief Executive Officer Sally Curtain said the showcase provides students with vital hands-on experience.
“Participating in the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is an incredible opportunity for our students – it is a chance for them to be creative, apply their learned skills in a real-life project and showcase alongside some of Australia’s most talented horticulture experts,” Sally said.
“The project been a huge team effort by our students Clair, Fleur and Craig, along with their educators, and we hope visitors to the show will enjoy the display and even gain some inspiration for their own achievable gardens.”
Held at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show’s Achievable Gardens Design Competition offers students and educational institutions the opportunity to showcase their design skills and horticultural knowledge, promote achievable gardening and encourage the use of high-quality plants in the landscape.
Bendigo TAFE, along with Kangan Institute, is hosting an exhibitor stand at the event alongside its industry partners to provide visitors with course and training information. Bendigo TAFE offers courses in horticulture, landscape construction and parks and gardens at its Food and Fibre Centre of Excellence at Charleston Road campus. Visit our Animals, Plants and Sciences page for more details.
