News
Cranbourne Botanic Gardens Field Trip
1 Jul, 2025
One of the highlights of our first-year program is the annual visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, a place where Australian landscape design, horticulture and ecological principles converge in the most breathtaking way.
Led by our Director Brent Reid, the day is a guided exploration of the iconic Australian Garden, a living showcase of native plants, bold design moves and thoughtful environmental responses. Brent teaches throughout the tour, helping students unpack plant choices, spatial composition and the stories behind the garden’s creation.
Global Recognition for LCGD Director Andrew Fisher Tomlin
27 Jun, 2025
We’re thrilled to share some exciting international news from our Director Andrew Fisher Tomlin – a designer, educator and leader who continues to shape the future of planting design around the world.
Recently Andrew received the very first printed copy of his brand new book, The Modern Professional Planting Designer. Far more than a gardening guide, the book offers a comprehensive and deeply considered approach to resilient, sustainable planting design – covering everything from crafting seasonal palettes and sketching planting plans, to designing gardens that actively support biodiversity and thrive without chemicals. Already, it’s being hailed as essential reading for design professionals and students alike.
LCGD Graduates win at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show
29 Mar, 2025
What an absolute thrill to see our students, graduates and very own Director dominate at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show! We’re bursting with pride over these incredible achievements:
Wildlife expert’s exclusive talk for our students
20 Mar, 2025
We were delighted to welcome Sarah Wilson from the UK this week to talk to our students about the challenges of designing for wildlife. Sarah is well known for her podcast Roots And All which is internationally renowned for looking deeper into issues around horticulture and climate change than you’d usually find.
Our Graduates and Tutors are heading to MIFGS!
5 Feb, 2025
Following the successes of LCGD Melbourne students and graduates last year, even more are heading to the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show in March 2025.If you’re planning to visit then look out for these students and graduates who will be taking part –
A rare opportunity – extra spots just opened for 2025
5 Feb, 2025
Due to overwhelming demand, we’ve done something we’ve never done before – opened up 10 extra spots for our 2025 intake!We originally closed enrolments when we reached capacity, but with so many enquiries still coming in, we’ve decided to make room for a few more students. To accommodate this extra intake, we’ve secured additional tutors, ensuring every student gets the same level of support.
Calling All Designers: Entries Now Open For 2025’s Border Gardens
21 Nov, 2024
We’re thrilled to announce entries are now open for the Border Garden planting design competition at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS) 2025.
LCGD Melbourne Celebrates the Graduating Class of 2024
1 Nov, 2024
On Friday, 1 November, we gathered to honour the incredible achievements of the Class of 2024, marking the end of their transformative two-year journey in our Garden Design Program.
Students landscape Victoria Parliament
10 Sep, 2024
We’re celebrating the success of students Andy Sargood and Maddy Scott-Mackenzie who were given the prestigious opportunity to design and install this year’s garden at the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria’s Horticulture Showcase in Victoria Parliament.
Student & Graduate success celebrated
1 Apr, 2024
We’re delighted to be celebrating the success of new garden design talent at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. Special congratulations to LCGD students Andy Sargood and Madeleine Holyman (below left) who won the award of excellence and a Gold medal for their Challenger Achievable garden called ‘Look Within’.
LCGD graduate Sarah McLauchlan (below right) won the competition to create her ‘Nature’s Pantry’ garden for Open Gardens Victoria and Rachael Saulle created the ‘Soundwave Garden’ (above) which was used by musicians during the show.
LCGD Director given top award at Melbourne flower show
1 Apr, 2024
Our Director Brent Reid has been awarded the prestigious “Spirit of the Show’ awarded at this year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. The award was given for Brent’s dedication to supporting new design talent and his commitment to championing excellence in horticulture. Brent is well known within the horticulture industry and this award acknowledges the work he has achieved and the regard with which the industry holds him.
For the plant lovers!
29 Jan, 2024
We’re looking forward to the 2024 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show where LCGD Melbourne will be hosting the very popular Border Garden Competition. The competition will be bigger and better with the support of our tutors and the industry experience of the team at the London College of Garden Design Melbourne.This exciting competition is a platform to help emerging garden designers and experts show what is possible to achieve in a tiny space with a sole focus on plants. The focus here is on all plants and making the greenlife the star of the space!
Design sustainability
9 Jan, 2024
A key focus for any landscape designer today is to design and operate in a sustainable way. Whether that’s simply managing design detail so that it minimises waste, sourcing from rentable suppliers to creating sustainable planting designs. Increasingly designers will have to think about measuring their impact and all around the world planning authorities are introducing requirements for new build that take account of the environmental impact of new developments.
Landscape design or Garden design – what’s the difference?
13 Dec, 2023
Let’s clear up any confusion around the interchangeable use of these two terms in the design profession. We choose to switch between Landscape Design and Garden Design in our marketing material as the former is more common in the UK where our partner college is located, and the latter is more common in the Australian industry although garden design is becoming more widely used. By definition, these two terms are the same.
Discover a new career in landscape design
9 Nov, 2023
If you are contemplating changing careers to become a Garden and Landscape Designer, but don’t really know where to begin, we have designed a new career day to show the working life of a Garden Designer and the opportunities that a career in landscape design holds.
Student life at LCGD Melbourne
14 Aug, 2023
Ever wondered what its like to study with us over 4 semesters? When you undertake our two-year Garden Design Program, you can expect:
Get ready for the the garden show
7 Mar, 2023
We will be back at Carlton Gardens in the heart of Melbourne for this year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show with an even larger display of planting borders to inspire you with take home ideas and, for the first time this year, a series of planting design talks in our own talks marquee.
Melbourne Border Garden Competition 2023 launched
22 Sep, 2022
Ever since we first opened our doors, we’ve been helping people develop great careers as Garden Designers. Our objective has always been to provide the very best professional training available today.
LCGD developing sustainable Garden Designers
5 Aug, 2022
The latest Australia State of the Environment report says the health of Australia’s environment has deteriorated over the past five years due to pressures of climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and mining, and warns the natural world holds the key to human wellbeing and survival.
Celebrating Student Success!
1 Apr, 2022
The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS) is Australia’s premier event in the horticultural and garden design calendar taking place this week.
The MIFGS Garden Border Competition Sponsored by LCGD Melbourne
1 Apr, 2022
For the second time LCGD Melbourne has sponsored the Garden Border Competition at this year’s Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS).
Lisa Ellis talks to LCGD about her Design Business
12 Jan, 2022
Lisa Ellis principal of Lisa Ellis Gardens a multi-award winning design studio based in Melbourne joins LCGD to talk about her design business.
Blended Learning at LCGD Melbourne
10 Jan, 2022
Did you know we have a blended learning option?We offer our course online to any permanent resident of Australia or New Zealand so you can study from the comfort of your own state.
Nigel Dunnett wins 1st prize in European Garden Book Awards
8 Jan, 2022
Earlier this year, guest lecturer and friend of LCGD Melbourne @nigel.dunett won 1st prize in the European Garden Book Awards 2021 for his book, ‘Naturalistic Planting Design / Naturalistische Garten Gesaltung’.
Coming soon in 2022
6 Jan, 2022
After an interrupted couple of years due to the pandemic, we look forward to finally returning to the classroom located in The Old Observatory Building in The Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, as well as the return of industry events, including MIFGS (Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show) which our students love to get involved with.To keep up to date with upcoming events, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram.
LCGD Launches New Courses To Support GREENFINGERS
18 Sep, 2021
For the Autumn of 2021 LCGD’S new season of info bursts will speak to 4 young Garden Designers who are making a mark through their planting designs. Tom Simpson kicks off the series on Tuesday 28th September.
Landscape Show 2021 – We’ll be there, will you?
23 Jul, 2021
THE NEC, BIRMINGHAM
Join us at the UK’s landscape design trade show and our special series of talks featuring 5 leading designers.
New courses launched
23 Jul, 2021
ONLINE AND AT RHS GARDEN WISLEY
We have just launched our new series of online Info Bursts focussing this Autumn on new Planting Designers. Take a look at all our short courses on the GARDEN DESIGN SHORT COURSES page.
We have just launched our new series of online Info Bursts focussing this Autumn on new Planting Designers. Take a look at all our short courses on the GARDEN DESIGN SHORT COURSES page.
Horti:couture conference
23 Jul, 2021
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS KEW
Our Autumn Conference Online and In-Person from Kew Gardens exploring the influence of plants and gardens on the fashion world.
Our Autumn Conference Online and In-Person from Kew Gardens exploring the influence of plants and gardens on the fashion world.
London College of Garden Design celebrates Graduation with donations to the NHS Forest
8 Jul, 2021
Wednesday, 07 July 2021, the London College of Garden Design (LCGD) celebrated their 2020 and 2021 graduations by donating 100 trees to the NHS Forest.
Belvoir Flower & Garden Festival 2021
31 Dec, 2020
The London College of Garden Design has announced that they have renewed their sponsorship of the Countryside Borders Competition at the Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show 2021.
New horticultural training provider gardencourses.com to shake up gardening education in 2021
16 Oct, 2020
Offering online learning to home gardeners, gardencourses.com, a collaboration between the founders of the internationally acclaimed London College of Garden Design and ground-breaking environmental podcast Roots and All, is launching on 1st December.