A Night of Garden Design Conversation
With Andrew Fisher Tomlin and Teena Crawford.
The Botanical Hotel recently played host to a lively evening of conversation around planting design, gardens and the evolving landscape profession.
Students, alumni, lecturers and guests from across the garden and landscape industry gathered ahead of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show for a relaxed and engaging discussion led by Andrew Fisher Tomlin and Teena Crawford.
Andrew Fisher Tomlin, co-founder of the London College of Garden Design and author of the best selling book The Modern Professional Planting Designer, shared insights from the book along with reflections on the role of planting design within contemporary landscape practice.
Joining him was Australian horticulturalist and LCGD lecturer Teena Crawford, co author of Plantology, whose deep knowledge of plants and planting design brought a valuable Australian perspective to the discussion.
Both Andrew and Teena generously spent time after the presentations signing copies of their books and continuing conversations with guests.
Andrew Fisher Tomlin, Teeena Crawford and Brent Reid
The evening was hosted by LCGD Australia Director Brent Reid, who also invited Martin Semken of Semken Landscaping to the stage to share insights into this year’s Melbourne Flower and Garden Show. Martin’s team is constructing a record number of show gardens this year.
Among them are gardens designed by two of the evening’s guests. Jason Hodges will unveil Love Blooms Here, while international designer Iftikhar Ahmed of Treeline Designz will present Echoes of the Ancient Silk Road.
Jason Hodges, Martin Semken, Iftikhar Ahmed and Brent Reid
The room was filled with familiar faces from across the industry including many lecturers and collaborators such as Steve Taylor of COS Design, Emmaline Bowman of STEM Landscape Architecture, Bethany Williamson of BWLA, Scott Wynd of TLC Pools, Andrew Smith of Warners Nurseries and Blair Thomson from Gardens at Night.
They stood alongside students, graduates and members of the wider garden design community, creating an atmosphere of shared enthusiasm for gardens and landscape design.
As the formal conversation concluded, discussions continued well into the evening as guests mingled and exchanged ideas ahead of what promises to be another exciting year for the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and beyond.
