Sam Cox talks with Foreground
Landscape designer Sam Cox talks with Foreground about the legacy of his mentor the late Gordon Ford and the enduring relevance of ‘landscape naturalism’ in the era of climate change.
As the Australian linguist Don Watson notes in his Weasel Words blog, “‘towards a transformed sustainable future’ means…. whatever you would like it to mean – that’s what makes sustainability such a great word.” Weasel Word or no, ‘sustainability’ isn’t part of Melbourne-based landscape designer Sam Cox’s vernacular: “No, I don’t like the word sustainability,” he says. “Native gardens necessarily are very resilient and obviously indigenous plantings are very resilient. I’d rather consider that as being an important element of the discourse.”
Cox will be speaking at the 2018 Australian Landscape Conference, staged in tandem with the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. Having been practicing for 17 years, the ‘landscape naturalist’ will explore the particularities of this approach to landscape design, and how it can be applied to the courtyard or quarter-acre block… continue reading…
Published 15th March 2018
Sam Cox’s Wattle Glen Garden Opening in November 2023
When our garden opened in spring, 2016, it had endured some of the toughest drought years this area has known. It was a period of transition and renewal where many of the original plantings were no longer coping with the changed conditions. Some areas had been replanted but they were yet to reestablish. Since then, better-than-average rainfall and a run of mild summers have benefitted the garden immensely. We are so pleased to be opening again, seven years later as the garden has matured and come into its own.
Open source: Butterfly habitat roof garden
Woodleigh School pushes the boundaries in its commitment to bringing nature close to classroom spaces and throughout its extensive grounds. Our latest contribution to their endeavour is around the Year 10 Futures Studio project – an extension to the Senior Campus in Langwarrin South. It includes a butterfly habitat roof garden design we have developed in collaboration with Joost Bakker. We are offering the details of the project in an open source document.
Atlas of memory: Gordon Ford’s natural Australian garden
With a career spanning six decades, Gordon Ford was a grand master of the Australian natural garden. Briony Downes looks at the key elements of his practice and how a new exhibition sheds light on his enduring legacy.