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Here, you’ll find stories that explore and celebrate the beauty of places and people found within green spaces. Plus, loads of practical gardening advice and how-tos.

Mat York, In Ratio SHOW GARDEN at MIFGS 2025

A biodiverse, coastal-inspired haven in the city

‘We the Wild’ by Ratio’s Matt York at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS) is a resilient garden filled with native Australian planting, designed to bring environmental benefits to its surroundings, and serve to reconnect and restore those who visit.

Ben Saunders X Sage Journal - Thornbury Project

Gardens

A family-friendly Victorian garden planted for wildlife

Ben Saunders Landscapes thoughtfully designed this garden to provide a space where a young family can play and relax, while also creating a welcoming habitat for local wildlife.

Books, Guides

Cecelia Fox | On floral design, Ikebana & breaking rules

Florist and author of Pretty Dirty, Melanie Cecilia Stapleton, shares her creative approach to floral design.

Guides, Plants

Autumn seed sowing guide | Vegetables & flowers to sow in autumn

Seed sowing is one of the most important jobs in the autumn garden. It’s time to sow winter vegetables and hardy annual flowers. This autumn seed sowing guide outlines what to sow in your autumn garden and the methods you can use to guarantee successful germination.

Events

Ordered beauty | A mod take on a classic European garden

With ‘Urban Luxe’, garden designer Andrew Stark’s 2026 Show Garden at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show offers a contemporary take on formal European gardens, with clipped structure, symmetry and lush planting.

Events

Climate, culture & migration | A Silk Road-inspired Show Garden

The Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show garden, ‘Echoes of the Ancient Silk Road’ by US-based designer, Iftikhar Ahmed, uses layered planting, modular structures and reflective water to invite visitors to slow down and consider the enduring relationship between land, culture and time.

Timber shed framed by natural planting and gravel garden path – Neville Design Studio.

Gardens

Maximising sunshine & space | The pocket garden in Point Chevalier

This Auckland garden embraces the home’s sunniest corner. Compact yet considered, it is a place to pause and unwind but also meets the homeowner's practical needs.

Joel Barnett InStyle Gardens MIFGS 2026 design

Events

Cricket & cement | A Show Garden that remembers a childhood

In a nostalgic twist, this Show Garden at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show is inspired by Joel Barnett’s childhood spent around the Geelong Cement Cricket Club.

Image from Flow Hive's Book of Bees & Beekeeping by Cedar & Stuart Anderson

Books, Guides

Thinking about beekeeping? | 5 things to consider before you begin

Cedar & Stuart Anderson, of Flow Hive, highlight the necessary steps to take before you start your journey into beekeeping.

Events

A real-life love story at the Show

This year, the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show will host a spectacular wedding ceremony set within an enchanting garden.

Gardens

A garden shaped by heritage at a Toorak home

A Toorak garden designed to complement the home’s heritage architecture while supporting contemporary family living and entertaining.

Hands-on flower cultivation in the working garden at Paradise Botanica.

Gardens, People

Paradise Botanica | A garden that rebuilt a life

Victoria Chammanee’s 'Paradise Botanica' garden is now open to the public through Secret Gardens. Once a site dominated by kikuyu and concrete, it’s now a biodiverse sanctuary. Victoria tells us about her approach to gardening, the work required to reshape her site, and how it quite literally helped to rebuild her life.

Modern garden with square planters and sunlight filtering in

Gardens

Exploring the psychology of colour | Peace of Mind garden at Chelsea

The 'MS Amlin Peace of Mind Garden' delves into the psychology of colour and how it shapes our perception of the world around us.

Garden designer Ashley James tending his rural flower garden in Victoria Australia.

Gardens, People

Introducing Ashley James | Our new gardening columnist

We’re excited to announce the newest columnist to Sage Journal, Australian garden designer, Ashley James. In his first piece, he shares where his love of gardening began and how his romantic, European-inspired style took shape.

Layered perennials and structured beds in Prahran, Melbourne by Saint Remy.

Gardens

A Prahran garden softened by light & layers

The traditional garden at this Victorian-era home in Prahran was redesigned, replacing formal hedging and dominant trees with softer, more naturalistic planting. New paving and features have transformed the front entry and rear courtyard into practical, everyday living spaces.

Plants, Recipe

Freshly minted | A herb with history + mojito recipe

From Roman banquet tables to backyard mojitos, mint has long refreshed spirits and seasoned lives. In our latest piece – brought to you by Mint Realty – we trace its history, share growing notes – and include a simple mojito recipe for good measure.

Poolside view with ocean horizon and vibrant flowers

Gardens

A resilient coastal garden on a West Sussex pebble beach

Located on the edge of a UK pebble beach, this coastal garden transforms a newly built home into a place of calm and connection with its natural surroundings.

Guides

February Gardening Guide | Late summer gardening

February is still an exciting and rewarding time for harvesting your summer edibles. Now's the time to start clearing out some of the overgrown jungle that was your summer crop, giving your veggie garden some space to get growing its autumn and winter crops. You can even start thinking about planting your spring bulbs!

Tammy watering house plants from The Plant Book

Books, Guides

The ultimate guide to watering your houseplants

Tammy Huynh, a qualified horticulturist and passionate plant woman, shares this comprehensive guide to watering houseplants.

Soft pink and peach-toned flowers growing in a lush cottage garden.

Gardens, People

A colourful life: Violet Faigan and her Ōtepoti Dunedin garden

Dunedin-based gardener Violet Faigan tells us about her wonderful, colour-packed garden.

Gifts for gardeners – Sage Journal Gift Guide

Guides

Last minute gifts for gardeners: Gift guide for your favourite green thumb

We’ve curated a list of the best gifts for your green-thumbed friends and family members (or perhaps a wee treat for yourself!).

Gardens

Renewing a century-old Brighton garden for modern family life

In Victoria, Australia, Paul Pritchard has reinvented this garden with a renewed sense of life while also honouring its history.

Stone cottage surrounded by dense greenery and shaded garden plants

Books, How-to

How to create a shade garden: Shade plants by season

Martha Stewart’s guide on how to choose which specimens to incorporate into your own shady garden.

Dense planting of species in a sustainable home food forest

Books, Plants

The layers of a food forest | The Urban Food Forester

Growing your own fruit, veggies and herbs can be time-consuming. But by harnessing the power of perennials, trees and shrubs, you can establish a thriving ecosystem that requires minimal upkeep – perfect for busy people.

Guides

December Gardening Guide | Summer Gardening

Your edible garden will be starting to overflow, with summer harvests readying. Watering will become essential for those with vegetable gardens, young plants, grass that you want to keep green and especially for your potted plants.

Picking flowers in meadow garden at House of Florelle

Gardens, People, Travel

All in the details | House of Florelle

Through House of Florelle, Georgia Casey welcomes visitors to her rural property for floral workshops, garden parties and events that showcase her love of flowers, creativity and the finer things.

Gardening Series, How-to

How to create an outdoor container display for summer | ‘Thriller, filler, spiller’ formula

The “thriller, filler and spiller” formula – a guide for creating an outdoor pot display for summer.

Sustainable orchard garden full of pear and fruit trees

Books, How-to

Your ever-changing orchard | Homegrown fruit: A Practical Guide

If you’ve ever dreamed of growing your own fruit but weren’t sure where to begin, let us introduce you to Homegrown Fruit: A Practical Guide. The book is packed with straightforward advice for your easy orchard life – growing prolific, healthy fruit trees at home.

Flower garden with mixed blooms and a small shed set among mature trees

Gardens, People

Plot twist | The Little Barn Garden

Wedding flowers are usually sourced from growers and florists, but Liv Wynne-Lewis decided hers would come from the soil of her parents’ Hawke’s Bay farm.

Outdoor New York courtyard with autumn foliage in planters

Gardens

Water Tower Grove | A garden in the Manhattan sky

A New York City rooftop garden created to unite architecture, planting and urban life.

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Here, you’ll find stories that explore and celebrate the beauty of places and people found within green spaces. Plus, loads of practical gardening advice and how-tos.

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A journal for the garden curious.

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