A biodiverse, coastal-inspired haven in the city

What are you aiming to create with ‘We the Wild’?

It’s a climate-resilient urban garden designed as an ecological micro system, showing how compact spaces can deliver real environmental benefits in dense cities. 

Inspired by Victoria’s southern coastline and the richness of Gadubanud Country, the garden layers 100% Australian native planting, Eucalyptus canopy and granite formations to create a space that feels both expansive and intimate. 
The garden demonstrates how even modest residential landscapes can support biodiversity and urban cooling, and reconnect people with nature. 

Designing for a temporary show is very different to a permanent garden — how did you approach that? 

We’ve been planning our Show Garden since June 2025, and from the beginning a key part has been the environmental benefits that it can demonstrate. There’s always risk in relying on living systems, and we’re aiming for measurable outcomes around pollination, cooling and canopy in that one week during the Show.

Are there particular details that are especially important to the overall composition?

In terms of our planting philosophy, we’ve used all Australian native plants, reinforcing the idea of the garden as a living micro-system rather than a decorative installation. We also recognise several planting zones in the garden, with a fernery in the deeper shade area, a perennial meadow of paper daisies towards the north, and a clustering of grass trees similar to that found throughout the coastal understorey.

What do you hope visitors take away from your garden?

We hope visitors walk away seeing small urban gardens differently – that even compact spaces can be restorative, purposeful and ecologically rich. If visitors leave feeling more connected to nature, and more confident that their own garden can play a meaningful role in a healthier urban ecosystem, then we have achieved what we set out to do.