Great gardens, big ideas and a little inspiration: Inside Garden DesignFest 2026

PODCAST

Opening a garden creates opportunities to learn, connect and give back. In episode 155 of The Front Garden, Garden DesignFest organisers Phil Mortimer and Malcolm Baird explore how visiting professionally designed gardens can offer practical insights into planting, materials and layout. They also discuss how the event showcases industry expertise, connects students with real projects, and raises funds for community causes. 

Landscaping Victoria | 30 October 2026 | 4 min read

Just ask Phil Mortimer, one of the organisers behind Garden DesignFest. Of the more than 300 gardens opened to the public since the event began, one of his favourites was barely three metres by four metres.

It was also the most popular garden of that year's event.

The space was so compact that when a television crew arrived to film it, they had to position their camera inside the house and shoot through the kitchen window.

What made it special? Not its scale, its budget or a sweeping view. It was simply the extraordinary interest the designer created in such a small space.

It's a wonderful reminder that great landscape design isn't measured in square metres. It's measured in imagination, thoughtful decisions, and the ability to make a space truly work.

And it's exactly the kind of inspiration waiting behind the gates at Garden DesignFest 2026.

In episode 155 of The Front Garden, host Adam Hompas sits down with Garden DesignFest organisers Phil Mortimer and Malcolm Baird to explore the stories, people and purpose behind this much-loved event, and why it deserves a place on every landscape professional's calendar.
 

What is Garden DesignFest?

Imagine stepping into a beautifully designed private garden, admiring the planting, paving, and outdoor spaces, and then asking the person who designed it exactly how it all came together.

Why those plants?

Why that material?

How did they tackle a challenging site?

What would they do differently?

That's what makes Garden DesignFest different from simply admiring beautiful gardens in a magazine or scrolling through another perfectly curated Instagram feed.

You get to experience the finished landscape firsthand, see how its elements work together and, importantly, speak with the professionals behind it.

For landscape designers, builders, horticulturists and apprentices, it's a rare opportunity to see the thinking behind the finished product.

And there's plenty to discover.

From established planting schemes and clever material choices to outdoor rooms, entertaining areas and intricate hardscaping, the gardens showcase the breadth of skills that go into creating exceptional outdoor spaces.

As Malcolm points out in the podcast, visitors might initially be drawn to the flowers, but they're really experiencing the whole design, including the structural elements that make everything else possible.

It's a reminder that a beautiful garden is never just about the plants.

The best ideas don't always come from the biggest gardens

One of the most interesting insights from the conversation is the importance of variety.

Garden DesignFest has featured everything from expansive ten-acre landscapes to compact suburban courtyards.

While a spectacular Mornington Peninsula property overlooking the bay might inspire a little garden envy, smaller, more relatable spaces often offer the most practical ideas.

A cleverly designed courtyard can create depth, define outdoor zones, introduce layers of planting, or make a modest footprint feel generous.

For professionals, these gardens offer an opportunity to look beyond the visual impact and consider the decisions that made it possible.

How has the designer balanced aesthetics with functionality?

How does the landscape connect with the home?

What makes the outdoor space inviting, interesting and practical to use?

Why established gardens offer valuable lessons

Seeing established gardens, rather than newly completed projects, offers something particularly valuable.

Plants have had time to grow. Materials have weathered. The landscape has evolved.

And sometimes, the garden tells a story about what happens after the designer hands over the keys.

Phil notes that a magnificent garden can look quite different ten years down the track, especially when planting is removed, or the original design is altered.

For landscape professionals, that's a valuable lesson. Great design includes making thoughtful choices that keep delivering as the garden matures.

What can landscape professionals learn from open gardens?

One garden visit can change a career

Perhaps the episode's most compelling moment comes from Adam himself.

Long before he was hosting The Front Garden, Adam visited an open garden in Beaumaris. It was around 2007, before he'd begun his landscaping apprenticeship.

That experience helped spark his interest in the industry.

Years later, he's sitting across from the people who created that opportunity, interviewing them about the very event that inspired his career!

It's a lovely full-circle moment, and a powerful example of why opening professionally designed gardens matters.

You never quite know who's walking through the gate.

It might be a homeowner searching for ideas, a landscape designer seeking fresh inspiration, or a young person who hasn't yet considered landscaping as a career.

Bringing the next generation into the garden

Malcolm is particularly passionate about that last group.

For the 2026 event, he's been reaching out to TAFEs and tertiary education providers across Victoria, encouraging them to bring students along and make the most of the opportunity.

His suggestion is simple: visit the gardens, take photographs, speak with the designers, ask questions and bring those insights back into the classroom.

Imagine studying landscape design or construction and being able to stand inside a completed project, discussing the decisions with someone who actually made them.

That's the kind of real-world learning that can bring an assignment to life. And who knows? Somewhere among this year's visitors might be the next Adam Hompas!

Showcasing the people behind the landscapes

For Landscaping Victoria, the 2026 partnership with Garden DesignFest is a natural fit. Both organisations share an interest in helping the public understand and appreciate the expertise involved in professional landscaping.

And there's an important distinction here.

A garden might look effortless when it's finished, but behind that beautiful result are countless decisions, specialist skills and often considerable collaboration.

Designers, landscape builders, horticulturists and suppliers all play a role in bringing outdoor spaces to life.

Garden DesignFest lets visitors see that expertise in action.

The event also gives participating professionals opportunities to showcase their work, connect with potential clients, and share their knowledge with others in the industry.

Garden DesignFest welcomes landscape builders and others who contributed to featured projects, recognising the value of their practical knowledge alongside the designer's vision.

It's an important message for an industry built on collaboration.

The finished garden might be the star of the show, but the people and skills behind it deserve their moment in the spotlight too.

Landscaping Victoria Members showcasing their work in Garden DesignFest 2026

Beautiful gardens doing something good

Of course, Garden DesignFest has endured for more than two decades for another reason.

The event does more than celebrate great gardens; it uses them to make a difference.

Established in 2004 by landscape designer John Patrick through the Rotary Club of Kew, Garden DesignFest is now jointly run by the Rotary Clubs of Kew and Brighton North.

Since its beginnings, the event has opened more than 300 private gardens, involved approximately 120 landscape designers, and raised over $800,000 for charitable causes.

That's an impressive legacy, made possible by the generosity of garden owners, participating professionals, sponsors and hundreds of volunteers.

Supporting families and communities

For 2026, the major fundraising focus is Family Life, supporting its work with families experiencing stress and family violence, including programs promoting violence-free families.

Phil and Malcolm speak with genuine pride about Rotary's broader community work, from youth mental health initiatives to programs helping children participate in sport.

Much of this work happens quietly, without fanfare.

And that's part of what makes Garden DesignFest so special.

Garden DesignFest 2026: Make a weekend of it

This year's Garden DesignFest will open 18 professionally designed private gardens across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula, grouped into convenient locations to make exploring easier.

Whether you're looking for ideas for your next project, keen to see what fellow professionals are creating, or simply love experiencing great landscape design, there's plenty of reason to get involved.

Event details

Dates: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November 2026
Time: 10 am – 5 pm daily
Locations: Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula
Garden entry: $10–$15 per garden
Weekend pass: $80 for access to all participating gardens
Bus tours: Organised garden tours are also available

Full garden details, ticket options and tour information are available at gardendesignfest.com.au.

And if you're a landscape professional, consider making the weekend more than a casual wander. Bring an apprentice. Chat with a fellow designer. Look closely at the construction details. Ask questions. Take photographs. Discover something you might approach differently on your next project.

Listen to The Front Garden podcast – Episode 155

Want to hear more about the Garden DesignFest, the people behind the event, and the extraordinary community work it supports?

Listen to Episode 155 of The Front Garden, featuring Phil Mortimer and Malcolm Baird in conversation with host Adam Hompas.

Listen to The Front Garden EP155: What Open Gardens Can Teach Landscape Professionals 

Follow The Front Garden wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss future episodes.

Landscaping Victoria proudly presents The Front Garden podcast, brought to you by ShapeScaper.

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