Melanie Husada
Poppy & the Bee is a small garden design business working predominantly in central Victoria. My design ethos is one of designing with the surrounding landscapes in mind; creating gardens that reflect the landscape around them that are sensitive to their local environment. I use local materials where possible and select plants that are suited to the environment that they are planted in. I love playing with plants to create beautiful landscapes that change with the seasons, predominantly with a bit of a wild bent. I believe that creating a garden design should be a collaborative process with the garden owner, and that the design process should be as much fun as the garden installation. One thing that has become apparent to me the longer I’ve worked in this field is the ability of gardening to be a transformative activity. The contemplation of creating your own space with plants can be a very rewarding and sometime healing process.
Designing Peter’s border was a fun challenge, as he is a keen plantsman and has cared for and managed the planting so well. I also admire his ‘tough love’ approach to watering his garden, and it has come through the challenge admirably to date. I really enjoy the seasonal changes in this garden, from its exuberant floral display in Spring, to it’s more subtle autumnal and winter tones, where it is all about the structural elements of the garden carrying it through.