Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show 2025

We are incredibly proud to have been part of ǝ’skāp, the award-winning show garden at the 2025 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show. The garden was awarded Gold, named the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence – Best in Show, and received the Horticultural Media Association Award for Best Use of Plant Life.

ǝ’skāp was a collaborative garden, bringing together South Australian landscape designers, landscapers, horticulturists and suppliers. It was an enormous team effort, made possible by the hard work and generosity of so many people. The garden was designed to encourage visitors to slow down, reconnect and enjoy a moment of peace amongst the bustle of Melbourne’s Carlton Gardens.

The planting brought together the strong, structural forms of Australian native plants with softer, flowing grasses that moved beautifully in the breeze. Natural stone was used throughout, including a fireplace with surrounding seating that created a welcoming place to gather. One of the standout features was the grapevine-covered shade arbour, with its steel structure creating beautiful dappled light below. A reflection pond added another layer of calm, while floating stairs and walkways invited visitors to wander through and experience the garden from different perspectives.

Bringing a garden of this scale to life was a huge undertaking, and we’re incredibly proud of what our Yergan team contributed. Jason played a significant role in turning the original garden design into a buildable project. He developed the detailed working drawings, which guided construction and were used by Hanna Digital to create the 3D renders. Jason also designed the cantilevered pavilion, one of the garden’s most recognisable features.

Alongside this, Jason was heavily involved in planning the construction schedule, organising logistics and leading our team on site to bring everything together within the tight timeframe of the show. Four of our team members travelled from Adelaide to Melbourne to help build the garden, and their efforts were nothing short of incredible. Janek and Zac, in particular, put an enormous amount of work into completing the pavilion fit-out and pond installation, along with the walkways, staircases and other structural elements. The hours, dedication and skill that went into these features were remarkable, and we’re so proud of what they achieved.

Behind the scenes, Haylee and Tahlia were also busy bringing the project together and sharing its story. Haylee designed the garden signage, landing page and team t-shirts, helping bring a consistent look to the project both on site and online. Tahlia managed the social media campaign, documenting the build through photography and drone footage, and helped share the garden’s story through SALIFE and SALIFE Gardens. You can read it here: SA Wins Big- Words by Tahlia Webster

From the early planning and working drawings through to construction, logistics and promotion, our team put an incredible amount of time and energy into this project.Being part of such a significant South Australian collaboration at MIFGS was something really special. To then see ǝ’skāp receive three of the show’s highest honours made the experience even more memorable. We’re also incredibly grateful to the many suppliers, sponsors and small businesses who supported the garden. Their generosity played a huge part in making the project possible, and we can’t thank them enough.

Although ǝ’skāp was created for MIFGS 2025, we’re pleased that part of the garden will continue to make a difference. The shade arbour was donated to the Little Heroes Foundation to be auctioned at their annual gala ball, with proceeds going towards research into childhood dementia. It was a huge few months for everyone involved, and while show gardens come with their fair share of challenges, we’re incredibly proud to have been part of this one.

A big thank you to Clint and the WaterPro team for filming and sharing our experience. Watch our interview here: Best in Show | Jason Schulz

Photography: Tahlia Webster