Paul is a qualified horticulturalist and restoration ecologist. As a horticulturalist he worked at the University of Melbourne for 8 years designing, managing and maintaining the university grounds. Paul also has experience in retail horticulture having worked at Bulleen Art & Garden as Environmental Officer developing environmental initiatives for the nursery. Following its inception in 2002 Paul worked as Sustainable Gardening Australia's Research Officer developing environmental ratings systems, environmental audit systems and sustainable design principles for the gardening industry. Paul has extensive experience as a trainer and lecturer in the TAFE system and at The University of Melbourne (Burnley Campus). Paul currently heads a major research project partnered by Greening Australia and Melbourne University investigating the restoration of native grassland communities.
Brian has been involved in the landscape industry for over 25 years with the last 20 years being spent building his own landscape design, construction and maintenance business, Brian Rankin and Staff Pty Ltd. Throughout this time Brian has been actively involved in industry direction through teaching at NMIT, his past presidency of the Landscape Industries Association of Victoria and seats on various industry advisory groups.
Currently a board member of Sustainable Gardening Australia, Brian continues to pursue and implement sustainable alternatives within his business and the wider landscape community.
Kevin is a garden designer, qualified horticulturist and garden writer based in Castlemaine, Victoria. Described by Country Gardener magazine as a 'dedicated and erudite landscape designer', he works throughout country Victoria designing and advising on gardens of all shapes and sizes. His writing has appeared in a number of books, magazines and journals, including Botanica's Trees and Shrubs, The Oxford Companion to Australian Gardens, The Age, and Your Garden. For ten years he answered gardening questions for the garden page of The Age and he has been an ABC radio regular for almost seven years.
He is an acknowledged expert in water-wise gardens, having written Australia's first book on the subject published first in 1993. The fully revised third edition of his much acclaimed book, Waterwise Gardening, was released in January 2004. He has spoken widely on the topic and is also a consultant on the subject to various water authorities, including Coliban Water and Sydney Water.
Diana Cotter has a Higher National Diploma in Amenity Horticulture from Writtle Agricultural College in Chelmsford .UK.(1982) She ran her own Garden Design and Maintenance business in London for 7 years and arrived in Australia in 1989 Diana now runs a Garden Design Practise and enjoys planting up the gardens once the hard landscaping has been completed. She has an increasing awareness and interest in making gardens and gardening practises environmentally sound, and is keen to promote simple, achievable alternatives.
Donna is a garden designer, qualified horticulturist and South West TAFE horticulture teacher living in Western Victoria. In addition to her teaching role, she runs her own garden design practice specialising in sustainable gardens suited to the Western District. She is currently the president of the Friends of the Hamilton Botanic Gardens and is working with council to incorporate sustainable gardening practices into the gardens. She regularly gives talks to local community groups and garden clubs on practical sustainable garden design and writes a semi regular column on green gardening for the local newspaper.
Frances has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Horticulture) and was awarded the Parks & Recreation Prize for her final year work 'Energy efficient landscapes for medium density development'. She's a former editor of Landscape Australia, the official journal of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, and Australasian Flowers, a flower industry magazine. Frances has her own garden design practice (sustainable gardens only of course), and she is a freelance writer with involvement in media and promotional work. Frances also spends a day a week at Swinburne TAFE's Wantirna campus, organising short courses and industry courses in horticulture and environmental sciences.
Gail, a committed conservationist, has successfully combined her passion for nature and horticulture over a period of many years. After graduating from Burnley Horticultural College in the 70's she increased her working knowledge of Australian native plants through employment at Tree Planters Nursery, before entering the teaching profession. Currently employed at Holmesglen Institute, Gail has influenced many horticultural students and is well known for her enthusiastic approach to sustainable horticultural practices.