We are thrilled to welcome Matt York back to the 2025 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show within the prestigious Show Gardens competition! We can’t wait to see his latest creation come to life at this year’s show! In Ratio with Africa promises to be a must-see feature, offering visitors a stunning exploration of garden design across continents. Learn more about his inspiration and vision below!
In Ratio With Africa – Matt York
Matt York’s latest masterpiece, In Ratio with Africa, is a breathtaking exploration of the intricate connections between African and Australian garden design. With a wealth of experience working on international projects in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana, Matt brings a global perspective to his craft. The Show garden explores how we can learn from international patterns and ratios of outdoor living, gathering, occasion, use of light and resilient planting design. The team also examine the use and re-use of water in the garden, and examine its benefits in cooling urban spaces and sensory values.
DESIGNER – Matt York
LEAD CONSTURCTION GROUP – Stewart BuildCo
KEY CONTRIBUTORS
Ratio Consultants
Kuranga Native Nursery
Speciality Trees
Palm Life
Rocks Plus
Surefire hot tubs
Coolabah Turf
Shapescaper
Barwon Timber
What’s the one element of your show garden you’re most excited for people to see?
Our garden explores trends in garden design as we currently work on projects in both Africa and Australia. I’m really looking forward to showing people how we have learnt about resilient garden designs across the world, and how small garden design can be impactful and through consideration of deep soils and podium enable large trees to flourish.
What are your favourite current trends or themes in garden design?
I love how people are trending towards smaller gardening spaces, and the tiny home movement is having a great influence on how we reconsider how much space we actually need. This is further supported by the need for housing diversity and greater density, so how we can facilitate larger trees in smaller gardens to nurture and cool our city as it grows to 8 million people in the next 25 years will be so important.
What’s your favorite plant, flower, or feature in this year’s garden, and why?
I fell in love with the Baobab (Adansonia digitata) whilst working in Ghana last year, and the cultural connection Ghanaian people have with this tree is profound. Similar connection in Australia is found with the Queensland Bottle Tree( Brachychiton rupestris), and the connection with country we share through this tree is celebrated in our design.
What’s a gardening tip or trick you swear by?
I really enjoy hand watering and how connected watering by hand brings you to individual plants throughout the garden. My son and I have just obsessed on a self-sown Roma tomato in a balcony pot at home which we assume has grown from the relics of a sandwich, and is now producing fresh fruit given our daily hand watering ritual.
What’s the one tool or piece of equipment you can’t live without?
It’s an even tie between my secateurs and my drawing table. I spend time with both of them each day be it hand drawing or in the garden.
If you could invite anyone (past or present) to stroll through your show garden, who would it be and why?
My final year lecturer at RMIT (School of Architecture) Dr Sue-Anne Ware. She had a profound influence on me and my understanding of both the role and responsibility of Landscape Architecture and design.
