The Front Garden

Join hosts Chris and Tyson as they chat with landscape architecture expert Nathan Burkett.   From his beginnings in the industry to his shift from commercial to residential landscapes, Nathan shares his insights and experiences. Discover how the mentorship and guidance from Robert Boyle, shaped his career. Hear about Nathan's award-winning show garden at MIFGS and gain valuable insights into...

Paul Bangay is Australia’s most sought-after garden designer, with close to forty years’ experience. Known for his mastery of scale, balance, form and colour, Paul draws on his lifelong study of the natural and classical worlds to create gardens around the globe. EPISODE LINKS: Paul Bangay Garden Design - https://www.paulbangay.com/ Got a suggestion for an episode of The Front Garden? Send us a te...

Join hosts Chris and Tyson as they explore the world of sustainability with Simon, President of Sustainable Gardening Australia and Principal of Green Change Solutions. Discover how Simon's organization nurtures biodiversity, promote local food production, and drive sustainability. EPISODE LINKS: Sustainable Gardens Australia - https://www.sgaonline.org.au/ TFG Sponsor: MRL Media - https://mr...

Join hosts Chris and Tyson as they tackle the crucial topic of sun safety in Australia, the melanoma capital of the world. Justine Osborne, who is the Advocacy & Policy Manager of the SunSmart program at Cancer Council Victoria, shares essential tips to staying sun smart and challenges common misconceptions. Tyson also opens up about his own melanoma scare, emphasizing the urgency of sun prote...

Hear from Landscaping Victoria’s new CEO, Ritchie Hinton, as he discusses a wide range of topics with our brilliant hosts, Chris & Tyson. As well as learning about Ritchie’s professional background and career to date (spoiler alert – he’s pretty sporty!), he shares his first impressions of LV, the broader landscaping industry and the organisation’s vision for the future. Join us for this unmis...

Join hosts Chris and Tyson as they chat with Thami Croeser, a passionate advocate for integrating green life into urban spaces. Thami discusses his passion for turning streets into eco-friendly havens, emphasizing the global trend of cities replacing parking spaces with green streets for the cooling, biodiversity and mental health benefits. He shares insights on standards for urban greenery, the r...

Join hosts Chris and Tyson as they explore the vibrant world of landscape design with guest speaker Scott Leung. From surveying to discovering a love for horticulture, Scott shares his journey, including landing his first job in the industry with Rick Eckersley and the mentorship experience. Explore the dynamic Eckersley office, where a team of six designers handle diverse projects, alongside thei...

If you are new to the industry or starting up a business, tune in to hear from one of the best in the industry. Learn how the client onboarding and design process takes place, and how you can be a better designer overall, as Chris and Tyson chat to Darin Bradbury from MINT Landscape Design.  Starting in the wine industry as a winemaker, judge and avid drinker of the product (he still does this las...

Chris and Tyson review the year that was, both from an industry and podcasting perspective. They then gaze into their crystal ball to speculate on 2024 and how that will shape up for the industry, as well as answer questions from listeners received via our SpeakPipe messaging service!  You too can pose a question for the lads to answer, or make a suggestion for a guest you'd like to hear from...

An insightful episode as where we sit down with Paul Leesment, the visionary behind Supreme Green, who shares his remarkable journey spanning over 21 years in the landscaping industry. Discover how, after a decade of experience, Paul identified a unique niche in new home landscaping. Focused on providing clients with a comprehensive solution, Supreme Green became a one-stop-shop for post-builder s...

In this episode, hosts Chris and Tyson sit down with the talented Anthony Scott, delving into his journey from landscape construction to design. Anthony shares insights on avoiding undervaluation as a designer and emphasizes the importance of strategic pricing. Tune in as he reflects on judging at the 2023 Industry Awards, highlighting the growth he's witnessed in businesses that participate...

A dedicated episode talking to Rob Schaasberg from Builders Edge Consulting about every aspect of building registration, permits and more. Take a deep dive into the regulations that drive building and construction in Victoria and get a clear understanding as to your obligations as a structural landscaper. LVML also offer listeners the chance to watch a webinar with Rob recorded recently - see Epis...

Chris & Tyson chat with some of the Boutique Garden Finalists for 2024 who will be competing for glory at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.  Paul Pritchard, Daniel Althaus, Sam Collie and Craig McLachlan share their past encounters with show gardens, from being student garden participants to having participated at Chelsea, and what they are looking forward to when they get...

As a second generation family-business owner, Kate originally came from the travel industry to help her father for a small time, but ended up staying!  Then she also brought her engineer husband in for a short period, and he's still there to this day too, as is her brother, parents and her parents who originally started Compass Pools.  Some 26 years later, Kate says its exciting and emotional...

Working in a partnership with her landscaper husband, Sam, Emily speaks candidly about the pressures of business in general, but with the added layer of balancing work and life when there is a clear cross-over. Touching on how to take a family holiday whilst leaving procedures in place, wills, insurances... all the un-sexy but vitally important information is discussed. Emily chats about what work...

Loving his job so much that he'd do it for free, (well, almost!), Kallee Sas built his business through Covid and specialises in irrigation installations.  Father of four boys under 4yo and former Pro Wrestler, Kallee has taken irrigation installation to the next level. Starting as a landscaper but discovering irrigation along the way, he is a passionate  business operator always looking for...

Swapping from studying Art, to Interior Design, Bethany still didn't discover Landscape Architecture until she was working in a furniture store and found herself bored by curtains. With a strong desire to keep studying she discovered Landscape Architecture. Working for herself after a long stint with an established firm, it took some time for Bethany to find her own style but creating an emot...

After a false start with a Commerce degree, landscaping got its claws into Bronson and he worked his way through a variety of experiences to build the very successful Melbourne Landscape Co., specialising in commercial play spaces. Taken aback by all the double handling in management systems and processes available and the heavy administrative requirements, Bronson was frustrated by current market...

Chris and Tyson uncover the secrets of building playgrounds with Cam Grant (Landstruct) and the benefits of battery powered OPE with Cam Hainsworth (Abcam) before exploring the benefits of entering the LV Awards program. Abcam's master plan to grow their business included entering the awards for the first time in 2022 with the intent of taking out a win to build exposure and confidence, (whic...

"People don't buy what you do, they buy they way you do it." Paul Hamilton shares his learnings from 15 years in business and then opens up about his diagnosis with a rare and aggressive form of cancer which has led to his turnaround career into a business coach and leader. The importance of looking after yourself, your family and your relationships is highlighted in this compelling...

In this episode, Chris and Tyson dive into the latest landscaping technology with Kerl Kudos from Madewell Products, alongside Paul Smith from Capiphon. EPISODE LINKS: Madewell Products : https://www.madewellproducts.com/   Capiphon: https://capiphonvictoria.com.au/ TFG Sponsor: Botanix Plant Supplies - https://www.botanixplantsupply.com.au/ Landscaping Victoria Master Landscapers - https://www.la...

Guests in this episode join Chris and Tyson to talk about career pathways in landscaping, including Russ Sweetman from Maroondah Landscapes who is joined by employees Mark, Nicole, and Alex who talk about their in-house Apprenticeship Academy. Rob Schaasberg from Builders Edge then takes the mic to talk about how landscapers can go about getting their builders license with the VBA through LVML&apo...

Chris and Tyson chat to James Webster from Worksafe, Mark Osborne from Sunsmart and Chris Minke from Felco, about the importance of safety on the worksite. They discuss how you can ensure you are being safe in the sun and on the tools.  Tune in to learn expert tips on how to prioritise workplace safety as an integral part of your daily activity. This is a killer episode full of the usual fun bante...

David chats to Chris and Tyson about business, delving into the costs associated with operating. the pressure that places on businesses and his thoughts for the future of the industry. EPISODE LINKS: Coolabah Landscapes - https://www.coolabahlandscapes.com.au/ TFG Sponsor: Botanix Plant Supplies - https://www.botanixplantsupply.com.au/ Landscaping Victoria Master Landscapers - https://www.landscap...

From cycling around Europe to training as a masseuse, the path to becoming a Landscape architect has been far from traditional for Liz Herbert. In her current role at Openwork, Liz speaks about the depth, and importance, of background research that goes into developing public gardens such as the Healing Garden at Heide Museum. Liz is also deeply interested in Therapeutic Horticulture and talks abo...