Where it all began
My love for horticulture was first sowed in the house yard of my grandparents’ farm in the Northern Burnett shire of regional Queensland. Despite enduring drought and other hardships, my grandparents’ love for gardening had a strong impact on me.
I aspire to recreate their sprawling farm-style cottage garden rich with colour, fragrance, and productive plants. Hopefully my garden and horticultural ethos inspires others in the same way my grandparents’ garden inspired me.
The Smart Gardener, where did it come from?
The Smart Gardener was originally a pseudonym name during my final year at the University of Queensland - Gatton College. Initially, I started a Facebook page called The Smart Gardener aimed at blogging my personal gardening experiences. After a while my social media presence developed a small but dedicated following. From there, the brand grew and so did my confidence as a Horticulturist.
My career as a Horticulturist
My entire working life has been based around the nursery and gardening industry. Since starting as a Junior Nursery Hand in my late teens, my experience now encompasses many different fields, including retail horticulture, garden maintenance and landscape installation.
In the beginning, I worked as a Gardener and Landscaper in the big end of town in Brisbane City. As my confidence and experience grew, I shifted from practical horticulture to theoretical studies which resulted in obtaining a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Queensland. From there, I spent time as Horticulturist and Nursery Manager at one of Brisbane’s top Independent Garden Centre’s.
After my time in Brisbane, my family and I decided to take up refuge on the western side of the Great Dividing Range. I now call Toowoomba home and spend my time working with clients to maintain, install and design gardens.