Studio Workshops · October 2026

Learn to garden
ecologically.

Small, hands-on studio sessions for people who want to understand their garden through place, ecology, structure and time. Held at our Hawthorn studio and led by practising ecological garden designers.

The ladder

New to ecological gardening? Start with Introduction to Ecological Gardens. Ready to plan your own space? Join Where Gardens Begin.

Join the workshop list
Intro to Ecological Gardens
Reading the Land
Designing Ecologically
Natives in the Garden
Where Gardens Begin
October 2026
Intro to Ecological Gardens
Reading the Land
Designing Ecologically
Natives in the Garden
Where Gardens Begin
October 2026
01
2 hours · max 8

Introduction to Ecological Gardens

A calm, practical introduction to gardening with place, structure, plants and time.

This is the worldview session. We look at what an ecological garden actually is — not a messy wilderness, not a native garden only — and how to begin thinking about your own space through place, ecology, structure and time.

  • What is an ecological garden?
  • Start where you stand — reading sun, shade, wind and water
  • Structure before planting
  • Indigenous first, exotic with intention
  • Habitat, soil and water
  • The garden as a long conversation

Take home: Printed notes, plant list, ecological garden checklist. Tea and coffee included.

Start here
Wed 7 Oct 2026
$145
per person
6pm – 8pm
Hawthorn studio
Reserve a place
02
2 hours · max 8

Reading the Land

Understand your garden before you change it.

  • How to observe a site properly
  • Sun, shade, water and wind patterns
  • Reading clues from existing plants
  • Understanding EVCs and indigenous vegetation
  • Using Find My Ecological Garden
  • What to document before starting a project

Take home: A printed Site Reading Sheet and ecological observation template.

Wed 14 Oct 2026
$145
per person
6pm – 8pm
Hawthorn studio
Reserve a place
03
2 hours · max 8

Designing Ecologically

Build the bones before choosing the plants.

  • Trees, paths, edges and garden rooms
  • Why structure comes before planting
  • Layered planting: canopy, shrub, ground, habitat
  • Swales, shade, soil cover and microclimate
  • How to stage a garden without wasting money
  • What makes a garden feel calm and resolved

Take home: A printed Ecological Garden Framework — structure, layers, habitat and rhythm.

Wed 21 Oct 2026
$165
per person
6pm – 8pm
Hawthorn studio
Reserve a place
04
2 hours · max 8

Natives in the Garden

Indigenous first, exotic with intention.

  • What "indigenous" means in a garden context
  • Native vs indigenous vs exotic
  • How to choose plants for birds, insects and soil
  • Layering local plants without losing beauty
  • Mixing indigenous with productive and fragrant exotics
  • Common mistakes with native gardens

Take home: A seasonal plant list and a plant-with-intention worksheet.

Wed 28 Oct 2026
$145
per person
6pm – 8pm
Hawthorn studio
Reserve a place
05
Half day · 4 hours · max 6

Where Gardens Begin

Bring your garden. Leave with a direction.

  • Reading your own site with a designer's eye
  • Finding your ecological vegetation class
  • Identifying the big design moves
  • What to do first, second and later
  • Where money is best spent
  • Early plant and material direction

Take home: A printed workbook, personal session notes, and a suggested first-stage action plan.

Premium
Sat 31 Oct 2026
$295
per person
$440 per couple
10am – 2pm
Hawthorn studio
Register interest
The Ecological Garden Series
Workshops 01–04. One pass, small saving.
$390 per person

Small by design

Each session is deliberately capped at eight people. The conversation stays close and the learning stays practical.

Studio setting

Held at our Hawthorn studio, surrounded by the plants, objects and reference material we use in our own design work.

Printed take-homes

Every workshop includes printed notes, worksheets or plant lists to carry the thinking forward.

Led by practitioners

Not instructors. The people who lead these sessions design ecological gardens for a living.

140 Auburn Road,
Hawthorn

Our Auburn Road studio sits in the inner east. Street parking is available on Auburn Road and surrounding streets. The nearest tram stop is on Auburn Road.

Part of the Gardener & Son network — ecological design studio, indigenous nursery, and heirloom garden objects.

Map embed
Places are deliberately limited.

Each session is small, practical and conversational, with printed notes, plant lists and follow-up resources included. Book directly through Eventbrite or register interest for the half-day intensive below.