At the 2023 Melbourne Flower Show, my favourite boutique garden was one that didn’t win or even come second. I bumped into it early one morning when I had my camera and the sky was cloudy. It’s simplicity and structure just popped for me.The Boutique Gardens are physically much smaller than the grand show gardens but in some way, it makes them more achievable, particularly financially, and therefore somewhat more realistic to what the average gardener may be able to achieve.
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The garden was called The Duality Garden and it was designed by Bronni Skinner. Landscape construction was performed by KlayCon Construction. I’ve never met these people but am so pleased that the industry has such a depth of talent.Reading about this courtyard garden, it is infused with an old-world feel speaking to a time passed with elements from both Mesoamerica and the Mediterranean – an beautiful infusion of middle Americas with a touch of Europe.To me it was the simplicity and arid-ness of the cacti, combined with earthy colours of the building and the very funky lights. Throw in a spectacular cloud pruned olive tree (which the photos don’t do justice) and it was a garden that totally resonated with me.My final declaration is that this garden was the most photogenic one in the entire show. So passing it by with my Sony ZV-E10 with an E4/PZ 10-20 Glens in hand was an absolute treat for me, even though I still don’t know how to use it properly!Bronni SkinnerKlayCon Construction