We were delighted to announce Natalie Back as the recipient of our 2025 MIFGS Student and Emerging Designers Grant with her garden design: The Sustainable Sanctuary.

Natalie submitted a wonderful design that creates a tranquil setting featuring a soft colour palette, drought-resistant plants that offer sanctuary for wildlife, textural interest with feathery grasses and a range of foliage and a sustainable irrigation system. Her design will feature at our stand at this year’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

This is the third year we have offered our MIFGS Student and Emerging Designer Grant as an opportunity to support the development of the next generation of garden professionals. It provides them with exposure to the industry and general public at this prestigious show. Revenue from our garden openings and events is used to fund this initiative. 

Our Chair, Dr Karen White spoke about our grant and Natalie’s winning design:

“Our mission is to broaden interest in gardening and to promote the health and wellbeing benefits of green spaces. So, we are delighted by the serenity of Natalie’s design, its soft colour palette, and the use of swaying ornamental grasses and textural plants. An unexpected whimsical element adds interest and surprise to this tranquil setting.” 

Natalie is from Emerald and received her Diploma of Landscape Design and Diploma of Horticulture from Swinburne University in 2023. For the past 18 months, she has run her own business, Living Earth Design, where she applies her extensive gardening experience and professional design practice to create transformative and sustainable outdoor spaces.

Natalie is a passionate advocate for sustainable living, with a deep love for vegetable gardening and fruit trees. Her garden designs are inspired by her desire to reconnect people with nature, and she blends unique, environment-focused solutions with striking colour and texture combinations. Her naturalistic approach transforms outdoor spaces into harmonious environments that inspire and flourish.

She described her garden design: “When you sit in the garden, you will hear the wind rustling through the tall grasses and swaying spikelets. You might see bees drinking at the water bowl after pollinating the explosion of purple flowers. Or spot a lizard sunbaking on a rock before it scuttles away to a hidey-hole among dense plantings.”

The response to Natalie’s garden from MIFGS visitors was very positive, with many finding elements of the planting plan and features that they could incorporate into their home garden. Natalie was onsite each day to answer questions from visitors and to share her design knowledge with visitors to the stand.