By Tanya Steele
The Chelsea Australian Garden at Olinda has been awarded the Outstanding Park Project of the Year by World Urban Parks.
The global recognition was announced recently at the World Urban Parks Congress in the Netherlands and highlighted the efforts of the project designed and created by Phillip Johnson Landscapes.
“To receive that recognition is just so exciting,” said Olinda landscape designer Phillip Johnson.
“The teamwork that’s gone into this has been extraordinary. There have been so many people that have been part of this project,” he said.
A decade in the making, the Chelsea Australian Garden is now a permanent feature within the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden, located on Wurundjeri Country.
“This garden, this was based on my original garden and was once and only time for Australia to win a gold best in show at the centenary year of Chelsea,” said Mr Johnson.
“It took ten years to actually find the funding from state, federal and philanthropic donations to make this project happen, this award is an enormous milestone,” he said.
The Chelsea Garden stemmed from a gold and best-in-show winning entry at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show in London in 2013.
Designed by Phillip Johnson, Horticulturist Wes Fleming, and the Trailfinders Team the entry inspired the replica, which is over 20 times the size of the original display and unveiled to the world on Friday 30 June, 2023.
Featuring a billabong and waterfall operated by solar and battery power, Chelsea Garden contains some 15,000 plants from over 400 different species that find their home in the garden, around 100 of which are rare and endangered.
Mr Johnson said he has a firm belief in public open spaces and before the garden even actualised he said he pledged to the ongoing financial cost of maintaining the garden for the next ten years.
“I believed in what we wanted to bring back for everyone to enjoy – so we are always looking for support,” he said.
“We’re looking for people to help join our friends group. We are looking for people to help financially, and donate to the project.”
“We have a foundation called People and Parks Foundation. There are QR codes in the garden at the donor’s board that any donation is tax deductible that helps us to maintain or buy plants.”
The People and Parks Foundation is an Australian environment and health charity and every donation helps Mr Johnson and his team maintain the garden space.
“At the moment – there’s still amazing waratahs that are flowering,” he said.
In the years to come, Mr Johnson said he wants to see the garden continue and expand and utilise the stormwater runoff more efficiently.
“I want to create an extraordinary example of water-sensitive urban design,” he said.
People can view the now world-award-winning garden space within the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens at 24 The Georgian Rd, Olinda.
