The Front Garden
The Front Garden is the podcast for landscaping and green industry professionals looking for practical ideas, honest conversations, and fresh perspectives from across the sector. Produced by Landscaping Victoria and hosted by Adam Hompas, it shares real stories and useful insights to help listeners grow their careers, businesses, and industry knowledge.
The Front Garden
Designing with Nature: Jocelyn Bennett on Native Gardens & striking Gold at MIFGS | The Front Garden EP124
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In this episode…
Our host, Chris Weiss, chats with Jocelyn Bennett from Earthcore Landscapes, the design force behind the gold-winning Boutique Garden at the 2025 Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.
Jocelyn shares her unconventional path from engineering student to landscape designer, the challenges and triumphs of showcasing a native garden at MIFGS, and the power of design and construction working hand-in-hand.
She reflects on the steep learning curves of running a small business, setting healthy work boundaries, and the importance of reusing materials and designing sustainably.
With honesty and insight, Jocelyn reveals the highs and lows of building a business with her partner Liam, why native planting inspires her, and why landscape design is as much about problem-solving as it is about creativity.
Key takeaways:
- The value of having in-house construction insight during the design process
- Why native planting and sustainability go hand in hand
- How to manage client expectations and screen for project fit early
- What it takes to prepare for (and survive) a MIFGS build
- Advice for other designers considering Boutique Gardens
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👁️🗨️ About Jocelyn Bennett
- Website earthcorelandscapes.com.au
- Facebook Earthcore Landscapes
- Instagram @earthcorelandscapes
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