Welcome to the Garden Design Study Group Website.
The Australian Garden Design Study Group is one of a number of Study Groups within the Australian Native Plants Society (Australia), whose aims are to further knowledge about the cultivation, propagation and conservation of Australian plants. The Study Group provides answers as to how we can have a beautiful Australian garden that is environmentally friendly, encourages and supports biodiversity and is completely self sustainable.
The Study Group has been in operation since 1993 and we include both amateur and professional designers among our members. The Group gathers and shares information mainly through regular newsletters and site visits. Our specific aims are:
- Carry out theoretical and practical investigation of garden design using Australian plants. A vital aspect of practical investigation is the keeping of plans and written and photographic records of examples of good garden design.
- Develop resources for people who are interested in garden design with Australian plants. Cataloguing of records of gardens and slides has already started and a long term aim is to establish a database of Australian plants with a focus on garden design.
- Encourage more successful use of Australian plants in gardens which the public can visit.
- Produce several newsletters a year and publish articles on garden design.
If you are interested in the use of Australian native plants in landscape planning, either on a small scale in the home garden or in larger, public gardens, why not consider joining and helping to develop beautiful native gardens that can be enjoyed for years to come.
Membership is available to members of an ANPSA-affiliated Regional Society. If you are not a member of a Regional Society, please refer to the ANPSA Membership Page for further information on joining.
You can download a membership form from the link below or, if you would like further information on the Group and its activities, please send a request using the following form (please note that all fields are mandatory* - you may edit the 'Message' field if necessary) :
Download Membership Form
(Adobe Acrobat Reader Required)
A selection of significant articles from our newsletters. These include:
- Garden Design for Australian Plants in a Changing World
- Rise of the Australian Plant Garden - a short history of Australian garden design.
- The Importance of Australia's Indigenous Plants.
- ...and many others
A selection of recommended books, journals and links to online garden design resources.
Who we are and what we do.
The Study Group produces several newsletters each year. These provide a forum for members to discuss garden design principles and allow for a free exchange of ideas and advice.
Newsletters published over recent years are available for download. In addition, a comprehensive on-line index has been developed, which is updated annually.
An extract from the book "The Australian Garden: Designing with Australian Plants" by Diana Snape, former leader of the Study Group. The extract includes the introductory chapters of the book and covers:
- Aims and Visions
- Design Principles
- Knowing the Site
- Making a Plan
- Putting it on Paper
The Study Group has begun a project to make a lasting record of significant gardens that have a predominance of Australian plants.
These "virtual tours" are highly detailed explorations of gardens that many people would be unable to visit in person and aims to assist them in developing ideas for designing their own Australian gardens.
In addition, there are a number of short, pictorial snapshots (with some description) which show the features of some of the gardens of Study Group members and others.
