INTERVIEW
Sarah Hicks: Ecology is undergoing a paradigm
shift, in which human influence on nature has
reached even the most remote areas through the
ongoing effects of climate change. Some are
calling for an evolution in our approach to
conservation. How do you see the role of plants
developing in this context?
Jane Irwin: I think [to tackle this] we collectively
have to develop a new aesthetic. You can see it is start-
ing – I’ve found that clients are more likely to go with
me on that journey now. After the success of the
Forest Edge Garden we can show people photographs- so people can see that [a local response] is an
aesthetic. You can also see this developing in public
gardens, such as Prince Alfred Park in Sydney. At first
there had to be a sign up explaining that it was a
native meadow, that it doesn’t need to be mowed,
please be patient, et cetera. But now the park has
received awards, people are getting used to the idea
and they can see the beauty of it as it grows. And
now you can find native grasses in Bunnings, which
suggests there’s a cultural shift happening.
I have an old photograph of pioneers: two people
standing outside their house, a shack in the bush. The
bush is coming in all around, and there is a desperate
ordered planting of roses and flowerbeds; they’re
trying to keep the wild back. Now I think we’ve got to
let the wild in and encourage people to appreciate it.
The other thing to mention is that the ecology of
the future is in the way you live: people are getting
into food plants and community gardens. These are
really ancient things that used to be part of everyday
life, but we don’t have any relationship or ownership
of them anymore.As an aesthetic, the Australian landscape is diffi-
cult to define. What is your understanding of an
Australian landscape palette in the twenty-first
century?
It’s really hard to say because Australia is so diverse ...
and even within regions you could have a change in
microclimate from hill to hill, whether it’s north or
south. But I think an Australian landscape is some-
thing that really acknowledges its place, and it’s not
all about planting, it’s also about the soil, the water
and the geology. And I don’t think [an Australian land-
scape] needs to only have Australian plants; we often
do planting that mixes native and non-native in a
random way. I love the silvers and the greys of the
Australian natives mixed with unexpected things like
geraniums. Often in parks now, we try to make land-
scapes that are rich in diversity. That’s important, too,
to support the life that’s there, in the soil and the air.
It’s really important to recognize that a garden
or a landscape is a cultural thing as well; it has cultural
roots as well as natural. In terms of change – under-
standing diversity and the wild as a landscape
aesthetic, it’s got to involve nurseries, landscapers,
but also the authorities that maintain landscapes,
and that’s really the important bit. Everybody has got
to get on board.What can we learn from private gardens that could
benefit the way we approach planting in public
spaces?
Private gardens interest me because [there is more
scope for] exploring new things and then learningJane Irwin is principal of Jane Irwin
Landscape Architecture (JILA). Established
in Sydney in 1996, the practice has a truly
diverse range of projects and clients – from
courtyards and monuments to urban design
and precinct-scale projects. Similarly, the
practice’s work spans a wide range of environ-
ments – urban, rural, city and regional.2P
ale grasses glow beyond the shade of a
Eucalyptus melliodora. The tree’s rough
bark and hanging leaves frame a distant
view of a large Bursaria spinosa. Less than
three kilometres from the CBD of one of Australia’s
largest cities, these plants form a tiny remnant of
the local area’s original vegetation. There is a shift
in atmosphere here that offers a glimpse into a place
far removed from the surrounding context of city
avenues and manicured green lawns. Melbourne’s
skyline looms in the near distance.
Reimaginings of the local, pre-colonial land-
scape are still rare in Australian cities, despite the
ongoing efforts of many. Too few urban sites manage
to capture the biodiversity and complexity of early
landscapes or to create atmospheric richness. But
why is this? Jane Irwin, Adrian Marshall and Paul
Thompson chat with Sarah Hicks about the complexi-
ties of a local landscape agenda.JANE IRWIN66 MAY 2017 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AUSTRALIA