LEAF Garden

Linden New Art, St. Kilda, Bunurong Boon Wurrung Country

(Public Space Design, Garden, Zine Making)

Retrofitting the back garden — now named LEAF Garden — I facilitated the design, construction, planting, and presentation of the project. The project was realised collaboratively by community members and volunteers, with minimal involvement from professional designers or contractors. It shows what can be achieved through collective care and creativity.

Drawing on the natural landscape of Country, the design acknowledges the enduring custodianship of the Boonwurrung/Bunurong people and carries forward their stories. The main planted beds echo a dry riverbed at a confluence; the place where two streams meet and flow together. Native trees, plants, and grasses create a living classroom, showcasing Indigenous plants and their cultural and ecological significance.

The garden has also been shaped by the ideas of Linden’s Kids Consultative Committee, giving voice to our youngest community members. Their vision has brought to life Little Linden curated by children, a rolling mural program, and future workshops that will keep the space vibrant and evolving.

The LEAF Garden is a place to learn, play, rest and grow. It is a space for gathering, conversation, and celebration - a contemporary meeting place continuing the traditions of this land.

I also created a zine for the garden’s opening. It’s an A4 double-sided sheet that folds into a zine while unfolding as a landscape plan.

For more information, check https://www.lindenarts.org/community/event-rsvp/?event_id=299