Potager Designs is based in Central Victoria and specialises in gardens in the area, as well as offering services in Melbourne.

Potager Designs creates beautiful gardens and outdoor living spaces for clients to engage in and enjoy. The approach to design has been influenced by the harsh climatic conditions and soils of Central Victoria, and a desire to create gardens that suit the environment.  As well, a key philosophy of Potager Designs is to encourage the mixed use of productive and ornamental plants based on design principles and plant requirements, as well as the use of recycled and natural materials. The style has been described as “wild chic gardens”.

Some favourite plants include Pomegranates (Punica granatum) – bright orange flowers and fruit that hangs on bare branches as early Christmas decorations following autumn; Pistachios (Pistacia vera)  – arabesque branches, enormous leaves, autumn colour, and fruit with a blushed pink tone over green/yellow – breaking through the inner kernel, the green of a fresh pistachio is stunning!;  Quinces (Cydonia oblonga) – delicate soft pink flowers in spring and amazing pendulous bright yellow fruit late autumn, with a fragrance that fills the room; Grasses – the sun coming through Giant Golden Oat Feather Grass (Stipa gigantea), or clumps of Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster');  Purple spires of Russian Sage (Perovskia artiplicifolia) with Mexican Hyssop (Agastache mexicana); Spiky plants such as Veitch’s Globeflower (Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue') and Artichokes (Cynara scolymus);  And the romance of poppies (Papaver spp.).

Our projects include larger scale acreage as well as residential gardens.

 
 

Design team

 
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Deborah Hambleton

Deborah lives in Central Victoria and over some years created a Mediterranean-inspired garden in a former horse paddock. The garden has received recognition in various publications and on television, as well as from visitors during open gardens - "A lovely oasis. Beautiful use of colour and space to create a wonderful garden." "A gorgeous garden. Love the colour and texture." "Nice to see a garden with a heart." "My idea of heaven." "Magic and mysterious and romantic" "Inspirational."

Deborah completed a Garden Design course at Burnley and in 2015 established Potager Designs.  Publications featuring her work include The Weekend Australian Magazine (2019), The Age - Spectrum Magazine (2019), Shed by Simon Griffiths (2014) and Garden Love by Simon Griffiths (2018). Television includes Gardening Australia (2018) and Better Homes & Gardens (2018).

 
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Michael Dale

Michael is a career horticulturalist and plantsman.  He has unique and extensive Australian and International experience, working in significant gardens and with world-renowned designers.  This includes Bolobek, Mount Macedon, with Lady Law-Smith, which is considered to be one of the finest gardens in Australia – according to the Victorian Heritage Register, it is of outstanding aesthetic importance for its quality design, artistry and plantsmanship, the creation of garden spaces and views and the combination of plant forms.

Internationally, Michael worked with Beth Chatto at the Beth Chatto Gardens in Sussex – widely known for her pioneering design of dry and gravel gardens.  While living and working in the UK he also developed relationships with and learnt from other designers including Christopher Lloyd of Great Dixter (listed in the UK National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens).

Michael is currently Head Gardener, International House, the University of Melbourne, as well as undertaking private consulting and design work.  This has included establishing and maintaining one of the first restaurant kitchen gardens at the Observatory Café in at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

 
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Julie Paul

Julie is a plant enthusiast and horticulturalist, with over 20 years experience.  She worked with the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra for eight years and as curator of the Tropical Glasshouse at the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG) in Melbourne.  Her qualifications include Horticulture at Canberra Institute of Technology and Swinburne, and Garden Design at Burnley. 

A highlight of her career has been caring for, maintaining and curating the display of the first flowering of Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) at the RBG in 2012.