Planning for fire
Welcome to the first issue of Hort Journal 2025. I hope you all managed some downtime, although this is not always a reality for business owners, as plants don’t take a day off.
Once again, bushfires dominate the news in Australia and the USA. Sadly, it seems these natural disasters have become part of my first editorial each year. In this issue, we have an article by Michael Casey that discusses the role green infrastructure can play in building fire-resilient cities, particularly if done correctly and well-maintained.
When plants are not maintained and are left to dry out due to a lack of water, they can fuel the fire. This is a good selling point if you are in the business of selling plants, particularly retail nurseries, where you are working at the coal face and talking to or educating your customers. Perhaps this is an opportunity to offer garden maintenance to homeowners. Designers have the same opportunity to discuss the value of maintenance with their clients.
Daniel Fuller has also given a few options in our plant palette for fire-resistant plants.
You may remember that in November 2022, I reviewed Lesley Corbett’s book “Safer Gardens – Plant Flammability and Planning for Fire”. I also interviewed Lesley on a podcast which is uploaded onto our website. I urge you to revisit this podcast, and I urge you to read Lesley’s Book. Lesley had unfortunately experienced, first-hand, the loss of a home to bushfire. When she was planning to rebuild, she wanted to be sure she used the best plants in her garden to make the garden more resistant to fire. She was well aware that a super intense fire stops at nothing. However, in every book she read that listed fire-resistant or fire-retardant plants, or plants with low flammability, they all listed the same plants, which, in her experience, had performed the exact opposite regarding fire. Lesley made it her mission to do her research from around the world. With the frequency of bushfires worldwide and the destruction they cause, it pays to be knowledgeable about the selection, management and placement of plants, mulch and hedges. All designers should read this book. If you want to listen to the podcast, here is the link.
The book is available either as a paperback or as an e-book.
Much has changed over the last couple of months, with elections in the USA consuming our news, which, I will confess, at times makes me feel like I’d rather chew my fingers off than listen to it. Time will tell how that affects us and our industry.
The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is back again at the end of March. This is an opportunity for everyone to see the wonderful displays, learn about new plants on the market, and see what trends are happening. It can also be a good opportunity to meet with colleagues, suppliers, or clients.
Finally, here at Hort Journal, we hope you have a successful year. With the high cost of living, one can only hope that this spells good news for our industry by driving people back into their gardens.
All the very best
Karen Smith and your Hort Journal Team