Turning over a new leaf
It is an honour to be able to introduce myself to you as the new editor of Hort Journal Australia, and only its second in its 17-year history.
I never expected to be a writer, let alone an editor! I suspect that Karen Smith, our recently retired editor, has perhaps been gently coaxing me into this position for some time now. Behind the scenes, Karen mentors and encourages many individuals, including myself. I was not surprised when she received the Australian Institute of Horticulture’s Golden Wattle Award in 2020. This prestigious honour recognised her outstanding contribution to Australian horticulture through media and her dedication to promoting the industry nationwide. Karen’s absence from these pages will be sorely felt.
My own writing career began just after I completed my Master of Urban Horticulture at the University of Melbourne’s Burnley campus. Thinking my horticultural career would focus on indoor plants, I joined the Interior Plantscape Association (IPA). When I finished my Master’s, I travelled to France with my French partner for a well-deserved holiday. Whilst there, I reached out to some French interior plantscapers who generously shared their time and knowledge with me. Elaine Tunn, IPA Executive Officer, encouraged me to write an article about this French trip and submit it to Hort Journal for inclusion as its Interior Plantscaping feature.
Not having much practical experience at that stage, I used that same article to convince Kobie Keenan, then Communications Manager for Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (NGIA), that I had some industry credibility. Why? I had moved back to Tasmania and wanted to attend the NGIA’s national conference in Hobart in early 2018. Apparently, Kobie liked what she read, and offered me a conference ticket in return for writing articles about that event. My freelance writing for NGIA then turned into a role as Communications Coordinator after that organisation became Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA).
In the meantime, I had set up Inwardout Studio, an integrated building and landscape design business, with my partner. There was not a big call for indoor plant knowledge in our part of Tasmania, so Karen suggested I start writing Hort Journal’s Landscape feature instead, which I continue to write to this day.
Over the years, I have also cultivated strong practical knowledge of horticulture through roles in retail and wholesale nurseries, garden maintenance, and an internship with leading green infrastructure specialist, Fytogreen. These experiences have given me firsthand insight into the challenges facing other horticultural professionals, particularly the urgent need to embed sustainability at the core of our practices as we adapt to anthropogenic climate change.
Sustainability is a central theme in my work. With formal qualifications in urban horticulture, conservation and land management, and environmental social science, I bring both academic grounding and real-world experience to my writing. I have taught in environmental and geographic subjects at the University of Tasmania and currently tutor in sustainability and landscape design. Earlier in my career, I worked in local government, developing and delivering community-based environmental sustainability programs in Melbourne. These roles included implementing energy-saving retrofits, launching public engagement campaigns, and coordinating waste minimisation strategies – experiences that have shaped my systems-thinking approach to sustainability.
As editor, I hope to work with our writers and readers to ensure this publication becomes a shared voice for our industry as we navigate the realities of climate change together. Whether you are a grower, designer, researcher or supplier, I want to hear your stories. Together, I believe we can continue to grow a publication that informs, challenges and celebrates our horticultural industry.
Gabrielle Stannus and your Hort Journal team