End of an era

Since 2008, Hort Journal Australia has helped the industry work smarter by sharing ideas, case studies, research and practical experience. Sadly, this issue is our last, for reasons our publisher, Gabe Mostafa, explains eloquently in his letter to you, ‘With thanks and farewell’, in these pages.

In our final issue, we put the focus on working smarter in horticulture, exploring automation and efficiency, as well as other ways of putting your mind to the task.

David Khoury from the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan shares his practical experience managing public landscapes in ‘Garden tech in action: Robotic mowers and drones’. In ‘Growing smarter at GreenTech’, John Fitzsimmons shares details of the latest horticultural technology on display at this month’s Greentech 2026 expo in Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Patrick Regnault reminds us that the ‘The real work of working smarter’ often lies in examining a problem from different perspectives.

Over the years, Hort Journal Australia has shared knowledge and wisdom from across the industry, garnering insights from professionals working in wholesale, production and retail nurseries, parks and gardens, allied greenlife businesses, and education and training institutions, just to name a few! I would like to thank those industry experts who have contributed to these pages during my time as editor, including John Fitzsimmons, Michael Casey, Patrick Regnault, Erik van Zuilekom, John Stanley, Clive Larkman, Caleb Roberts and Jennifer McQueen, along with business writers John Corban and Tania Harman.

Special mention must go to Janet Hodgkiss, our sub-editor extraordinaire, whose botanical knowledge and way with words is second to none. Never underestimate the power of having someone else cast an eye over an important document before you finalise it. That is one tip for working smarter that I can share with you! For example, have you provided the right evidence to support a grant application before you hit the send button? Tania Harman speaks to this subject in her article, ‘Evidence that wins horticulture grants: How to prove need, feasibility and impact’.

I would also like to thank our former editor Karen Smith for her guidance over the last year. Karen returns to our pages to farewell Hort Journal Australia and Gabe Mostafa, without whom there would have been no magazine. Both Karen and I believe that one of the reasons our magazine lasted for so long is because of the relationships that Gabe was able to develop and maintain with people working in the industry.

In a tribute to another industry legend, John Fitzsimmons explores the legacy that retail nursery Poyntons leaves as it plans to shut up shop in 2027. You can read more about this beloved nursery in ‘Icon to close after 90 years’.

Finally, I would like to thank you, our readers, for placing your trust in us and for sharing your knowledge with us too. Being Editor of Hort Journal Australia has been the highlight of my horticultural career thus far. It has been a real privilege to have edited these pages for you over the last year. I have learnt so much.

With thanks,

Gabrielle Stannus and your Hort Journal team