Andrew Laidlaw was appointed as the Landscape Architect for Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne in 1997. Under the leadership of Richard Barley and Phil Moors initially, and more recently Director and Chief Executive Chris Russell, Andrew has been heavily involved in master planning and setting landscape direction for the Gardens ever since. Andrew says he has been privileged to be the lead designer on the award-winning The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, the acclaimed Guilfoyle’s Volcano, the lush Fern Gully, the innovative Arid Garden and more recently the Australian Drylands.  Andrew says, “What I’m most passionate about is creating landscapes that are full of plants, create beauty and that people respond too. I get my biggest thrill from seeing how plants can change all our lives in a positive way.”

Andrew talks to us about his design principles and what inspires him to create such joy for us all to explore in the Gardens, keeping faith with William Guilfoyle’s original plan but allowing us all to enjoy a more immersive experience.

Image credit: Global Gardens of Peace