Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show (MIFGS)
Beyond Blue Charity (Gold Winner, 2019)
Designed for Australia’s largest garden show, this award-winning garden explored the journey of mental health and the importance of seeking help.
The Challenge
Use garden design to represent the struggles and progress of mental health.
- Highlight the difficulty of taking the first step.
- Symbolise hope and optimism through colour choices.
- Use only Australian native species to reflect the local landscape.
The Design Solution
The garden’s pathway design represented the emotional difficulty of taking the first step, becoming easier to navigate over time.
The planting scheme featured only yellow and orange flowers—yellow being the opposite of blue, a colour associated with sadness, symbolising positivity and support.
The Result
The garden was a visually striking, emotionally powerful space, designed to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of seeking help.
Fun Fact:
The entire garden was built on-site in just 9 days.
"Ryan McMahon’s garden, titled Journey, is among the gold-medal winners of the landscape design competition at the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show, creating a space that reflects the power of nature to restore the mind and soul."
Caitlyn McMahon, Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show Coverage