Mayfield Garden: Planting the Seeds for the future of Horticulture

For some time now the Australian Garden Council has known that the horticulture industry in Australia is in trouble and has worked to address the challenge. Despite gardening being a much-loved hobby of many Australians and plants experiencing a fashion comeback in interior decorating, the industry is struggling to recruit young people to build careers in horticulture.

So they were a natural advisor for Garrick Hawkins, owner of Mayfield Garden and supporter of horticulture, when he was exploring options to sponsor a youth and education program in horticulture. He and his team were looking for a program with scale and impact when the Australian Garden Council presented Mayfield with a wide range of options to choose from.

Ticking the boxes for education, youth, horticulture and industry focus, BBM Youth Support was the organisation that made the cut, and in September, Katanah Jas from the Gold Coast received the 2018 BBM Global Industry Scholarship for Horticulture, sponsored by Mayfield Garden.

From the moment Garrick and his CEO arrived at the awards ceremony, the synergies of this partnership have delivered impact beyond what either partner had expected.

Networking with representatives from TAFE in Ryde, a new partnership was born for Mayfield to run tours for TAFE students, and for students to become interns at Mayfield.

The Mayfield video was screened on the night to introduce the partnership to the audience of 140 awardees and industry representatives and generated a number of calls from guests hoping to visit.

The generous gift of Mayfield passes to the speakers on the night is facilitating more networking opportunities in the garden.

Since the awards night the relationship between the Australian Garden Council and Mayfield Garden has continued to grow stronger, with the council’s 2018 AGM being held at Mayfield Garden.

Katanah Jas, a young horticulturist from the Gold Coast and recipient of the Mayfield funded award, will fly out on her international work experience trip in May 2019 and visit Mayfield upon her return to report on her trip.

The partnership between Mayfield, BBM and the Australian Garden Council is an example of what can be achieved when private sector, industry peak bodies and not for profits join forces to make an impact for the future of an industry.

In 2021, BBM and Mayfield are again offering a scholarship in horticulture to further promote the sector and help develop an exceptional talent base for Australia’s horticulture. Our partners’ expertise, passion and vision will be instrumental in creating a sustainable future for this industry.