About
Please, let me introduce myself to you
Born in the Netherlands… and, yes, I’m tall (second shortest in the family, though :-)
Daughter of a bulb grower known as ‘Lubbe Lisse’
The love for plants & design/technology runs in the family
Lived in The Caribbean for 6 years and moved to Melbourne in 2012
Made many travels around the globe with my young family
Studies
Bachelor of Science in Horticulture (University of Delft, The Netherlands)
Graduate Certificate in Garden Design (The University of Melbourne, Burnley)
Healing Garden Design Course (Dirtscape Dreaming Melbourne)
Certificate of Eco-therapy (Earth Create Heal, Australia)
Outdoor Classroom Course (Melbourne Rudolf Steiner Seminar)
Graduate Certificate in Arboriculture (The University of Melbourne, Burnley) - expected graduation 2024
Industry roles
Garden talk Waverley Garden Club - Topic: ‘Healing Garden Design principles’ 2021
The University of Melbourne - Garden Design guest lecturer 2021+2022+2023
Garden talk Ringwood Garden Club - Topic: ‘Planting Design’ 2022
The University of Melbourne - Therapeutic Landscapes guest lecturer 2022
Therapeutic Horticulture Australia - Open Garden for Conference Tour 2022
Therapeutic Horticulture Australia - Presenter ‘Eco-Art' Workshops’ 2023 (Melbourne & Sydney)
Therapeutic Horticulture Australia - Presenter ‘Introduction to Therapeutic Horticulture’ Course 2023
Please contact us if you’re interested to have Kate as a guest speaker at your event!
Values
Grow every day and
appreciate the journey
Designing and creating beautiful gardens to delight the senses
Sharing knowledge in an enthusiastic, professional and personal way
Supporting local communities,
not-for-profit organisations and people with needs
FAQ
+ Why did you come to Australia?
It was my biggest childhood dream; emigrating to the other side of the world.
My father worked in Canberra in the 60’s and always regretted returning to The Netherlands. He always encouraged his 5 children to chase their dreams. In 2012, my childhood dream became a reality. It’s one of the many things in life I’m grateful for.
+ What do you enjoy most of your work?
It may sound cliché, but I love all aspects of my profession. Connecting to people, being creative, teaching, seeing clients feeling revitalised, joyful and growing in confidence. In my work I keep challenging myself technically, learn every day, and stay fit while being amongst nature.
+ What is your favourite plant?
There are so many beautiful plants! But if I had to name 3 plants, these ones warm my heart most:
- Wisteria – fast growing vine with pendulous, scented flowers. Why? It brings back memories from my childhood where it marked the arrival of spring.
- Helleborus – low growing, winter flowering plants with bell-shaped flowers. Why? You need to get up close to truly appreciate its precious flowers… and that instantly makes you more mindful and grateful.
- Grevillea’s – Tough, flowering and bird attracting Australian native. Why? Easy to grow and available in many colours and forms (groundcover, shrubs etc). The nectar feeding birds love them just as much!
+ In what way do you enjoy nature?
Nature can be enjoyed both passive and active ways. I simply love visiting gardens and hiking through bushland. I often stand still to smell the flowers, touch the trees and quietly listen to the birds and the wind. But more actively digging in the dirt, propagating and nurturing plants also feeds my inner soul.
Nature and all gardens are healing, but mindfully designed and healthy gardens can also inspire, alleviate anxiety and bring people closer together.
“Nature is our greatest teacher.”
― Edna Walling, Australian landscape designer
