Winter Series Lecture: Presentation by Mark Fountain

Presentation: Among Tall Trees - Gardening with Nature

Speaker: Mark Fountain

Mark Fountain has spent most of his working lifetime in horticulture as a nurseryman, part-time horticulture teacher and as a former Deputy Director of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. He now calls himself a hermit gardener. Based on a lifelong interest in plants, nature, gardens and art his time is now spent thinking about, constructing and planting his own garden.

Mark’s presentation will focus on his garden Among Tall Trees at Mount Rumney. Mark says Among Tall Trees is a garden that is more felt than designed. Mark will talk about gardening with nature and the influences on the thinking and un-thinking processes behind the garden’s development. The garden is located on a dry (and getting drier) ridgeline in peri-urban, dry sclerophyll bushland. It tries to co-exist with the native wildlife and takes account of the likelihood of bushfires. The garden is featured in Claire Takac’s book Visionary: Gardens and Landscapes for Our Future.

Time / Date: 10:00 am to 11.30 am on Friday, 6th June 2025