Test Garden Open Day – May

Jon Hazelwood FRLA – Principal
Hassell

Jon Hazelwood is a Principal Landscape Architect at Hassell. With over 25 years of experience in public realm and landscape architecture, Jon has successfully guided projects from strategic planning phases through to detailed resolution and delivery. His international experience fosters insightful discussions and challenges conventional norms. Jon’s dual capability to think both locally and globally ensures his approach is deeply rooted in local context while considering regional, national, and global best practices.

In recent years, Jon has emphasised the significance of urban biodiversity. He is at the forefront of leading research, trials, and demonstration projects that explore innovative methods for integrating people and pollinators within urban environments. Jon co-authored the NSW Government Architect’s Biodiversity in Place Framework, recently released in Australia, and serves as the lead designer for Laak Boorndap, an 18,000m² urban garden central to the transformation of Melbourne’s renowned Arts Precinct.

Sarah Tutton, Director of Programming
Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co)

Sarah leads a team that develops and delivers a range of arts and community programs, working closely with precinct partners, community organisations and the wider arts sector, and develops interpretative materials for a range of sites and platforms. Prior to MAP Co, Sarah was Chief Curator at ACMI where she curated their permanent exhibition The Story of the Moving Image, as well as blockbuster touring exhibitions such as DreamWorks Animation and Wonderland. Sarah has worked across many of Melbourne’s key visual arts and cross-artform organisations – including Asialink Arts, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Experimenta Media Arts and Next Wave Festival – both at a board and an organisational level, and has also worked as an independent curator and arts consultant.

Each month, we hold a small in-conversation event focused on gardening and planting design, followed by a hands-on workshop.

You can hear from gardeners, designers and horticulturalists about the garden’s naturalistic planting. We also invite plant-loving writers and creatives to share their experience with us.

The talk is followed by a hands-on workshop demonstrating artist-led practice with plants, such as cyanotype and botanical printing, and practical workshops, including propagation techniques and planting for your own garden.

Registration for our Test Garden Open Days is free and spaces usually book out fast. Make sure you’re following @laak.boorndap on Instagram to hear when we open registrations.