MIFGS Memories from 2014…

With MIFGS (Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show) kicking off next Wednesday, we’re excited to once again collaborate with award-winning landscape designer Mark Browning, who last year took out the coveted Best in Show award.

As the dust settles from another extraordinary show season, it feels important to reflect on the gardens we were privileged to be involved with, particularly one that was deeply personal and incredibly special: “The Patriarch’s Garden” by Mark Browning of Cycas Landscape Design and Consultancy.

A Long-Standing Creative Partnership

If you’ve followed the Lump blog over the years, you’ll know we’ve collaborated with Mark on many occasions, from the 2007 Chelsea Flower Show to numerous Melbourne International Flower and Garden Shows.

Mark is not only an exceptional designer with whom we share a strong aesthetic alignment in landscape and sculptural design, but he is also a remarkably generous and genuine human being. His commitment to contemporary landscape design, particularly incorporating locally sourced materials, is unwavering. His close-knit team of sponsors and suppliers are treated not as colleagues, but as extended family greeted with warmth, enthusiasm and the occasional hug.

At Lump, we genuinely value our ongoing partnership with Mark and look forward to every new creative adventure together.

And of course congratulations Mark. Best in Show is no small achievement.

Sculptural Tribute to Family

Below is an excerpt adapted from an article by Laeta Crawford detailing Mark’s design and Lump’s contribution to “The Patriarch’s Garden.”

Husband-and-wife team Chris Vassallo and Timothea Jewell of Lump Sculpture Studio understand the importance of family deeply. When Mark invited them to collaborate on a tribute garden dedicated to his late father, Graham, they were honoured.

“The Patriarch’s Garden,” designed by Cycas Landscape Design, was conceived as a tribute to family, unity and life’s journey. At its centre stood a sculptural work by Lump titled “Cocoon.”

Standing 2.35 metres tall, Cocoon is constructed from hundreds of individually welded wishbone-shaped steel elements, forming a transparent yet structurally unified cocoon form. The sculpture symbolises Mark’s father as the central figure within his extended family.

The work is positioned within a gorge-like landscape setting. Two spines of quarried bluestone radiate outward from the sculpture, representing Mark and his sister and their respective families, branching yet connected.

Behind the sculpture, a shaded conversation zone features another Lump design, a Wood Stack Screen, used as a canopy. A custom kidney-shaped viewing porthole, also fabricated by Lump, is integrated into the main garden wall, further reinforcing the sculptural language throughout the space.

A Personal and Emotional Commission

Chris described Cocoon as one of the most emotionally significant pieces he has worked on:

“The importance of family is something we can all relate to. It made me reflect on my own family and how the different branches come together to form one strong unit.”

Chris and Timothea have built Lump Sculpture Studio into one of Australia’s leading metal design practices while raising a young family of their own. The themes explored in The Patriarch’s Garden resonated deeply.

Tim reflected:

“We have worked with Mark on many projects over the years, from Chelsea to MIFGS, and we feel incredibly fortunate to share not only a strong creative partnership but also a genuine friendship.

While we always love working with Mark, this garden touched us profoundly. It reminded us to pause and appreciate what family means to us.”

It is our hope that visitors to MIFGS take the time to experience the garden and reflect on their own connections and legacy.

Images courtesy of Little Red Photography.