Linda, dahlias & Frog Hollow
About Linda
Linda is a Plantwoman, Master-Gardener, Landscape Architect, Horticulturist, lifelong feminist, gardening teacher, lover of making gardens, growing food, dahlias and heritage homes. She reveres organic & biodynamic principles in life & in gardens.
After graduating from Landscape Architecture from the University of New South Wales, she traveled widely through Asia, Europe, America, Mexico and Cuba. After studying at Ryde School of Horticulture she designed hundreds of gardens across Sydney, Central Coast and the Blue Mountains. She combines 30 years of garden making and people skills with a deep sense of responsibility for the project, biodiversity, her clients and the planet.
During her lifetime with plants and gardens, Linda has written four books – the most recent being ‘Frangipani’; written for garden magazines including Garden Editor at Notebook Magazine; involved in radio and podcast broadcasting; public speaking; teaching kitchen gardening workshops at historic Glenmore House; teaching with The Garden Clinic and running Collectors’ Plant Fair.
Linda likes misty beach walks, off road Australian adventures and the rewards of gardening in the one place. She lives with her family in 1903 miners cottage on the edge of 350 hectares of national park in a heritage listed village. Mother to two children who are deeply connected to country. Their school holidays are spent camping, off grid, along beaches, rivers and deserts. She drives a 1971 Kombi called ‘Luna’. Her seaside, new-wave Australian perennial garden is full of blue wrens, spine bills, blue tongue lizards and blue banded bees. In her spare time she still plays a tough game of netball.
@lindarossgardens
@frog.hollow.cottage
@collectorsplantfair_sydney
A life in the garden
Tertiary Qualifications
At University of NSW Linda studied Landscape Architecture. Her thesis was on community consultation and multidisciplinary public garden design. She then studied horticulture specialising on plant material, therapeutic value of horticulture and growing food.
In Australia
She has traveled extensively throughout the deserts of Australia such as Strzelecki, Simpson, Eyre National Park, Coongie Lakes National Park, Sturt National Park and has traveled extensively up and down the Darling, Murray, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee River systems visiting communities such as Innamincka, Bourke, Condobolin, Wilcannia, Menindee, Mildura, Broken Hill, Cameron’s Corner, Flinders Ranges, Mungo National Park, and Birdsville – meeting people, listening to stories and searching for wildflowers.
Australia’s Largest Plant Fair
Linda and her husband run Australia’s largest plant fair, Collectors’ Plant Fair, which attracts hundreds of specialist plant growers from across the country over one weekend. During one weekend a year 100 specialist growers offer indigenous plants, edible plants, ornamentals, houseplants, trees and shrubs plus bee attracting flowers to 12,000 plant lovers who flock to the fair.
Teaching
Linda is a passionate and enthusiastic gardening teacher and grower of fruit and vegetables and flowers. She spent 11 years teaching at Glenmore House Kitchen Gardening School and is an expert in the field. She taught practical gardening classes and workshops for 20 years for The Garden Clinic Club.
Global Gardening
She has spent the last 30 years traveling to gardens, wilderness, national parks, wildflowers, connecting with gardeners in all continents. She visited gardens, wilderness, public spaces and gardening communities – introducing Australians to inspiring examples of public space design, garden expos, heritage properties, open gardens, flower shows, community gardens and larger natural landscapes.
Media
For twenty years she has worked in garden media, communicating to millions of gardeners across the country through radio, magazine and TV. She has worked with Better Homes and Gardens, Radio 2GB and 2UE, Channel 7, Gardening Australia, The Garden Clinic, and the Lifestyle Channel. She has written five books on plants, garden design and gardening - her favourite being the on the genus Plumeria (Frangipani) which was extensively researched in Hawaii, Bali and Australia.
Linda’s Team.
Wherever Linda goes she attracts like minded souls, craftspeople, tradies, artisans and experts to join her activities. Whether it’s making and maintaining her gardens or running Collectors’ Plant Fair, she surrounds herself with hardworking, beautiful people who are aligned with her values.
CPF 2018