Urban Luxe
ANDREW STARK GARDENS | Urban Luxe
Andrew Stark’s MIFGS garden represents the pinnacle of his thirty‑year design journey—an evolution shaped by international travel, deep horticultural knowledge, and a signature European‑inspired aesthetic.
Urban Luxe, his 2026 show garden, reimagines the classic Italian formal garden through a contemporary lens, where symmetry, geometry and rhythm form a refined architectural backbone. Meticulously clipped Buxus spheres, Camellia domes, Portuguese laurel, and Waterhousea floribunda ‘Warners Select’ establish a sculptural framework softened by curated blocks of long‑flowering perennials, grasses, hydrangeas, and textural shrubs. A cathedral‑like ‘living pergola’ of Betula pendula ‘Moss White,’ paired with a strong Waterhousea hedge defining the central axis, adds movement, enclosure, and a sense of immersive spatial drama. Striking French urns and Anduze pots, travertine detailing and custom stone plinths punctuate key axes, bringing gravitas, rhythm, and moments of visual pause.
Though bold in concept, Urban Luxe is designed for adaptability, with a modular layout that can be scaled for courtyards, suburban gardens, or expansive estates—balancing European elegance with an intuitive understanding of Australian climate and lifestyle. Built by MPF Garden Company with their hallmark precision, the space embodies Andrew Stark’s fusion of classical order and horticultural artistry: grand gestures balanced with refined detailing, expressive planting layered over strong structure, and a design language that feels both timeless and strikingly current.
Warners Nurseries are proud to be the principal plant supplier for this project and have grown many advanced plants specifically for this project.
We have included a selection of the featured plants below:
Agastache x 'Blue Boa'
Flowering from November to May, ‘Blue Boa’ is a striking herbaceous perennial with fragrant, mid-green leaves and an upright habit. Flower spikes are densely covered with deep violet flowers, creating bold visual appeal. The flowers are highly attractive to bees and butterflies adding movement and life to the garden.
Geum hybrid 'Tempo Rose'
Geum ‘Tempo Rose’ is a spreading, clump-forming perennial known for its vibrant rose-pink, semi-double flowers that are held above scalloped, vivid green leaves. Blooming from spring into early summer, it offers a cheerful splash of colour and is great for attracting pollinators.
A stunning medium sized Salvia with long spikes of deep violet flowers and attractive olive green foliage. One of Europes most popular Meadow Sage due to its reliable growth, strong features and stunning colour.
TOPIARY AND LIVING SCULPTURES
Buxus japonica Ball
Buxus japonica, commonly known as Japanese Boxwood, is a compact and versatile evergreen shrub appreciated for its dense foliage and neat, rounded form. It‘s rounded leaves are a vivid mid-green.
Camellia Ball
Camellia balls bring a refined elegance to the landscape, combining lush evergreen foliage with seasonal bursts of vibrant blooms. They’re perfect for creating structure in garden beds, lining pathways, or framing entrances, especially in formal or Japanese-inspired designs. Their tidy, rounded shape also makes them ideal for container planting, where they can be featured as statement pieces on patios, balconies, or courtyards.
Betula 'Moss White' living Pergola
A living pergola uses trees to form a natural, shaded structure instead of using traditional wooden beams or metal frameworks. These trees are strategically planted and trained to form a canopy that mimics the appearance of a pergola, creating a serene, leafy retreat in a garden or outdoor space.
DECIDUOUS TREE
Cotinus x 'Grace'
A striking deciduous shrub or small tree with dramatic, rounded leaves that emerge rich red in spring, deepen to a deep wine-red in summer, and turn fiery shades of orange and scarlet in autumn. In early summer, it produces airy plumes of soft, smoky pink flowers that create a hazy effect, enhancing its ethereal beauty. Its graceful, open branching structure adds year-round interest, even in winter when the bare framework provides architectural appeal.
MEDIUM TO LARGE SHRUBS & SCREENING
Prunus Lusitanica
Prunus lusitanica, commonly known as Portuguese Laurel, is a dense, evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy, dark green leaves held on striking deep red stems. In late spring to early summer, it produces long, clusters of small, fragrant white flowers, followed by small red fruits that mature to black.
Waterhousea floribunda 'Warners Select'
Warners have carefully selected the finest plants for propagation, resulting in this superior form that is bushier, and stronger. ‘Warners Select‘ is a graceful, medium to large Australian native tree with a naturally weeping, pendulous habit. It features glossy, dark green leaves that are lance-shaped and arranged densely along slender branches. In summer, it produces abundant clusters of small, fragrant white flowers, followed by decorative pink to red berries that attract birds. Its elegant, flowing form and dense foliage make it a striking specimen tree or screen.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show
