Town and Country Gardener

  Matthew Henry’s family history is deeply rooted in South Gippsland. Growing up in the Bluegum country of Poowong and the Messmate and Tea Tree flats of Kernot, it was here that his love for the natural world was first allowed to grow. After 20 years as an English teacher Matthew walked away from his day-job to follow a lifelong obsession with horticulture.

One rainy evening four years ago, Matthew came off his push bike and woke up in Hospital. It was a time to contemplate his future. Just weeks later he enrolled at the Burnley Campus of the University of Melbourne.

After completing his studies in garden design, he established Mechanism Landscape Design with his business partner, architect Emma Dry. Whether an inner-city balcony or on rural acreage, their combined passion lies in creating functional living spaces.

His encouragement to those new to Gippsland is, “get to know the locals.” He speaks of the waves of new Gippslandians arriving to make their home here, he has observed over time as they bring with them their own qualities and dreams and says, “they respond to the local community and landscape, enriching it and also being enriched by it.” With such an insight into people as well as the environment, Matthews loves encouraging people to interact with nature. He reflects, “people are happier when they experience nature regularly and I think the world would be happier, if we spent more time reconnecting with our inner world which is easily achieved in natural and wild places.”

With a long-held fascination with plants he is drawn mostly to their aesthetic and practical qualities. “So much of my time is spent looking at them, smelling them, trying to grow them, shape them, cook them and eat them.”

While Matthew loves any chance to explore greater Gippsland, his home in Mirboo North is where he most loves to spend his time.  In the past he has shared his private garden sanctuary with the public as part of the Australian Open Gardens Scheme.

Matthew is also singer and has been a member of both the Latrobe Chorale and the Yallourn Madrigal Singers. His current musical project sees him rehearsing with the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Chorus for a performance of ‘A Change is Gonna Come.’

While leading a full and busy life, Matthew enjoys any chance to work on his own garden, while his partner Adam throws pots in his studio nearby. Many meals are shared by the creative duo with friends and family. They enjoy eating food from their own patch along with produce from the various South Gippsland farmers markets, often complimented by a cider made from apples out of their own orchard.