Meet the Team
Alexandra Malkin
I grew up in a country garden where my mother, an avid gardener, taught me to love and nurture the environment and respect all it encompasses. I can often be seen kneeling down in somebody's garden admiring the precious new growth of the first spring bulbs, and, as my landscape contractors will verify, I will be there on site, gumboots on, screed in hand waiting in anticipation for the concrete trucks to arrive! Inspired by design greats such as Edna Walling, Paul Bangay (with whom I was fortunate enough to work with for a number of years) Axel Vervoordt, Gertrude Jekyll and Stuart Rattle, I have developed my own style to suit the Australian landscape and way of life.
My love for interiors stems back to childhood. Instead of spending my hard earned pocket money on normal kid stuff, I was always on the lookout for something special; an old chair with potential or a table I could ‘do up'! I read the latest interior magazines from Australia and abroad from cover-to-cover and dog- eared my favourite pages. Nothing has changed, I still do that!
Upon completing Interior Decoration and Design at RMIT in 1995, I spent ten years developing my skills and learning from the best in the business. Two years ago, it was time to go out on my own, so I finished up from my role as head landscape designer for an inner city firm on a Friday afternoon, and was working under the banner "Alexandra Malkin Design" the following Monday morning.
I haven't looked back...
Lucy O'Connor
For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with, and love of gardens. I can't remember a time when I wasn't adopting an area of my parent's garden and making it my new project.
This led me to complete a Bachelor of Applied Science - Horticulture at The University of Melbourne (Burnley) in 2002. Since graduating I have broadened my skills working in Melbourne and most recently the UK. Whilst in the UK I gained valuable experience working as a Landscape Designer for Randle Siddeley Associates, an internationally recognised firm of Chartered Landscape Architects. In this position I worked on a range of projects from private residential sites to high profile commercial projects such as Wembley Stadium Public Realm, Greenwich Millennium Village and Cazanga Island Resort Development - Angola.
While travelling I indulged my passion by visiting some of the most famous open gardens, including the Chelsea Flower Show and Heligan in the UK, Versailles in France, Boboli in Italy and Burchant in Canada.
Now that I am back in Melbourne I am looking forward to, once again designing and developing gardens for the Australian climate and culture.
Henry
An integral member of our team, Henry has his paw on the pulse! Alexandra adopted him in January 2008 and they are inseparable. Visitors will inevitably see Henry either enjoying belly rubs from friendly local residents, or sound asleep on the foot path!
