Landscaper picked for flower show

By Emma Sun
ZACK Loft, a 26-year-old Devon Meadows resident, was selected to be part of an exclusive team that will be landscaping a garden for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in London.
It’s an exciting position to be in for someone who just “fell into landscaping”.
“I’ve been doing this for just under seven years and I still don’t know what made me decide this job is the right one for me,” Zack said.
“The only thing I know is that I enjoy it.”
Zack had been chosen once before, as part of a team to construct the ‘Trailfinder’s Australian Garden presented by Flemings’, but missed out when the Black Saturday bushfires destroyed acres of Fleming’s Nurseries plants, causing the team to pull out.
“That was a little bit weird,” Zack recalled.
“It was sort of annoying watching someone else build the garden that you were supposed to build.
“I saw it on television and thought, ‘wow I was supposed to go there’.
“I had told my friends and family about it, and they were asking ‘aren’t you supposed to be there now?’”
On the brighter side, Zack spent that time and a few more months working in Canada and travelled the east coast in America.
Zack hit the jackpot when he found work at Ian Barker Garden Design, as Ian Barker was chosen as the designer for the 2011 entry.
Mr Barker is teaming up with horticulturalist Wes Fleming, who will be embarking on his seventh Chelsea Flower Show entry.
Zack said that because Fleming’s team is one of the few overseas teams competing in the show, it is kind of special.
“We try to get our whole head around the landscaping in Australia, so that by the time you’re in there and you’re on site you know what to do,” Zack said.
“Certain people are delegated different jobs, and as long as we get it right in Australia it should be no worries over there.”
The team has their eyes set on a ‘Best in Show’ outcome, which shouldn’t be too hard for the talented team. As for Zack, he’s just glad to be part of the action. “Building is what I love,” Zack said.