Paul Urquhart

Paul Urquhart is an accomplished garden and travel writer with several published books. These include a groundbreaking book that reignited interest in Australian plants in designed landscapes, The New Native Garden – Designing with Australian Plants, published in 1999. More recently, in Small by Design, he took a comprehensive look at design ideas for small garden spaces. His other books covered such diverse topics as bulbs, landscaping and fruit trees.

He has been gardening editor of many Australian home and lifestyle magazines including Better Homes and Gardens and Australian House and Garden, Garden Editor of Australian Good Taste, Home Beautiful, Australian House and Garden and The Magazine (Sydney). He is also a regular contributor to international magazines, including English House and Garden and Gardens Illustrated.  He was editor of Australia’s foremost garden magazine, Your Garden from 2005-2010, ensuring its survival after a period of declining fortunes and securing uninterrupted growth. His own garden is an experiment in blending Australian plants with exotics and growing tropical and rainforest trees in challenging conditions.

A passionate lover of travel and gardens, Paul has had many enjoyable journeys to the countries of western and eastern Europe, Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Many of his photographic safaris have been featured in Your Garden and online garden blogs. In 2006, he participated in a plant hunting expedition to Brazil and revisited the major gardens of South America. He figures South Africa and Botswana and Machu Picchu as some of his favourite destinations because of its melding of humanity, history, archaeology and the natural world. He has previously led garden tours to France, England, South America and China.

Paul joined ASA as lecturer for Landscapes, Art & Gardens of the Côte d’Azur, Provence & the Cévennes in 2019. In 2023 he led Natural Landscapes & Gardens of Morocco.

Garden Drum – articles by Paul Urquhart