Each year, the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) offers a snapshot of where outdoor design is heading. In 2026, that direction felt more defined than ever.
Set within the Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding Carlton Gardens, this year’s show embraced the theme Kaleidoscope, a reflection of shifting perspectives, layered ideas and the many ways a garden can be interpreted.
For ShapeScaper, MIFGS 2026 was less about a single showcase and more about presence across the show itself. Featured in 27 gardens throughout the precinct, ShapeScaper’s edging, planters and structural elements were integrated into a wide range of installations, from large-scale show gardens to boutique and emerging designer spaces.
A KALEIDOSCOPE OF DESIGN
The Kaleidoscope theme revealed itself through contrast. Some of the larger show gardens leaned into bold, architectural compositions, where strong geometry and defined lines created a clear sense of structure. These spaces used contrast in materials and precise layouts to give planting a clear place within the design, resulting in gardens that felt intentional and well resolved.
Elsewhere, boutique gardens and emerging designers explored softer, more layered approaches. Sustainability, indigenous planting and smaller, more achievable footprints played a stronger role here, with structure applied more subtly, guiding movement, framing spaces and supporting planting without overpowering it.
In many of the gardens where ShapeScaper products were featured, this balance was clear. Defined edging provided clarity where needed, while curved forms and circular elements softened transitions and introduced flow. Raised planters added variation in height and helped shape how each space was experienced, without adding unnecessary complexity.
SHOW GARDEN: NEW CENTURY
Alongside ShapeScaper’s presence across the show in multiple displays, the company’s own show garden, New Century, designed by Kate Coenen from Living Senses Group, explored the idea of evolving outdoor spaces. Drawing from a familiar design language, this garden was reinterpreted through a more contemporary lens.
At its centre stood a large dome structure, acting as the anchor of the space, with surrounding areas branching out to create distinct zones within the garden. Off to one side, an outdoor interpretation of a sunken living room introduced a more intimate setting, referencing the comfort and tactility of 1970s interiors.
This space was brought to life through the use of a Zoysia grass, grown long and soft underfoot, gently moving with the space. Its texture added a calming, almost immersive quality, reinforcing the sense of comfort within the garden.
Structure played a defining role throughout New Century. A waffle-style feature wall, constructed from Redcor® steel edging, divided the space and introduced privacy without fully enclosing it. The repetition of form created rhythm, while the material added a grounded, architectural presence.
A rock water feature introduced a calming element, with the soft trickle of water creating a constant, subtle backdrop. Large open benches invited people to gather, while overhead, hanging pendants formed from patinated edging added movement and light. As they shifted in the breeze, they cast soft, changing patterns, bringing the space to life, particularly as the garden transitioned into the evening.
The planting palette reinforced the overall tone of the garden. Indigenous species, soft flowing grasses and wispy textures introduced movement, while materials such as desert stones, sandy-toned granite, live timbers and warm steel created a cohesive, earthy palette.
New Century reflected a key idea seen throughout this year’s show, that gardens are increasingly being designed as extensions of the home, with defined areas for gathering, relaxing and moving through, all within a unified space.
