Jac Semmler Q&A And Her Autumn Flower Picks

What can we expect from your latest book ‘Flower Power - Designing gardens for year-round wonder’?

FLOWER POWER is a bold and beautiful book that answers readers’ questions on how to design and cultivate a plant driven garden for a year of wonder. It lays out an approach and method for creating plant-driven gardens using a range of techniques and applied design ideas. Illustrated graphics make it easy for any gardener to follow. It is the perfect companion for SUPER BLOOM that heros in use of diverse wonderous climate compatible plants for any gardener. 

When writing your series of Flower Books, where do you draw your inspiration from?

Readers' questions, gardeners' questions, our work at Super Bloom plant practice and the natural world. How can we have this highly personal gardens and illustrate the process and things we know as horticulturalists and designers and share them for every gardener and practioner in a accessible and graphic way that celebrates plant driven gardens in their diversity and wonder. Gardening is a glorious skill and practice that everyone can learn with test and trials along the way. How do we support the journeys of others and welcome all into the world of plants. 

How did gardening become part of your life?

I am so fortunate; it has always been a way of life. I grew up on a farm in rural Victoria to a family of plantswomen. My Dad was incredible, working for the Department of Environement, we would be seed collecting and processing on the weekends. It was not until later that it be came clearer that plants could be a incredible vocation also

What climate do you grow in and how have you seen this change over the years. How does this change the way you grow?

I currently live on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, which is Mediterranean-like (Meditarraneanoid), though have lived and gardened in the Mediterranean and aridity of south Australia and Alice Springs. There is a shift in the unpredictability of seasons, a general drying and it is important we continue to learn and adapt as gardeners and practitioners. In both the plants we consider and the techniques we use for resilient gardens. 

What do you find is the best thing about growing some of your flowers from seed?

It truly is one of my most loved things to do as both gardener and practioner, we use both seeds at Heartland, my home garden and Super Bloom plant lab but also on our works and projects in public space with direct seeding or sowing seeds first as numerous plugs for replanting. There is such a wonder to be able to grow with seed, save them and share them - there is a great generosity to growing from seeds where you can work with 100's rather than 10's of plants and the way that plants are more resilient the younger they are established. To be able to dance with the lifecycles of plants is a great joy. 

What is flowering in your garden at the moment?

Flannel Flowers, Achillea, so many Salvias, Helichrysums, Swainsonia, floating Echinacea, and Scabiosas abound

What are you sowing for Autumn?

Jac, has been kind enough to put together a collection of her favourite autumn bloom. See click the button below to explore them

With all your garden knowledge, what would be your best flower tip(s)?

Mass! Sow in big plug trays rather than small punnets, the more the merrier. It is difficult but try to be disciplined with only a few seeds per plug slot as you can leave the little darlings to grow for longer before directly planting into the garden or landscape. Persistence is a great quality of any gardener, we all kill plants unintentionally or when pushing their potential limits, keep going, listen to your garden, what works and when. Do what you can and keep growing. Wonder awaits.