Southern Plants featured in The Garden Gurus’ Legends & Legacies
Southern Plants’ Mark Jackson joined Trevor Cochrane from The Garden Gurus at the 2026 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show to share the story of three generations of horticulture — from the Jackson family’s early nursery beginnings to Southern Plants today.
At the 2026 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, Southern Plants had the opportunity to be part of a special story celebrating the people and businesses that have helped shape Australian gardening.
The Garden Gurus created an innovation-inspired feature garden at the show that also operated as a working television set for their Legends & Legacies series. The garden celebrated how gardening has evolved, combining new ideas and plant varieties with stories from people and businesses that have contributed to the industry over many years.
Southern Plants’ Mark Jackson joined presenter Trevor Cochrane to share part of the Jackson family story — a horticultural journey spanning three generations.
The story reaches back to Mark’s grandfather, Ralph Jackson, who worked in the nursery industry before World War II and established his own nursery after returning from the war in 1945. From those early beginnings came Dingley Nursery, later Jackson’s Dingley Nursery and Gardenworld, before the family’s horticultural journey evolved into wholesale plant production and what is now Southern Plants.
Today, that legacy continues with a strong focus on quality, innovation and finding better ways to grow. Southern Plants is continuing to improve its environmental practices through initiatives including recycled plastic pots and labels, recycled irrigation water, solar energy and peat-free compost-based growing media.
Being included in Legends & Legacies was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on where Southern Plants has come from, while also looking towards where horticulture is heading next.
For more than 75 years, our family has been growing plants for Australian gardens. Today, our focus is on growing better plants in a way that helps protect the planet those gardens belong to.
Better Plants. Better Planet.