Our Tour Leaders

Graham is a horticulturist, plantsman and garden media presenter. He started the Garden Clinic Radio Show on 2GB in 1980, and has been gardening presenter on Better Homes & Gardens TV since 1995. He’s also publisher of the Garden Clinic Journal, the magazine of the Garden Clinic Club, Australia’s largest gardening club. Graham is a recipient of the Veitch Memorial Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society in London, only the fourth Australian given this honour since its creation in 1870. Graham’s passion for gardening, travel and people comes together in every Ross Garden Tour.

Find out more on Wikipedia

Sandra is a horticulturist, garden writer, broadcaster and popular tour leader. She has the very enviable task of planning new itineraries for Ross Garden tours, a job which takes her exploring all over Australia and the world. She ensures that well-known gardens are maintaining their good looks, seeks out lesser-known but extraordinary places and finds hotels that offer our groups affordable luxury. Sandra was behind one of our most popular tour developments – four night stays in cities so that guests can unpack and relax. Sandra’s spare minutes are spent in her lovely garden.

Brendan is a practicing landscape architect and garden creator as well as author, and occasional TV host (Home, Moar Gardening, Dry Spell Gardening & Coast Australia). Beyond TV Brendan has authored two books, Grounded and Green, spent 10 years as the Garden Editor for InsideOut magazine, works as an MC for charity and corporate functions, and conducts face to face garden workshops for aged care provider Transcare in the Upper Hunter. Over the last 30 years Brendan has maintained his career as a landscape architect and works on a wide variety of public and private projects of all scales both nationally and internationally.

Over his 30 years of designing gardens, working in gardens, and writing about gardens, Michael has not lost a single iota of his enthusiasm for the wonder of growing things, and the sensory and emotional satisfactions offered by really fine gardens. His unique approach to talking about gardens, born of being both botanist and garden designer, has won him many fans of his books ‘Michael McCoy’s Garden’ and ‘The Gardenist’. You can read his musings on gardening at www.thegardenist.com, where you’ll also be impressed by his great photography. Some of his images are reproduced here on the website.

Colin grew up in England and developed a fascination with Australian plants when he started cultivating seeds sent to him by Australian relatives. He fell in love with the country itself when he visited Perth aged 13, and emigrated 8 years later. Colin is a passionate horticulturalist, landscape designer and gardening communicator. He lectures, appears on television and radio, writes for newspapers and magazines and designs gardens for private clients and for garden shows. His three daughters have caught the garden bug and are contributors to the Garden Clinic Magazine.

Paula co-owns a design, construction business in Merimbula, NSW. Even after more than 30 years in the industry Paula’s passion for gardening is stronger than ever. Paula is a firm believer that you can have a lifetime of career changes and still stay in the Horticulture industry. Garden researcher for Better Homes and Gardens, location manager and designer for River Cottage Australia are just a couple of different highlights of her career as well as proud business owner.

Angie Thomas is the Communications Manager for Yates and has been a horticulturist for more than 25 years. She writes for several gardening magazines, appears on national radio to talk about gardening, has written three Yates gardening books and edited the Yates Garden Guide. Angie is an avid gardener and is passionate about growing food and flowers, as well as filling her home with indoor plants. She is a keen and cheerful traveller and loves inspiring people to experience the joys of gardening.

Robin has been writing and photographing gardens for newspapers and magazines for more than 20 years and still gets a thrill when she walks through the entrance of a lovely garden. Robin is also a well-known food writer for the Sydney Morning Herald, for which she has been writing about seasonal produce for several years. Her enthusiasm for gardening, food, wine, history and art make her a great tour companion. You can see some of her photographs on this site.

Tyler is a young horticulturist, plantsman and landscape gardener with over 9 years experience. Tyler has been in the garden since he was a child. Coupled with a diploma of horticulture, there's not much he hasn't come across. 

Having worked in gardens such as Royal Botanic Gardens - Sydney, Hampton Court Palace - London, Chelsea Flower Show 2022 and Claude Monet's garden in Giverny - France; Tyler has worked in some of the finest gardens of the world. From weekend broadcasting with Graham Ross on 2GB to running his own landscape design and gardening business, Tyler is ready to talk gardens and takes a unique approach. 

Tyler is on the National Council of the Australian Institute of Horticulture, and is keenly involved within the industry.

Matthew is a horticultural teacher and garden media presenter with over 25 years experience – some of those years with Graham's Garden Clinic. He has also worked with Greenlife Industry Australia (formerly Nursery & Garden Industry Australia) on their national marketing programs and as a plant buyer in independent garden centres.

A regular MC and presenter at both industry and consumer gardening events across the country, Matthew fuses the fun of gardening with facts on how it is done in both a domestic and commercial setting - often under the alias Hortiman. 

Matthew has travelled the world extensively, exploring how gardens and cultures intertwine and relishes sharing this with other travellers.

Matthew was awarded Australian Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year in 2012; The Allan Seale award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Horticultural Industry in Media’ by the Nursery & Garden Industry NSW & ACT in 2014; and a Horticultural Media Association Australia Laurel for his work on digital media for the Nursery & Garden Industry Australia in 2012

Follow Matthew here @hortiman

Former editor-in-chief of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, Julia also edited Australian Women’s Weekly. She is regarded as one of the most successful editors in Australian publishing, awarded the inaugural Women in Media Lifetime Achievement Award, The Media Hall of Fame and Editor of the Year, amongst others. She is a popular public speaker, is an experienced tour guide, and inaugurated the Cunard Garden Cruise on the Queen Elizabeth. She has extensive experience working closely with gardeners, writers, photographers and TV personalities. She loves it all and can’t wait to show her travellers the world!

A passionate horticulturist, garden enthusiast and self-confessed plant-nerd, Grahame has 30 years’ experience within the Australian Garden Industry. He honed his skills at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, which is where he realized his passion for Victorian-style gardens. Grahame Rowe is also a Garden Designer and Project Manager for the popular TV show Better Homes and Gardens.

Nicola is the founder of a premium nature-based tour operator in New South Wales. With a deep-seated passion for environmental conservation, she is passionate about helping people appreciate the wonders of nature, so that they will be more inclined to take care of it. An accomplished global traveller, Nicola has explored all seven continents, specialising in curating experiences that blend wildlife encounters, adventure, and cultural immersion in remote, unspoiled destinations. 

Brent Reid is the founder and principal designer of Melbourne based Landscape Design Company Candeo Design. Brent is proud of his passion for Plants and Horticulture and has a great appreciation for the art of architecture. More than half of Brent’s life has been devoted to landscape design and horticulture, the other half to basketball, these two passions rarely mix.