Building Healthy Communities: What MIFGS Reminded Us About the Role of Green Spaces

Building Healthy Communities: What MIFGS Reminded Us About the Role of Green Spaces

At Coolabah Turf, our purpose has always stretched beyond growing grass. From the beginning, we've believed that healthy turf contributes to something larger than any single backyard. It builds healthier communities, quieter streets, cooler neighbourhoods, happier homes, and spaces where people can genuinely breathe. That ethos was on full display at the 2026 Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, recently held at the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, and we came away more inspired than ever.

This year's show was a celebration of what thoughtful, considered landscape design can achieve when it's guided by purpose rather than aesthetics alone. Two gardens in particular resonated deeply with us, and both happened to feature Coolabah's own Sir Grange underfoot.

The Wildplace Children's Garden — Urban Discovery

There is something quietly powerful about a garden designed specifically for children, and Urban Discovery's Wildplace Children's Garden was exactly that. A space that invited young visitors to slow down, explore, and connect with the natural world on their own terms; a place to be. Sir Grange, with its fine leaf texture, soft underfoot feel, and exceptional durability, was the natural choice for a garden where little feet would roam freely. No need for plastic play equipment, gloves or even shoes, this space felt like a deep breath from the moment you entered it. It held up beautifully throughout the show (despite the rain!), delivering the kind of lush, inviting surface that makes a child want to sit down, roll around, and simply be outside. Ditching screen time for green time has been part of our ethos for over 20 years, and it feels more important than ever in today's fast-moving, digital world. For us, seeing our turf in a space designed to nurture curiosity and connection in the next generation is as meaningful as it gets, and partnering with the team at Urban Discovery, who live and breathe this message, felt like a cosmic pairing for Coolabah.

We The Wild — Matt York

Another garden that stopped people in their tracks, was Matt York's extraordinary 'We The Wild,' which took home the City of Melbourne Award of Excellence for Best in Show, along with Gold Medal and the Horticultural Media Association Award for Best Use of Plant Life. Constructed by Ratio with Kuranga Native Nursery and Surf Coast Palms as lead nurseries, the garden was a masterclass in what happens when design is driven by genuine ecological intent.

Matt's vision was rooted in the idea that a garden holds a deeper responsibility than one might think. It contributes to the wider ecology of a place — reducing urban heat, creating habitat, and offering something restorative to everyone who passes through it. In an era of rapid urban growth and increasingly pressured city environments, 'We The Wild' made a compelling case for slowing down and designing spaces that give back. The garden intends to offer a place of wellness to those who use it, allowing nature to be healing by bringing the wildness of the Otways and Wilson's Prom into the city. Coolabah's Sir Grange played its part in grounding the garden in something natural and calming, a surface that invited pause and connection rather than simply filling space.

The triple win was well-deserved, and we were proud to have our turf at the heart of it.

What This Means to Us

Coolabah Turf has always been a Victorian business with Victorian communities at the centre of what we do. We grow turf because we believe in the value of green space, not just as a product, but as a contributor to wellbeing, to liveability, and to the kind of neighbourhoods where people actually want to spend time.

MIFGS 2026 reaffirmed that belief. The gardens that resonated most were not only impressive on paper, but they also had a clear sense of purpose. Spaces designed to welcome children, reduce heat, support ecology, and offer moments of genuine rest for the mind and body in a busy world.

That is exactly what we think about when we grow turf. Whether it's a family backyard, a school oval, a community park, or a show garden seen by thousands, every square metre of healthy green space makes the places we live a little better.

We look forward to continuing to help build healthy communities across Victoria, one lawn at a time.

The Coolabah Crew