I am a landscape architect and urban designer by profession, and a multi-disciplinary creative collaborator by natural inclination.
I trained as both architect and landscape architect, and spent 11 years sharing my craft with the next generation as sessional lecturer in Masters of Landscape Architecture at RMIT and Melbourne Universities.
For a decade I worked as a Senior Landscape Architect on some of Australia’s significant landscape architecture and urban design projects- most notably several years spent managing the design and construction of The Australian Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne.
I am an ardent flower lover and experience maker.
Taking two years out to join the ‘the school of life’, I indulged in that rare opportunity to focus on the things I love most. This included working with some of Melbourne's most sought after florists and event designers, immersing myself entirely in the world of floristry and bespoke events.
I am a gardener and grower, a forager and preserver.
This school of life lead me to a major tree change with my young family in 2014, moving from urban Melbourne to rural Spargo Creek, just outside of Daylesford in Victoria’s Central Highlands. Here I designed and created a ‘productive’ focussed garden on our ,then, 5-acre property lovingly named Oak & Monkey Puzzle after the beautiful specimen trees found on our land. It’s been an incredible journey learning to live with the seasons - growing, gathering, foraging, flowering, making and preserving.
I am a place maker and country life creator.
Transforming a dream into reality, Oak & Monkey Puzzle has become internationally renowned.
Oak & Monkey Puzzle not only provided an evolving special hub for, garden design, artisans and craftspeople by way of workshops, collaborations, and bespoke events. It engendered a warm sense of community, sparked dynamic conversations, fostered collaborative connections, cultivated creativity and provided a place for meeting of the minds.
It is here that I also began my journey creating a way of life I had long yearned for. Rooted in my flower, berry and kitchen gardens, orchards and forest surrounds, I have learnt to live with the land, the shifting season’s, and how to live ‘well’.
I am an adventure maker.
In 2022, my family and I moved on from the idyllic property I created in Oak & Monkey Puzzle.
In this newest adventure, I have set myself the challenge of taking the best of the lessons learnt at Oak & Monkey Puzzle’s 5 acres, combined with my love for gardens, growing, harvesting, cooking and preserving, and distilling this in the design of beautifully productive and sustainably focussed gardens at our new 515 square metre Daylesford property, Little Cottage on a Hill.
The success of Oak and Monkey Puzzle leaves me even more passionately intent on creating an evolving hub in this next iteration at Little Cottage On A Hill.
Through my experience as a landscape architect and urban designer, and now as an established and respected member of a vibrant country community of creatives, artisans, craftspeople and country dwellers, I continue to create, share and build upon a joyful work in progress.
My hope is that Little Cottage On A Hill will be a special place to visit, to experience and learn, to share skills - and further engender a community that’s welcomed me with open arms.
I am a public speaker, workshop teacher and facilitator, and creative collaboration partner.
I share my inspiring story of tree change, garden design, and country life, through guest speaker events, writing, my workshop offerings, social media following, print and digital media.
I have been widely featured both locally and internationally, including Australian Woman’s Weekly, The Design Files, Country Style magazine, Homes to Love, Better Homes & Gardens (Channel 7), The Block (Channel 9), and most recently as key note speaker and masterclass host at the Ballarat Begonia Festival.
Upcoming Workshops
© Copyright Natasha Morgan 2022
Date: Sunday 22 March 2026
Time: 11.00 am to 1.00 pm
Location: Bentwood, Gruyere, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Be part of the second Gardenstead March meetup in the world
Join gardeners from across the Gardenstead community for an autumn gathering at Bentwood in Gruyere.
Owner Louise Brown shares, “A rainy Sunday drive led us to a falling down house on a hill, in Gruyere, a farming pocket of the Yarra Valley, tucked away between orchards, vineyards and dairy farms.
A north/west aspect with limited water supply has led us to a garden of (mostly!) hardy plants, with, of course, some follies that challenge us.
Hedges, old and salvaged pieces, combine to bring structure to the garden. Two gardeners who have been dreaming and creating here for the past 20 years, one favours the formality, and one fills in the gaps with as much wild as possible.
This is a rare chance to visit a garden that is revered amongst the gardening community, and to meet kindred growers in person.
This event is for Gardenstead members only. If you are not yet part of the community, you can join today and come along. Download the Gardenstead app and become a member to book your ticket.
What to expect:
You will step into a beautiful private garden in autumn and be welcomed into a relaxed, friendly space to connect, share and learn.
A warm welcome and introduction to Bentwood, its setting and design intent and guided tour
Time to meet other Gardenstead members, swap ideas and ask questions
A community plant, seed and produce swap for those who wish to take part
Morning tea on arrival and seasonal refreshments
A chance to take in this incredible garden and landscape that sits within the rolling hills of the Yarra Valley.
You will leave with new connections, new seeds or cuttings if you choose to swap, and fresh energy for the season ahead.
What is included:
Entry to Bentwood for the Gardenstead March Meetup
Morning tea and simple seasonal refreshments
Hosted community time for conversation, knowledge sharing and the swap
A social impact contribution to an environmental initiative, because gathering around gardens should always leave something better than we found it.
What to bring:
Optional seeds, cuttings, a small plant or homegrown produce to swap, clearly labelled
A small bag or container to take swapped items home
Weather ready clothing and appropriate footwear
Who this is for:
Gardenstead members who want to meet locally, share knowledge and be inspired by an extraordinary private garden. All experience levels are welcome.
How to attend:
Join Gardenstead.
Download the Gardenstead app.
Purchase your ticket here.
Bring proof of membership on the day in the app.
Important
Tickets are limited. This is a Gardenstead members only event.
About Natasha:
Natasha Morgan is a landscape architect, educator and community builder based in Daylesford, Victoria. She has contributed to significant public realm projects and taught at RMIT and the University of Melbourne. In 2014 she created Oak and Monkey Puzzle in Spargo Creek and now continues her work at Little Cottage on a Hill, a 515 square metre site where she translates large scale design thinking into a compact, abundant garden. Natasha shares her practice through workshops, writing and collaborations, and is the Community Manager of Gardenstead, a growing international platform that connects people who grow, design and live with plants and place.
About Bentwood:
Bentwood is a much‑loved two‑acre country garden in Gruyere, shaped slowly over more than twenty years by Louise Brown and her partner Ben. Once a bare, weedy paddock, it has grown into an eclectic patchwork of garden rooms, framed by hedges and wide Yarra Valley views. Visitors wander past salvia and iris walks, roses and perennials, an evolving orchard and a working flower paddock, with birdsong and bees threading it all together. Recycled structures, vintage finds and hand‑built details give the garden a quietly personal, lived‑in character rather than a polished showpiece. Bentwood is still changing, season by season, and its owners are generous in sharing both the beauty and the work behind it. It is an inviting, thoroughly real garden – the kind of place that makes you want to linger, ask questions, and go home inspired to grow your own.