[Former AFL coach and player] Kevin Sheedy is a family friend who spent valuable time with me when I was very young. In retrospect, I see that he quietly inspired me to be authentic and to chase my dreams.

As an apprentice gardener, I visited [Australian native plant specialists] Rodger and Gwen Elliot's garden and nursery. This freed me to see the intrinsic beauty in a garden's most subtle attributes – it's about selecting the right plant and placing it in the right place with the best partners around it. Beauty is that simple.

Your plant loves?

Banksias in general. When I saw their representations in Banks' Florilegium in the 1980s, it left an imprint I still remember.

Plant hates?

I am not fond of "fearful" gardens, where all the boxes are checked and it all appears very safe. I really appreciate when people take risks by using materials in a fresh way.

Favourite garden inspiration?

Fleeting moments in nature when the elements come together, particularly light shining through foliage or illuminating gnarly bark.

Proudest garden moment?

I remember one afternoon being alone and crying with joy in a garden I designed when I first came to California. It was a pivotal moment when I realised I could actually design something that moved me deeply.

Ever had a design disaster?

Oh yes, but we are dealing with living things and death is the fourth dimension of design in landscape architecture. Plants die in every garden, but we must take risks.

Who do you want to collaborate with?

At the top of my list for about 30 years has been the Australian architect Glenn Murcutt. He is the master of regional design and his philosophy has influenced me greatly.

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.