Candid Company: A Q&A With the MD of Secret Gardens

Matthew Cantwell dishes the dirt on how he grew one of the most recognisable landscaping businesses in Sydney

Julia Fairley 24 April 2018

Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture that is thoughtful, sophisticated and champions an element of the unexpected. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and becoming a journalist, I studied interior architecture. For over a decade I have interviewed inspiring creative minds from around the world to write about design in its many different forms. Recently, I have also become an accidental gardener, to everyone's surprise.

Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture... More

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In this industry interview, we dig deep with Matthew Cantwell, managing director of Secret Gardens, to learn how he went from having “no real plans” to growing a highly sought-after landscaping business from the ground up.

Secret Gardens

What do you do?
I am the managing director of Secret Gardens, based in Sydney. We provide landscape architecture and design, landscape construction and horticultural services to the residential sector with a team of 65 full-time staff. I also authored the book Secret Gardens, which has just been released.

Matthew Cantwell, managing director of Secret Gardens

Secret Gardens

What distinguishes your work?
Like many businesses in our industry we provide a turnkey solution, but with much greater depth of people who specialise in various fields.

Glebe Rooftop Garden

Secret Gardens

How did you enter this field of work?
I left school with no real plans, got a job labouring in landscaping, loved it and then went to Ryde Tafe to study landscape design. I started my business at 23, again with no real plan, and worked it out as I went. We were pioneers in many regards; back then things in our industry were very different.

Rose Bay Garden

Secret Gardens

When did you start Secret Gardens?
Almost 25 years ago. I started out on my own and gradually added staff, one by one, as interest and demand grew. I used to work seven days, probably 75 hours a week. You have to work hard if you want to achieve anything.

Caringbah Garden

Secret Gardens

How has your business changed?
Once I had about eight employees just building gardens, I employed a landscape architect – a big step – and set about building the design department. The next step was to start providing horticultural services. I always had to an extent, but now with dedicated horticulturists not interested in any form of construction.

When I reached about 15 employees my wife, Rochelle, left her marketing career of 12 years and joined us. Then we really started to grow. It was a real boost having someone run and develop the back end of the business.

Rose Bay Garden

Secret Gardens

Can you identify a turning point for your company?
Rochelle joining the company with all her marketing experience was a real shift – not many businesses were particularly active in this area. Back then, taking out full-page ads in Belle and Vogue was a big investment; in the years to come everyone would start to follow suit. We have always stayed ahead of the game in this regard. I didn’t even have an overdraft until we were about 17 years old, as the business grew we needed that help to manage cash flow.

Estimating software was also a big step early on; I am surprised how many businesses still operate off an Excel spreadsheet. We had some key projects, especially a rooftop garden that spanned three levels. It was a large, difficult job which gained us a lot of notoriety; I am still very proud of that project.

Centennial Park Garden

Julia Fairley

What has proven the greatest professional challenge?
Managing staff has always been the most challenging. Ensuring that we continue to develop to retain key staff is always top of mind.

Sydney Rooftop Garden

Secret Gardens

What have you learnt about your industry that you wish you knew when you started?
Be yourself. Clients like people who are genuine and say what they think, not what they think the client wants to hear. Just be honest, even if that means admitting your mistakes.

Diamond Beach Coastal Garden

Secret Gardens

When choosing sub-contractors, what do you look for?
I look for clients who are engaged, who really care about the outcome and enjoy the process. And the same goes for those who we rely on to help deliver our product.

Sydney City Penthouse

Secret Gardens

What are the deal-breakers that make you reluctant to work with sub-contractors?
I like communication; if that becomes hard or if people don’t extend the same respect I show them, then I am not interested. It is mostly about the client (can I see myself and my team getting along with them?) then the brief (is it interesting?). The scale of the job is less important.

Clovelly Warehouse Garden

Secret Gardens

What’s the best advice you can offer about managing a team?
Do include them, keep them informed, ask their opinions and catch up with them regularly. The best lessons are often learnt from mistakes; try and turn these into positives, but don’t give people the impression that it is okay – you can’t be too soft.

Longueville Landscape

Secret Gardens

How do you plan to grow or maintain your level of success?
Continue to develop our people. Without good people who are engaged at our scale it can quickly diminish the brand. We are very big on good service.

Avalon Garden

Secret Gardens

Any recommendations for software or apps that help you run your business well?
We develop most of own, that’s our secret. Find what works for you and what can grow and adapt as you do.

Avalon Garden

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Missed last month’s Candid Company story? Read a Q&A with the director of Baker Building Group