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This enthusiasm led Sebastian to pursue a AHC30921 Certificate III in Landscape Construction course at Holmesglen, where he discovered his own exceptional talent. He chose Holmesglen not only because it was his local campus but because of its strong reputation in the landscaping field.

“They have great facilities and equipment, and the teachers bring a wealth of industry experience. The mix of expertise, from teachers who owned their own businesses to those who worked on large commercial sites, provided us with a broad perspective,” says Sebastian about the and hands-on learning experience he received at Holmesglen.

Employed as an apprentice at Greener Visions, a leading Melbourne landscape construction company, Sebastian applies the skills he gained at Holmesglen as he learns on the job.

Sebastian’s talent and commitment was soon spotted at Holmesglen and led him to exciting opportunities. One of the most significant was his participation in the WorldSkills competitions. His journey began at the regional level, where he competed against other students from various institutions. After excelling at the regional level, he was selected to represent East Melbourne at the national WorldSkills competition.

Michah Venturini, Sebastian’s teacher, and mentor at WorldSkills, explains why he stood out at Holmesglen.

“Sebastian throughout his apprenticeship has shown hard work and dedication in improving his skill set and his knowledge. His leadership, great workmanship, and eagerness to learn is what sets him apart. Since the start, Sebastian has always been looking to challenge himself to take the next step” said Venturini

Competing at the national level was a thrilling and demanding experience. Sebastian partnered with Thomas Balint, and together, they spent days preparing for the event, honing their skills and practicing at Holmesglen’s Waverley campus. The competition itself, held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, spanned three days. It was an intense process, with Sebastian and his partner working from a plan they had never seen before. Their hard work and attention to detail paid off, as they were awarded the gold medal.

“It was an incredible feeling to get that recognition for all the effort we put in. It was a lot of commitment but at the end of it we got awarded the gold medal. So that was very, very exciting and we were ecstatic,” reflects Sebastian. 

In addition to his WorldSkills success, Sebastian was also selected by Holmesglen to compete at the prestigious Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. His design for the event showed his commitment to sustainability and innovation. He incorporated recycled and repurposed household items, including a bathtub that had been used on a goat farm transformed into a water feature. His design also featured a vintage door as a focal point, blending creativity with sustainability in a way that caught the public’s attention.

“I wanted to show people that you don’t always need new materials to create something beautiful. My aspiration for the project was to include these old household items and try and to give the public a different perspective on what you can incorporate into a garden. It doesn't have to be necessarily new to have value and to make things look nice,” Sebastian said.

Throughout the project, Sebastian used a complete native softscape, sourcing Australian materials. His goal was to create a garden that was not only visually stunning but also ecologically responsible. The project was a testament to his skills, combining techniques learned from his teachers at Holmesglen with the practical experience gained through his apprenticeship.

His mentor at the event and teacher at Holmesglen, Kirsten Wood is proud of how Sebastian leveraged his learnings in the competition.

“Plants demonstrated Seb’s interest in using native plants and his knowledge and his willingness to use less familiar species was admirable. His highly skilled stone walls were the feature that shone out and were truly a credit to his training at Holmesglen” she said.

Sebastian's Achievable Garden entry for the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 2024 won a bronze medal and came third place in its category in the People's Choice Awards.  

Based on his experience at Holmesglen and out in the industry, Sebastian shared some advice for anyone else considering a career in landscaping.

“My advice would be, if you have the tiniest bit of passion, follow it because you never know where you can find yourself if you follow your passion. It's a very rewarding industry with lots of different avenues you can go down. It doesn't just have to be landscape construction, it's a very large space and lots of different areas you can be in, and everything relates to each other”.

Find out more about studying horticulture and environment courses at Holmesglen.