If the term “what you see is what you get” was used to describe Dean Cox, it would be as accurate as it is fitting. This straight up and down, honest, hardworking, compassionate and caring individual who, by his own admission, hasn’t changed since he was a boy, is as successful and as popular today as he was 24 years ago when he first started in business.
Dean began as an apprentice with the Royal Botanic Gardens. After completing his Horticultural Certificate and armed with the extensive knowledge gained from the gardens he set up New Life Landscapes, carrying out landscape design and construction. Six years of hard work digging, constructing and planting saw him expand his business into wholesale nursery, which has now been established for 18 years.
His nursery supplies plants to a wide range of clientele, including the general public, developers, councils, and even other nurseries and landscape gardeners. Dean has four part-time employees, including his wife Linda. The business uses recycled water on site, with the watering system that he developed. This unique system has won a Council Environmental Award for Water Treatment.
Expanding into wholesale nursery allowed Dean to continue to work outdoors, something he loves doing.
“I love working outdoors and growing plants,” Dean says. “I love everything about horticulture and helping customers to make correct choices when it comes to the right plant for their area and environment.”
Dean credits his wife Linda with being a huge support throughout their 24 years in business and recognises long time Shire resident Ron Andrew, himself a highly regarded horticulturalist, as a positive influence. Don Burke, the respected and well-known former Channel 9 presenter has also spent time with Dean over the years willingly sharing his knowledge and expertise.
If Dean is passionate about horticulture, it’s nothing compared to his commitment to his family. With a “family comes first” approach to life, Dean appreciates the fortunate circumstances in which he finds himself, where some of his time at work is spent with his two boys. If not away during school holidays, the two boys work at the nursery helping Dean with deliveries, planting and potting.
They utilise time together at the nursery and the times they go fishing to reflect on what life brings them and what awaits them in the future. Dean and Linda’s eldest son is in his early teens so school, sport and other related issues are also lively topics of discussion.
The time the boys spend at the nursery has been reciprocated during school hours with Dean conducting botany lessons at his sons’ school for some of the students. Dean teaches the students about the environment, the various habitats and the role each species plays.
His botany lessons have been so well received that the school intends to call on his services to provide a one-day-a-week workshop for potential school leavers who are interested in horticulture as a profession.
Dean is a firm believer in educating the public as well as the students to help them become more garden conscious like those in areas such as the eastern suburbs, Dural and North Shore. He also believes the Shire would be greatly advantaged by helping people understand that planting plants in a low water environment is achievable and that not all plants have to be drought tolerant.
Whilst Dean sees a future role in education a distinct possibility, he is currently embarking on a couple of projects, which will keep him very busy. One such project, a “Do it for me” service is expected to be up and running by spring. This service will see Dean and his team revamp existing gardens with new and correct planting, fertilisation and mulching. A new online service, where customers can purchase plants over the internet, is also on the cards.
Before all this begins, Dean is working with Caltex Australia on a four-acre wetlands restoration project. With all of these exciting new projects and initiatives, Dean isn’t left with much leisure time to spend with his wife and family, the beach, collecting wine, following the Sharks or entertaining at home, but believes it all makes for a happy life.
Dean loves living in the Sutherland Shire. In fact he was born, raised and schooled in the Shire and currently lives with his
young family at Engadine. In his younger days he was an accomplished sportsperson and is still actively involved in local amateur
sports administration. Dean operates his own business in the area and is keen to support and promote the wider community in any
way he can with his new role. | 
