What this tool collects, why, and where it goes — plainly stated.
Find My Ecological Garden is a free tool built by Gardener & Son. It helps you discover the pre-1750 ecological vegetation class (EVC) for your address, so you know which indigenous plants belong in your garden.
This page describes what information is collected when you use the tool, why we collect it, and how it's handled. We've written it in plain language because you deserve to understand it.
Last updated: May 2026
Three types of information are collected depending on how you use the tool:
| When | What is collected | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| Every EVC lookup | Your address or GPS coordinates, and the EVC code and name returned for that location | Automatically, in the background |
| Email signup | Your email address, your address, and your EVC — so we can send updates relevant to your region | When you submit the form |
| Preorder inquiry | Your name, email, phone, property address, approximate area, and EVC | When you submit the form |
We do not collect payment card details — that is handled entirely by Stripe. We do not create user accounts or use tracking cookies.
The EVC lookup log helps us understand where ecological gardens are being considered across Victoria. It's the only way we have of knowing whether this tool is useful, which plant communities are most searched, and where native garden interest is growing. This shapes how we improve the plant lists and which EVCs we prioritise.
Email signups let us reach you with content relevant to your EVC — not general newsletters, but information specific to the plant communities of your area.
Preorder information is used only to follow up with a quote for your site.
All three forms send data to Google Forms, which stores responses in a private Google Sheet accessible only to Gardener & Son. We do not sell this data, share it with third parties, or use it for advertising. Google's infrastructure and terms of service apply to data stored there.
Address geocoding — converting your typed address into coordinates — is performed via Nominatim, a service run by the OpenStreetMap Foundation. Your address is transmitted to their servers to perform the lookup. Nominatim logs requests for abuse prevention. This is standard practice for geocoding services. You can read more at openstreetmap.org/copyright.
If you purchase a forest kit or ecological tee, you'll be taken to Stripe's secure checkout. Stripe handles all payment processing — we never see or store your card details. The only information passed to Stripe is a reference code containing your EVC and the date of purchase. Stripe's privacy policy governs payment transactions.
EVC lookup logs are retained in Google Sheets as long as they are useful for understanding ecological garden activity across Victoria. Email and preorder submissions are kept for as long as they are relevant to our communications with you.
You can request deletion of any information you've submitted by emailing us.
Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to request correction or deletion. To make a request, email us below. We'll respond within a reasonable time.
Reach us at hello@gardenerandson.com
We're a small studio. We'll get back to you within a couple of days.