My Garden

MY HAPPY PLACE

We moved here in 2000. A little 2 bedroom weatherboard house with lots of sheds, no front garden and concrete extending right up the back yard. I'd never seen so much concrete! We were a lot younger then and with a sledge hammer and crow bar we slowly removed it all, initially replacing it with grass before doing our house renovation. Our house is on a sloping hill and we wanted to create a flat area at the back door. We built retaining walls out of railway sleepers, paved with recycled bricks and planted a native garden. This area is still one of my favourites. The backyard is mostly native planting and also includes an orchard, vegetable garden, a two story cubby and home to our chickens. The front yard had two original Japanese Maples which are now surrounded by a perennial garden and lots of colour. I really enjoy the contrast between the two areas. Over the years the garden has grown so much and is always changing. It's lovely to look back at some original photos and see how far it's come. I'm really enjoying watching things now become really established although I believe a garden is organic and never 'finished' so I'm sure there will be more to come.