When designing this garden, the brief was to think local and edible . It’s a small space, only about 7m x 12m, but it had to have several functions including to entertain, everyday cooking, educational and hands on. It didn’t take long to initiate a concept, but using recycled materials is a whole new way of designing. Once the concept was drawn, it was a matter of sourcing suitable materials. It started with re using a broken Hills-Hoist clothes line and snowballed from there.

The garden is on several easy to access levels and individually, each area provides for different functions. A picnic lawn around the fire for winter, a play area with seating for around forty guests, fish pond and a breakfast deck.

In its short life, the garden has been a source of many fruits and vegetables including tomato, passionfruit, corn, various herbs, lettuce, beetroot and beans to name a few.

The maintenance is enjoyable and is helped out by a local Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii). She has decided she likes helping to control caterpillars and grasshoppers. It is a great deal, as we get chemical-free pest control and in return she takes a few ripe strawberries. A small worm farm is enough to take care of green scraps and to provide a top up of nutrients back to the garden.