So this is a good question. We had a garden when I was growing up, a pretty big garden by todays standards but it was in a big city, twenty five kilometres East of Melbourne in a place called Syndal. Next to Glen Waverley for those who know that part of the world. Big as in one thousand square meters or a quarter of an acre which was average for standard Australia house back in the 1970s. Dad liked his roses in the front yard, I do not recall mum growing much other than some parsley in a pot. I was probably more into climbing in some of the trees and building stuff, though one of my pocket money jobs was to mow the lawn. I suppose our front yard might be described as ornamental and the back was more practical and functional. There was a Lemon tree too! next to my home made cricket pitch, we used the lemon tree as an imaginary fielder, if the ball got stuck in it, we classed it as catch and you were out.
I started work early and one of the the job was as a landscape gardener labourer. I think this is where I got a little more interested in the garden, All the great gardens and spaces I got to work in sort of planted a seed.
Though I think it took years and even decades before I ever had a garden of my own and something I could work with and on. It was also in another State in a different part of the country. Back then time and money was pretty tight with a young family, sport and work.
The house and garden was pretty much a blank canvas when I got it, just a newly built house, a couple of years old and grass. Slowly I started adding garden beds which helped reduce the amount of mowing. Most of the plants I put in were just cutting from friends and neighbours in the street, many died through lack of attention but many have thrived and are still around today.
Even though I had done landscaping the climate in Queensland was different and I was not that knowledgeable about how to grow stuff. I could build a path or move some rocks, but plant selection and placements was what the boss was did. For me it has been a lot of trial and error.
Early on I put lots of stones and pebbles in and on the garden beds which helped keep the weeds away for years but now I have a little more time I want to rake the stones into a path and put more mulch in and grow more stuff.
Recently I made a bit of a path at the back of our pool with some concrete pavers mum did not want from her place.
I got some dragon fruit cutting from a friends and they have tripled in size our our wet summer season. I think I will need to get them out of the pot soon.
My favourite is this staghorn but they struggle through our dry season. I was also able to pick up some free xanthorrhoea grass frees tube stock, from our local native council nursey and am delighted to report that most have taken hold and seem to be thriving.