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Once the build was completed, there were lots of finishing touches to the property, the major one being landscaping. The soil under the building is a heavy clay, and the first year I couldn’t stand the sight of the mud when it rained. Slowly every few months I was ticking off things to do around the house, and as the second winter was approaching, I knew I had to do paving. I sourced and transported used pavers by renting a ute and loading it up, causing the wheels to be quite flattened under the weight as I drove up the highway. I made two trips to gather enough pavers to cover my entrance area. After that, I ordered a sand delivery from Buttrose Garden Supplies. Once it arrived, I started asking for quotes from handymen to lay the pavers for me. One guy came over, assessed the situation, and then left to provide a quote of just under $5,000. I found that a bit excessive, especially since everything was already on-site and he had a roller machine. I only needed to lay down 6x7 m of pavers; for that price, I could start my own paving business. It seems like a tactic some tradespeople use when they’re not really interested in the job unless they get paid a lot. So, I decided to do the paving myself, thanks to some practical do-it-yourself YouTube videos that helped me understand the process. I spread the sand, levelling it best I could just before the rain was forecast. After the rain, I smoothed the sand and started watering it for just over a week so that it hardened down enough for pavers to be layered. I did that over a week; however, when doing concrete edging around the pavers, I bought the wrong mix, so after several months when it started crumbling, I had to pay my gardener to fix the edging for me. The pavers have the perfect drop away from the house on either side, and there is in one spot a tiny, hardly noticeable dip, but I know it’s there. Overall, it looks rather rustic and has my handy trademark over it, but I am most happy that I have solved the mud problem.

Because the house has lots of glass surfaces and a northerly orientation, I knew that I had solved the passive heating overwinter; however, I was aware that it would be compromised if I decided to install the verandah to block the sunlight in summer. So the easiest way to customise this was by installing a sail, which I then remove in late autumn and put the shade back around early October. I planted a deciduous plum tree to protect the side of the house from the late afternoon sun and at an angle that does not block sunlight reaching the solar panels on the roof; however, it is still small enough to do an effective job. Just next to the pavers is my vegetable garden, which has to be fenced off to be a dog-free area. Over the years, I have built this to be a productive patch of soil with lots of compost and broken-down manure. Also, in sections where nothing is growing at the time, I do trench composting of my green waste, in addition to my composting pile for larger pieces (such as corn stalks, etc.). Yes, there is a Hills Hoist, as I couldn’t go without it.

At the back, it is the chicken yard, fenced off with black temporary pool fencing to define the area for chickens and ducks. Before I had dogs, my Black East Indie ducks roamed freely through the garden picking up snails around succulent plants; however, once dogs arrived, we needed to make some adjustments. There are 5 large gum trees on the property, and there is an additional rustic-type outdoor sitting area under one of the gum trees. Two large terracotta vases with red geraniums define this area, and I placed several colourful marbles next to the geraniums to please my garden fairies when they visit to play their fairy games. Monarch butterflies, ants, bees and birds, including the playful blue wren, visit the garden, and they all harmoniously coexist in this environment. When the varroa mite arrived in Australia and started to affect the beekeeping sector, I decided to give up beekeeping and give away my Warre hives because I thought it would be too difficult to comply with the new rules. I’ve set up the possum box on one of the gum trees and sometimes leave a few apples for him. Being a nocturnal animal, I haven’t caught a glimpse of him yet, but I can tell he’s around because he leaves evidence in the form of droppings and that not-so-pleasant smell lingering behind. Once I spotted a blue-tongued lizard drinking water from one of the drippers during the summer heat, and that discovery made me so happy, so I decided to protect him and would not allow dogs outside unless they are on the leash. We take a long walk early in the morning, usually along the dirt roads that extend from the edge of town.

I live in a small paradise with a park-like garden setting, still wondering how it all came together. I am appreciative of my ancestors who gave me knowledge and skills to cultivate the soil, this beautiful country of opportunity and I do tend to live lightly, in harmony with the world around me. This is how I am changing the world – by being a good custodian of my own small place, a tiny tiny dot on the planet, with gratitude and respecting the rights of others to live as they find fit for their lifestyles, as we are all unique individuals and live the best we know how to.