early food and herb plantings relied on placement around the house as the final pathway paving was decided through observation of use, need for stabilisation and visibility to termite activity around our wooden house reliant on termite mesh.

strategies included planting edibles in pots, temporary shade and tank installation.

as the hard landscaping took shape with terraces (on a slope), access and pathway points established to human behaviour and time to design the northern beds for production. 2 drooping mulberries formed the framework for a sheltered terrace devoted to herbs and bulbs (initially in pots and mounded swales) and later in patterned constructions such as herb spirals and understory plantings (mainly flowers and pungent herbs) under the mulberries as they formed a cave in summer to play in and for lizards blue tongues and the occasional brown snake to shelter in. the photo series shows the maturing of the space the design of which was spontaneously and often dramatically changed as we appreciated there was no value in lawned areas when we had some many other loverly places to play and could walk to the local grassed parks and ovals if we needed a ''lawn fix".