When we bought this property...
The plan was pretty simple.
It was large enough that we could build our dream home on one side, then either relocate the old house once we’d finished or subdivide and sell it.
We pictured this lovely country property with a large family home that was semi off-grid. We had plans for a huge garage that would double as a space for the boys … with an indoor cricket net, a golf simulator and somewhere they could just hang out with their friends.
That was the dream.
Then Life Changed
We even had the first set of house plans drawn up and had started making changes.
Then life changed.
We’d recently bought two businesses and, to be honest, they just weren’t as cashflow positive as we’d hoped.
Instead of moving forward with the build, we made the decision to put everything on hold.
It wasn’t the plan …
But it was the right decision for our family at the time.
The Forgotten Garden
While the house plans sat on hold, the old vegetable garden slowly became a dumping ground.
Our property is around 6,000 square metres, so whenever I’d trim trees or clear branches so I could mow the lawns without getting poked in the eye, I’d just pile everything onto the old garden beds.
They were completely overgrown and covered in leaves, branches and all sorts of stuff.
Then, over summer, something unexpected happened.
We noticed pumpkins growing.
A few weeks later …
Tomatoes.
We hadn’t planted a thing.
I remember thinking,
“If pumpkins and tomatoes can grow in this mess … imagine what we could grow if we actually looked after it.”
Around the same time, the cost of living was climbing, money was tight, and it just clicked.
Maybe instead of waiting for the “perfect” time to build our dream home …
Maybe we should start making the most of what we already had.
So that’s what we did.
Starting Small
It’s not like we’d never grown anything before.
At our previous house we had three raised garden beds, a couple of little greenhouses and some fruit trees. We loved growing tomatoes and we’d experimented with things like beetroot, broccoli and lettuces.
But this was completely different.
This wasn’t three tidy raised beds.
This was an overgrown section of a 6,000-square-metre property that we’d almost forgotten about.
I had absolutely no idea what I was doing on this scale…
But I figured there was only one way to learn.
One Project Led to Another
Looking back now, I think this garden has become about so much more than growing vegetables.
If I’m honest …
I’m pretty good at starting projects.
Following them through?
Not always.
So to even get to where I am now feels like a huge achievement.
It didn’t happen overnight either.
It started with clearing one garden bed.
Then I realised I’d need a fence because otherwise the rabbits would eat everything.
I couldn’t justify buying mulch, so I used old cardboard boxes left over from all the things we’d bought for our Airbnb project to create the paths.
One small step led to another.
That’s probably what this whole journey has taught me.
You don’t have to wait until you can afford the dream.
You start with what you have.
You clear one bed.
You reuse the cardboard.
You plant the first seed.
Slowly, almost without noticing, you’re building something you’re really proud of.
Looking Back ...
If you’d told me a couple of years ago that I’d be this excited about a vegetable garden, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
But now I walk out there and think,
“Oh my goodness … look what I’ve created.”
And yes, it’s challenging.
Right now we’re dealing with frosts.
In a few months it’ll be figuring out shade because the garden gets so much sun.
Then there’ll be working out how to get water over there.
Every season seems to create another project.
But I actually love that.
More than anything, I want this garden to become part of everyday life.
I want it to grow food that saves us money.
I want it to feel easy to manage.
I want planting to become second nature instead of something I have to constantly Google.
I want this little corner of our property to become a place that’s full of life.
And maybe that’s why I’m so proud of it.
Not because it’s perfect …
But because I stuck with it.
🌱 Garden Progress
As at July 2026
🌿 Current beds: 7 raised beds, 3 resting
🧄 Currently growing:
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cabbage
- Silverbeet
- Beetroot
- Lettuce, Spinach & Kale
- Blueberries & Strawberries
- Thyme, Rosemary, Mint, Coriander & Parsley
🥶 Biggest challenge:
Three frosty mornings in a row! The plants have definitely slowed down, but we’re hanging in there.
🔨 Current project:
Planning the spring garden and figuring out irrigation and shade.
🌱 I’m most excited about:
Seeing what this garden looks like by summer.
If you’d like to follow along as we transform this property … one garden bed, one home project and one step at a time … you can explore more of our Home & Garden journey here.
→ Explore our Home & Garden Journey