As a small child I have fond memories of visiting my grandfather’s home where he farmed from his own backyard many varieties of seasonal fruits and vegetables. He was a passionate green thumb and his garden was his pride and joy. From his perfectly groomed lawn to the rows of beautifully scented roses, this was the place where pop found his solace.

I never really understood the draw card to gardening? Toiling hours on end in the dirt under the blistering sun. That was until we found out we were expecting our first child and a shift in residence to the bayside suburb of Manly in Brisbane, Australia. Our new home featured a large sun soaked backyard along with the decayed remnants of an old raised garden bed, similar to that I remembered once laid at my grandfathers. The potential was there for something to be reborn.

With a new arrival on the way we’d already been thinking of better ways to live more sustainably for the better of the environment and our families future. With a love of fresh, locally grown produce our decision was made, we’ll grow our own! We’re not out to live completely off of our garden, but more so to take advantage of our large open space and maybe even reduce our weekly green spend.

Now already two months into the project and already in this short space of time I’m starting to discover what it is that draws so many to their gardens. I hope you’ll join me with ‘The Veggie Patch Diaries’, as we document the trials and tribulations of turning our suburban backyard plot into a viable means of growing our own fresh produce.

We hope it inspires you to try the same!

Matt & Céline

The original plot

A friendly visitor

The decayed remnants of the old raised bed

Existing greenhouse & old planter box

Home sweet home