The whole garden has been designed  as a series  of linked garden rooms.  Each  garden room has a different function  but has creates a real sense of belonging.   I thought of a landscape as would a sculptor in  a solid medium, but I saw it as a three dimensional piece of space which people walked through which had an emotional effect on people. This space changed  with time as it grew and changed with the time of day: shadows vs. sun patterns, boulders, colour, plants, trees, earth-forms, solid structures and water. These were the ingredients in a subtle flow of landscape design and construction. Unknowingly I was a landscape sculptor. Rather an intangible product to sell ​ and run a business with!! Out of this stage I built a structure for my life: my marriage with Harriet, business and the house plus we had a family.

The view from the  arbour  where you look down into a small amphitheatre. It has radiating stone  seats (stone left over from building the internal house walls) with a central bonfire area. The seats are covered with foam cushions  stored  for the occasion. We use this area for large gatherings of people in the winter time when it  is cold  … see  the  photos  below.

It is  7.00 am  in the morning in mid September 2015. It is the start of spring in Australia. I am sitting reading a book in the  arbour and reflecting on life  ….. I  became retired when I had my severe brain injury  twenty years  ago in December 1995. I am just really enjoying the  early morning sun shining  through  the dark  green leaves of  the native wisteria vine growing over the arbour. The sun  shines through  the  abundance of white and mauve  pea – like flowers from the wisteria vine  … see photo  above. I am looking out to my left and see the new cottage garden that   Harriet and I have been  establishing in the last few months. It is such a pleasure in seeing what new flowers are coming out this week. See the  section  below:  Cottage  Garden  Room below  with accompanying  photos and words.

This photo shows an earlier reddish shade umbrella in use over the outdoor eating table. We now have a green one as in the photo above.

Big stone entry stairs provide progressive  entry  to the house  and the arbour. With big  square  stone which  has the metal solar light  beside  it, this  is special stone  from Boggo Rd. Gaol  from  1883. I obtained  ten of  these  stones in  1984 from  my demolition friend  Neil for  A$34.00 each.  Neil supplied  the beams  and  posts in  our house. See above. The 1800’s is  very  old  in  Australia  as Captain Cook  from England only  came and  discovered this new  land  in 1770. Cook was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy.

I found out these also had a history. The first gaol in Brisbane was established at Humpybong, Redcliffe in 1824. Then between 1860 and 1883 the gaol was in Petrie Terrace where the old Police barracks are. In 1883 the gaol was transferred to Boggo Rd. Gaol. Capital punishment (hanging) was abolished in 1922. Boggo Rd. Gaol was closed in the late 1970’s and is now used for  periodic cultural functions. This finally means our ten stones date from 1883.

The amphitheatre  in use at night. It gives a wonderful inclusive feeling.

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See the next post: Post 2: The Front Garden Room

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