How Big Is It?

For those who have looked at the photos of our garden and asked "How big is it?" - it's 1440sq metres (15,500sq feet, I think). At the time that we bought the block it was considered fairly large but by today's standards it is positively huge. Most blocks, in Canberra at least, average less than half that today. Many new houses are two storey (without eaves *#!**!!) and sit within hand-shaking distance of the neighbours. However, we hear that more and more neighbours are not in a hand-shaking mood due to the close proximity in which they live. (Several issues there which would make for a somewhat volatile blog in itself, so I'll leave it at that, at least for the time being.)

Our block is on the very edge of our suburb with a sixty metre strip of parkland between it and the next suburb. There are views to the north over farmland (owned by the CSIRO) and hills and mountains to the east. We really only have one neighbour as their house is behind ours and their driveway runs down the side of our block - it's known as a 'battle axe block'.

We have a house of 20 squares, plus a 73sq metre deck, plus a double garage and a double carport and driveway. That still leaves plenty of room for garden. Some days I wish it was 10 times bigger, and other days I wish it was 10 times smaller. Those are the days my arthritic knees register every step I take. As I'm not very organised and tend to wander from one job to another, I often spend a lot more time walking than working in the garden.

I know the garden will never be finished in my lifetime, but a finished garden would be so boring anyway. I'd really like a garden where I could always find something to do, but that 'something' was not apparent to other people. In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy propogating far too many plants, being surprised how well plants grow, either despite or because of, my neglect, meeting and talking to people as they pass by, and planning what will be (even if it never is).