Many years ago, I saw this picture in a magazine and have coveted this veggie patch ever since. It is Pete’s Patch, a working vegetable garden in the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, Hobart, made famous by local legend Peter Cundall.

There was a veggie plot of sorts when we moved in, with two long, narrow, concrete edged beds and a big space in the middle for spuds.

Our new design incorporated the existing beds as paths and we set about building.

We procured reclaimed hardwood roof trusses from the local salvage yard to make the boxes.

The centrepiece was designated for our fruit salad tree – one tree bearing lemons, limes, mandarins & oranges.

The posts were sunk and braced in readiness for the concrete.

I was eager to get some vegetables going. We ordered a truckload of loam and, after laying six sheets of newspaper, filled the boxes with a lovely soil/ mushroom compost mix. The planting began.

Another truck, another load – road base this time – was wheelbarrowed and spread along the paths.

I don’t mind admitting the whacker packing is man’s work!

Seven months into the project, the first bricks were laid.

We collected old bricks from wherever we could find them. Fortunately for us, a house nearby burned to the ground (it was empty at the time) and we scavenged most from there.

Michael laid, I laboured, just over 3,000 bricks!

Now to keep the critters out! A double layer of shade cloth around the bottom also helps with protection from the wind. Wire around the top to deter any climbers.

Almost done.

The “verandah” of wire around the top is supposed to keep possums out because they won’t climb upside down.

Michael very cleverly made the doors to fit the angles of the slope

and we were finished.

Now we can just enjoy the veggies.

Or so we thought! Following a stealth attack by parrots, we decided we needed a roof. Gable supports and bird netting did the trick.

With some left over bricks & timber and an old laundry tub, Michael constructed a fantastic washstand to complete my dream.