Miranda You appear to be making all the right choices in life. I will be a little bit presumptuous by offering some advice on helping you to raise your child in touch with nature in this age full of all the electronic lures that keep the kids indoors. or, when outdoors, glued to a small screen, rather than the glory that surrounds them. I am writing a book about landscape architecture and have a section regarding the importance of embracing nature in the preschool years. - which I would like to forward that section to you. However, my computer skills are limited to email and US Mail. I don't even know how to attach a picture to the text. If you would like to receive this draft from my future book, send me your email or postal address, and I'll get it right off to you. My email is cascio.offsite@gmail.com Good luck with your new challenges and opportunities. Joe Cascio

Hi Leah, I'd think very carefully about what you put in and your conditions. Being in the mallee is a bit more extreme than most inland areas in Australia. Best advice I can give you is speak to your local nursery (not big box store) as they will know what will work best in your area. Unless you're prepared to be watering all the time, it's best to choose plants that suit your climate and soil. Also be aware that your water will probably be quite hard, and a lot of plants may not like that. Have a walk around your area, and see what other people are growing, and what is doing well. That will give you some ideas for planting. I'd steer clear of maples - any of them, as the hot drying winds will dry out the foliage, and they just won't be happy in an exposed spot. Same can be said of the deciduous Magnolias - I doubt you'll find may neighbours with those growing. Look for things like some of the smaller growing Brachychiton cultivars. There are also some great flowering gums, such as Eucalyptus torquata and Corymbia 'Wildfire' which would do well where you are. Crepe Myrtles are a great choice, as they seem to be tolerant of drier conditions. Not sure how crab apple would go, but it would be worth a shot. Also Melia azaderach is another great tree for inland areas, though it can be a bit messy. Good luck!

I love Irene's photos and the suggestion to build a wall inside the boundary to square off the front angle, with plantings in front of it. This would be a brave move (I would probably get a landscape designer in for this if you go this way). Otherwise (I haven't read the previous comments, apologies in case I repeat or contradict), I would plant a fuller medium sized tree in the front right side (the deepest part), though centred, not in the point itself! Something like a full Manchurian Pear (though be committed to pruning it to keep it from growing too large, they don't grow too fast, it should be manageable - otherwise try a pretty Snow Pear (my favourite!) or a Bradford for a more compact but pretty shape - you can even pleach (ie take off the lower branches to keep the first metre of trunk nice and bare for a more sculptural look), or if you want something that will keep more compact without too much trouble, a beautiful crepe myrtle (Ilove the white Natchez variety) makes a lovely sculptural feature tree. You can underplant this with a square garden bed with star jasmine (just keep it trimmed to shape) and they look amazing with some under lighting at night (easy DIY kits available these days). Then along the right fence line I would add plantings to keep it private and looking lovely, again I would go Chanticleer ornamental pear (or Capital are even more narrow but I don't love them, though they're very popular). Again you can underplant with hardy, quick growing and low maintenance star jasmine. Then along the driveway on the right side, plant something lower and along the left side (if you have soil here), plant Sweet Viburnum (I love this, we've planted the Dense Fence variety), again, quick growing, beautiful foliage and low maintenance.

Which Perth suburb? nearly all Perth is awful sand, takes years to get it good. Sabrina Hahn is the best for advice here in Perth; Josh Byrne on Gardening Australia is also wonderful. Succulents are brilliant low care plants, and I was in Bunnings Melville today and saw they have have good sized plants for under $12, so much cheaper than they have been. if you don't want to bring in massive loads of good soil, compost etc, go for the stunning succulents which are now available. North sun in Perth is pretty hot, but it is lovely to have warming your house in winter. perhaps try a tough small deciduous tree like Manchurian Pear - make sure it's not one of the skinny ornamental pears though. if using succulents I am not sure they would complement each other though. Do you really want lawn? It is lovely but quite time consuming. Whatever you do don't forget we only get 2 waterings of 10 minutes each a week; or three waterings if you have a bore, so don't buy anything which is a water guzzler. Josh Byrne, of Gardening Australia, has put in lovely WA natives in his garden - I love our banksia, grevilleas etc, and you can get fabulous different coloured kangaroo paws now too, you could fill in the front area with these, and use one iof our lovely Pepper trees, or one or two or three of the stunning Ficifolia Eucalyptus (smallish trees with blossoms of hot orange or dark red), or a wonderful Eucalyptus Macrocarpa with its large silver leaves and huge red blossoms - google it, you will love it. Orange gravel rolled into bitumen is a lovely driveway finish, if you can find someone to do it in Perth! I can't, only can find a coloured gravel which I hate. I also love the way smallish stones or gravel are used as driveway surfaces, but a bit tricky for older people like me to walk on. if you are going for lawn, perhaps a circle in the centre of the lawn, with a Meyer Lemon, which is quite low care, and would look lovely with tough blue and agapantus surrounding it - a simple garden, easily maintained. The lemon would love the north aspect. Improve the soil for the lemon though. Rosemary hedges are lovely, you could edge the drive with that. Also a tough plant which grows well in Perth.