The grape pergola forms an extra green room in summer time, then lets sunshine into my office on Winter days. Grapes on top and down the sides, hibiscus to the north. Both pruned back to almost nothing in winter.

The house is built on what was the backyard of a small weatherboard cottage, and before that about 150 years ago, a diary farm. Many grape varieties were growing in the yard before it was cleared in Winter. I saved several cuttings in pots and planted them on the pergola and the perimeter of the North side of the property. I am pretty sure that I did not save all the varieties, though. I think they were probably originally brought by Italian migrants to the area, so are probably rather unusual.

Do I like to eat grapes? Nope. Do my kids? Yes … but only the seedless variety with paper-thin skins that you can buy in the supermarket.

I have so many grapes over summer that I think I could probably have a go at making my own wine one year.

The hibiscus mutabilis has flowers that open as white, then change to a deep pink. The leaves are theoretically edible, but more often used to deal with burns, like you would aloe vera. I have never thought to try eating it.