Hello, I’m Natasha Morgan – a landscape architect by profession, but above all, a lifelong gardener and maker. I’ve noticed so many new faces joining my little community recently, so I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself and share a bit about my journey. It’s so lovely to have you here!
The Dream of Oak and Monkey Puzzle
In 2014, after years of working as a Senior Landscape Architect and lecturing in landscape architecture, I made a life-changing decision. My family and I left Melbourne to embrace a long-held dream – a tree change to a 5-acre property in Spargo Creek, just outside Daylesford.
We named the property ‘Oak and Monkey Puzzle’ after its grand old namesake colonial trees, and it was nothing short of transformative. It wasn’t just a garden; it became a hub for growing, gathering, and creating. The property offered a rich canvas to combine my professional expertise with my passions for design, gardening, preserving and community building.
Workshops and events at Oak and Monkey Puzzle brought together artisans, creatives, and like-minded individuals. It was a place where flowers bloomed, vegetables thrived, and friendships flourished alongside the plants. It was also deeply personal – a space where I found a new rhythm, working with the seasons and living more intentionally with the land.
Closing One Chapter, Opening Another
After nine wonderful years, in 2022, it was time to close the chapter on Oak and Monkey Puzzle. Those years taught me invaluable lessons about community, resilience, and the beauty of combining creativity with sustainability.
From Spargo Creek, my family and I downsized to 515m² in Daylesford and began a new adventure: Little Cottage on a Hill.
Little Cottage on a Hill: A New Experiment
Little Cottage on a Hill is proof that you don’t need vast acres to create abundance. On this compact block, I’ve embraced the challenge of designing a garden that is both productive and beautiful. The property includes verge gardens overflowing with seasonal produce, espaliered fruit trees lining the fences, and a small kitchen garden designed with wicking beds for maximum yield with minimal space and water.
This project has become an experiment in sustainable living. It’s about creating multifunctional spaces, working within constraints, and showing what’s possible – even on a small scale.
Sharing My Passion
While the scale of my garden has changed, my passion for teaching, growing, and creating hasn’t. Today, I host workshops, collaborate with other artisans, and share tips to help others design gardens that are productive, sustainable, and uniquely theirs – no matter the size of the space they’re working with.
If you’ve been following me since the Oak and Monkey Puzzle days, thank you for your continued support. If you’re new here, welcome! I’m so glad to have you along for this next chapter.
Living Well with the Land
Whether it’s a sprawling 5 acres or a modest 515m², I’ve come to realise that living well is about finding beauty and abundance in what you have. My journey has been one of discovery – of the land, the seasons, and my own creativity.
I hope to inspire you to explore your connection to the land and create something meaningful in your own corner of the world. Here’s to small spaces, big ideas, and living well with the land.
