A recent audit of their garden resulted in 177 different types of plants including 18 fruit trees, seven of which frame the western side of the back garden; raised beds of herbs, greens and vegetables and an asparagus patch. A passionfruit vine runs along the brick wall at the back of the house and it is dangled with fruit which ripens throughout spring with an intense flavour.

I was introduced to the couple by Dr Anna Howe of Hackett, when they developed entries for a competition in June at Regatta Point, arranged by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, called Remaking Lost Connections. The Edible City proposal submitted by Phoebe Gordon and Timothy Dyer looked at new and existing buildings giving back to communities by integrating food opportunities on-site and she was also involved with a team covering commercialising the urban forest. Gordon works locally and she tries to implement permaculture and productive elements into most of the gardens she designs.

Both Dyer and Gordon grew up in Canberra and she created gardens with her parents. Her grandfather Wally had an extensive vegetable garden of asparagus, strawberries and espaliered fruit trees which the family would pick and turn into jam. Her grandmother Ash filled Gordon with a love of nature. These experiences led her to complete a degree in landscape architecture then a permaculture design course that provided a practical approach to edible landscapes. While she and Dyer were studying they lived in a shack at his parents' home where they grew lettuces and herbs on a window sill.

Now Dyer has constructed the garden spaces where a mound of gravel was moved to make raised beds and second-hand red bricks were cleaned and laid by both of them as handsome paving. Gordon says seedlings come from EPIC Markets or Jamison Rotary Markets, heirloom seeds from Diggers, and excess seedlings and produce are swapped on Facebook through the Urban Homesteading Group of which she is a member.

The couple's productive garden and kitchen are both animated by their daughters, Esther, four, and Eloise, one. The little girls pick cherries, strawberries and other fruit, watch the passionfruit ripen by their windows, feed the worms compost and help plant seedlings. By picking and eating vegetables they have developed a love of food and Gordon says they are now seeing their eldest teach their youngest.

In an al fresco family area near the back door is a chiminea and a stack of wood, hardwood being the best. Not only does it warm the area when roaring hot but they have roasted a leg of lamb over coals which is relatively slow cooking. Pumpkin and potatoes with herbs, salt and oil are wrapped in foil and chucked in the coals for cooking and, to finish off, there are toasted marshmallows. Dyer's favourite garden ingredient for his experimental cooking is the curry leaf tree.

A favourite winter dish especially at lunchtime, for which the girls prepared the homegrown herbs, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, bok choi, fresh lemon and crushed lemongrass, is this soup.

Ingredients

2 onions, sliced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

lemongrass (10cm length, crushed)

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1cm ginger, sliced

3 kaffir lime leaves

2 litres chicken stock (or vegetable if preferred)

2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 sliced chilli (optional)

2 cups seasonal sliced vegetables (carrots, beans, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower)

2 rice vermicelli noodle bricks

1 cup Asian greens (bok choi, Chinese spinach etc)

spiced spring onions, coriander and mint to serve

Method

1. Heat oil in large pot on medium heat and cook onion until softened. Add lemongrass, garlic, ginger and cook until garlic has softened.

2. Add stock and kaffir lime leaves (and chilli if using) and cook for five minutes. Add sauces and stir well.

3. Add vegetables and cook for two minutes. Add noodles to pot and stir until cooked. Add greens to blanch and serve.

Options: blanched chicken or dumplings can be added to the soup prior to adding the vegetables.

Note: They leave in the ginger however as it is sliced, it is easily removed before serving.