Lisa’s Floating Garden

Moored along a leafy bend of the Brisbane River, there’s a houseboat that feels like a time capsule — part garden, part film set, part 1970s dream. It’s home to Lisa and her husband, and to a small jungle of odd and beautiful plants that somehow thrive on water.

Lisa works in the art department for film — building magic out of cardboard and secondhand treasures. Between jobs, one of her greatest joys is pottering at home. She moves gently through the boat with a cup of tea in hand and soil under her nails, rearranging pots, trimming leaves, rescuing a half-forgotten orchid. She often jokes that she never has time for the garden — but still, it overflows.

Succulents in old mugs line the windows. Anthuriums glow red by the front steps. Pineapples (yes, real ones) grow near the bow. There’s an orchid that only seems to flower when no one’s watching, and herbs sprouting from chipped enamel tins.

Ducks are regular guests, swimming confidently nearby and popping up to say hello whenever they please. Birds nest in unexpected corners. A water dragon — named Gina — sunbathes on the deck like she pays rent. The boat hums with gentle life, wild and domestic all at once.

Over the years, Lisa and her husband have hosted all kinds of beautiful chaos here — birthday dinners, dance parties, long Sunday lunches that stretch into moonlit chats. There’s a strong 70s soul to the boat — mustard cushions, macramé plant hangers, a little wood-panelled nook where the wine lives. Everyone who visits says the same thing: it just feels good here.

But after many years afloat, Lisa has started thinking about life on land. Maybe it’s time for a proper house. One with real walls, and a laundry that doesn’t rock with the tide. Maybe.

So this collection feels extra special — a last bloom from the boat that held so much. It’s a tribute to a funny, beautiful life lived on the water. To pottering between jobs. To tropical plants and rescued herbs. To ducks, lizards, and dinner by fairy lights.

It’s not just about plants. It’s about building something wonderful with what you have — wherever you are.