Innholdsfortegnelse for MARCH 2016 i Better Homes and Gardens Australia

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Can you imagine creating your own tropical botanical garden, and living off the exotic foods it produces? While it sounds a bit ‘Adam and Eve in paradise’, it’s reality for two dedicated conservationists living in far north Queensland. Having created an extraordinary ethnobotanical jungle, Alan and Susan Carle are now literally enjoying the fruits (and nuts!) of their labour. The garden is open to visitors, plus you can stay at their rainforest retreat. Come for a wander through the Botanical Ark. Ethnobotany is the scientific study of relationships between plants and people LOVE THIS GARDEN? Scan the page with the free viewa app to see Graham’s tour from the show. Back to nature This lush and productive jungle garden was planted 33 years ago. The property had been a cattle…

Practical tips ■ Move the pen to a new spot every couple of days as the guinea pigs eat the grass. ■ Guinea pig manure is readypelletised fertiliser that feeds the lawn naturally. ■ After moving the pen, water each ‘mown’ patch to stop the urine burning the grass. ■ Make sure the cage size is adequate for the number of guinea pigs you want to keep. Adult guinea pigs need about 1m2 of space to be comfortable. ■ To supplement their diets, give them leftover fruit and vegetables. And always provide a source of clean water. ■ Guinea pigs breed readily, so keep the genders separate if you don’t want lots of babies. When the kids ask for a new pet, consider the critter in question’s grass-nibbling potential. Guinea…

Move over meat and three veg, salmon with sweet potato mash and snow peas is here to transform your midweek meal repertoire! Better yet, you can get all the ingredients delivered straight to your door. Each week, the food editors at BHG and New Idea team with Pepper Leaf to dream up tasty twists like this. Sign up at pepperleaf.com.au. Crispy-skinned salmon fillets with lemon aioli Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 15 mins Serves 4 ¾ cup aioli Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season 300g sweet potato, peeled, roughly chopped 1⁄3 cup milk 30g butter 4 x 180g salmon fillets, boneless, skin on 2 Tbsp olive oil 250g snow peas, trimmed ¼ cup mint leaves ¼ cup basil…

Summer pudding This fruit-filled pud has English roots, but with the wonderful berries we have on offer, it’s a dessert we should adopt as our own. LOVE THIS RECIPE? Scan the page with the free viewa app to see Karen make it. Summer pudding Preparation time: 30 mins plus overnight chilling Cooking time: 5 mins Serves 6-8 500ml water 400g caster sugar 300g frozen blackberries 300g frozen raspberries 500g pitted cherries (250g halved, 250g whole) 2 x 250g punnet small strawberries, quartered 20g unsalted butter, melted 1–1. loaves day-old white bread, sandwich slice thickness, crusts removed Extra berries and cherries, to garnish SPICED MASCARPONE 250g mascarpone ½ tsp ground ginger 1 Put water and sugar in a medium saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat…

Curtain call 1. Not as tricky as it looks! A double infinity knot makes a striking accent to curtains. Using 10mm tie-back or cotton piping cord, follow instructions for How to tie a double infinity knot (page 194). Join the ends at the back to keep the look formal. Always give yourself plenty of length when tying knots, as short ends are harder to hold on to Ace of place 2. Go Celtic on your table by turning this classic knot into a textured trivet. Before unrolling the rope, try practising with string, using tape or pins to keep the loops in place as you work. Once you have it down pat, you’ll be using it for all sorts of projects. Instructions start on page 194 Rope can be used…

1 Spend time together Relationship experts say lack of meaningful, quality time together is the number one intimacy wrecker. The way couples spend time together matters too. Watching TV or going to a movie doesn’t give you a chance to connect in any real way, nor does spending time together talking about the kids or household finances. Your mission: schedule in regular ‘date’ nights. Use the time to catch up like you would with a cherished friend. When was the last time you asked your partner, ‘No, really, how ARE you?’ Find out! 2 Get touchy feely And not just in the bedroom. Hold hands when you’re out and about, get tangled up watching telly, casually stroke their arm as you walk by, playfully pinch their bum and plant a…

1 For the water The ocean here is crystal, and the tropical temperature means it’s easy to spend all day immersed. There are stunners on every island: Waikiki Beach is iconic, with waves just made for beginner surfers. The North Shore beaches (Waimea Bay, Pipeline and Sunset) are known for their winter big waves. Snorkellers will find brilliant tropical reef fish only steps from the shore at Hanauma Bay State Park. Take a boat tour off Oahu to meet some of Hawaii’s five species of sea turtles, though it’s common to see honu (green sea turtles) near the shore. On Maui, head to the beaches in Ka’anapali, Lahaina and Kihei, and on Kauai try Hanalei Bay Beach Park. 2 FOR THE SHOPPING Hawaii is a haven for shopping. From Waikiki,…

winging it Stepping in to help a fallen magpie chick may be an act of kindness, but beware of over-protective mum and dad. Should you happen upon a baby magpie who appears to have fallen out of its nest, take care. While you may be kind-hearted and want to take it under your wing, scooping it up could do more harm than good. If the bird isn’t injured or in any immediate danger, often it’s best to leave it alone – magpies are ground feeders, so chances are the chick is just learning to feed itself and its family is foraging for a meal not far away. Here’s when you’ll need to take most care; maggies won’t hesitate to swoop potential predators — and this includes innocent humans. Swooping behaviour…

So how beautiful are the bulbs in this issue? Aren’t they just the gift that keeps on giving from splendid Mother Nature when spring arrives? And if you’ve not enjoyed the breathless delight of a drift, a clump or even a pot’s worth of stunning blooms around your garden before now, rush to our special bulb offer on page 106 – do yourself a blooming flavour and choose a selection to thrill you. You’ll absolutely adore the results. That’s not the reason for my letter this month, though flowers are. Some years back I may have told the following story about my mother in this very letter. Forgive me if I have, but gorgeous plants always remind me. She was unassuming, was Doreen. She let my father be the star…

1 By the bay Think comfort, comfort, comfort. When it comes to soft furnishings, a relaxed style is the go – it’s the complete antithesis of fussy and formal. While plain linen slipcovers meet the brief, splash out with a fabulous – and of the moment – chevron print. Then, seek out a complementary shade in a playful sea creature design for a statement cushion. The final word: bright white walls will make each and every vibrant colour pop. Be bold with colour – decorate white rooms with lime green, g turquoise and tangelo 2 Get the blues Host a seaside gathering. Let striped linens with a cool palette of maritime-inspired blue and white be the foundation of your setting. Varying their scale will add interest, as will decorative shells.…

Lush verdant foliage, wild sprays of colour and a Balinese pavilion to shade you from the relentless summer heat – sounds like an ideal tropical getaway, doesn’t it? But you don’t need to hop on a plane to get there, it’s all a stone’s throw from your back door. Planning and determination is the secret to this fabulous and flourishing garden. Begun just four and a half years ago, this young landscape is only 80m² and packed full of the inspiration you need to create your own backyard oasis. About the gardener Located in Coffs Harbour, NSW, this homage to Bali was designed and created by Gavin Reid. His love of tropical plants and the desire to build a sanctuary within his backyard led him to densely plant out his…

DRY-STONE FIRE PIT Built without mortar, this raised fire pit is a modern example of the age-old skill of dry-stone walling. The method uses gravity and friction to hold the structure together and up, which, when well built, can last for centuries. Freestanding dry-stone walls consist of two walls that lean towards each other. The central cavity is filled with carefully placed, tightly packed small stones and, here and there, the builder will incorporate a long, through stone. These run across both walls, from 1 side to the other, and help strengthen the structure by tying it together. Gather your supplies ■ Length of metal rod ■ Stone ■ Stone splitting tools including hammers, bolster and plugs ■ Sawn sandstone capping, cut to circumference of fire pit (order custom-made from…

ADD VALUE to your home Does your block slope away, leaving you with wasted space? You can easily transform it into a usable garden by building a retaining wall from treated pine sleepers – the only maintenance it’ll need is periodic staining for appearance. Keep it under 600mm high (anything taller must be certified by an engineer), recruit a mate to help, and lift and separate! steps RETAINING WALL Gather your supplies ■ 200 x 50 x 2400mm or 3000mm treated pine sleepers ■ Quick-set concrete (1 bag per hole) ■ 100mm bugle head screws ■ Timber stain (optional) You’ll also need Post-hole digger; tape measure; circular saw; spirit level; stringline; shovel; setout paint; power drill; crowbar Note You’ll need enough sleepers for the length and height of the wall,…

Five tips for stunning roses Roses are part of Walter Duncan’s pedigree – he’s been growing and exhibiting them since 1963. An active member of the Rose Society of South Australia, he also designed the Old Rose section of the Adelaide International Rose Garden. Follow his tried and tested tips to get the best from yours: 1 Prepare the ground in full sun, a month or more before planting. 2 Dig a hole to comfortably contain the roots and allow the bud union to be at soil level. 3 Don’t fertilise when planting, but apply fertiliser after good growth is evident in mid-December. Fertilise established roses in mid-September. 4 Watch for black spot and mildew in September and spray with suitable fungicide regularly every two weeks in humid climates, less…

In each issue, we give ideas, tips and planting advice for different climate zones, so it’s important to find the zone number for your area. Naturally, there will be cooler, warmer, wetter and drier areas in each zone, so ask a horticulturist at your local nursery which zone best matches your conditions. What goes around Need a few cheap pots? Recycled car tyres work surprisingly well. Use one as a planter, stack a few on top of each other for height or create a raised bed with legs, like this one featured at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. You can paint tyres in bright colours to contrast with or complement flowering plants. Just don’t plant edible crops in these recycled pots because tyres contain small amounts of heavy…

1 Quick-mix one-bowl banana cake with lime icing The one-bowl wonder starts here! Make the most of bananas, in season now, with this classic cake. Top with two-ingredient icing for a citrus twist. Quick-mix one-bowl banana cake with lime icing Preparation time: 5 mins Cooking time: 30 mins Serves 28 Cooking oil spray, to grease 2 ripe bananas, mashed ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar ½ cup caster sugar 4 free-range eggs 300ml sour cream 2 cups self-raising flour 2 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda Desiccated coconut, to garnish Lime zest, to garnish LIME ICING 1½ cups icing sugar mixture Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime 1 Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease a 33 x 23cm rectangular tin with cooking oil spray and line base…

Think yoga’s just for supplelimbed, insanely fit yummy mummies who look fab sipping lattes while rocking their designer activewear all day long? Well it’s not! No matter your shape, size, gender, age, physical ability, religion or political persuasion, the many amazing benefits of yoga are available to everyone! Ease yourself in Before you say, ‘But I can’t even touch my toes let alone stand on my head,’ ditch the notion yoga is only about contorting yourself into seemingly impossible positions while chanting ‘om’. Yoga is much simpler and more accessible than you may think. Yoga is a form of exercise designed to create harmony and balance between body and mind. Although it isn’t high-intensity, it’s definitely still a workout! Yoga’s many proven benefits include better sleep, relief from aches and…

from page 158 Learn the ropes Head to the supermarket, hardware store or fabric shop to pick up the right rope or cord for the job. Cotton piping cord Soft to the touch, this versatile upholstery product can be dyed or painted any shade either before or after knotting. Pick it up from fabric stores. Cotton sash cord Strong and smooth, braided sash cord coils beautifully and comes in a range of thicknesses. Head to the hardware store to pick up a bundle. Paracord and polyester cord Available in a bunch of colours, this super-strong cord is more weatherresistant than natural-fibre cord. Find it in outdoor adventure stores and in limited colours in craft stores. Cotton cord Primarily made for the fashion industry, cotton cord is supple and easy to…

Preparation time: 15 mins plus 30 mins cooling and 4 hours chilling Cooking time: 30 mins Serves 12 Cooking oil spray, to grease 1½ cups plain Greek-style yoghurt 1 cup caster sugar ¹⁄³ cup desiccated coconut 2 free-range eggs Finely grated zest of 1 lemon ¼ cup light extra virgin olive oil 1 cup self-raising flour 2 x 250g blocks cream cheese, chopped, softened ¹⁄³ cup icing sugar mixture, plus extra, to dust 1 tsp coconut essence 125g strawberries, hulled, finely diced 2 Tbsp raspberry jam Strawberries and raspberries, to decorate Toasted coconut chips, to decorate Edible flowers, to decorate (optional) 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two 20cm round cake tins. Line base and sides with baking paper. Put yoghurt, sugar, desiccated coconut, eggs, zest and oil in a…

ADD VALUE to your home Whether beautifully handcrafted or ‘off-the-shelf ’ flat pack, you can design a kitchen as individual as you. Layout, style and material choices – together with an attention to detail tailored to your needs – make all the difference. Whatever your budget and room dimensions, your cooking space can have the all-important wow factor! Check out the showcase of ideas on the following pages. ALFRESCO attitude get the look For shopping details, see Stockists page Designer insights Choose fabulous light fixtures to add points of interest between the benchtop and ceiling. Clean-lined, contemporary and monochromatic kitchen designs can do with just such a surprising twist without it disrupting their sense of calmness. Although somewhat expensive, this Bloom pendant by Kartell (available from SPACE), with its intricate…

free PROJECT SHEET see page 77 Tips at a glance ■ Make your home cleaner and tidier by clearing clutter. Throw out what you don’t want to move and store what you do. Don’t just limit yourself to the small stuff either – remove excess or oversized furniture to make rooms seem more spacious and inviting. ■ Remove personal items from your home so it appeals to the widest possible audience. Get rid of family photographs, magnets and notes on the fridge, and any other personal decorations. For shopping details, see Stockists page ■ Schedule inspections for when your property is at its best, such as when the natural lighting is at its brightest or when traffic is lightest if you live in a busy area. ■ Maintain your home’s…

HOW TO USE YOUR GUIDE this March Best days Second-best days On these days, thin out seed boxes, sow all types of seeds and plant seedlings that produce their crop ABOVE the ground. These include all varieties of peas, beans, corn, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprout, eggplant, lettuce, celery, silverbeet, spinach, endive, Chinese cabbage, tomato, cucumber, asparagus crowns, artichoke, marrow, pumpkin, capsicum, melon, zucchini, chicory, sprouts, rhubarb, all herbs (except garlic) and all agricultural crops, such as sunflower, grains, cereals, canola and cotton. During these days, you can also plant flowering shrubs, annuals, flowers (not bulbs), cactus, flax, tree ferns, passionfruit vines and kiwifruit. Plant all fruit trees and trees that produce edible nuts, such as almond, pecan, macadamia and walnut. Grapes and banana can also be planted during these…

Smaller than onions but larger than spring onions, eschalots are common in the supermarket. Their papery outer skins vary in colour from brown (French) to deep purple (Asian). for you to know! Leatherjacket in eschalot and garlic sauce Cook this on the barbecue for a smoky flavour. You can also bake it using a flameproof baking dish for Step 1 and a 180°C oven for Step 2. LOVE THE RECIPE? Scan this page with the free viewa app to see Fast Ed make it. Leatherjacket in eschalot and garlic sauce Preparation time: 15 mins Cooking time: 20 mins Serves 4 12 brown eschalots, peeled, quartered 12 cloves garlic, sliced 4 fresh bay leaves 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 whole leatherjacket trunks (see Cook’s tips)…

CUT OUT & KEEP Strawberry, orange and vanilla bean refresher Hull and roughly chop 250g punnet strawberries. Put into a blender with . cup caster sugar and ¼ cup Brita filtered water. Process for 1 minute or until smooth. Strain puree through a fine sieve into a large serving jug and discard strawberry seeds. Add 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste and stir until combined. Add 5 sprigs mint and 1 thinly sliced orange. Top with ice until jug is half full. Add enough Brita filtered water to fill jug to your liking and stir. To serve, garnish with extra mint. Serves 6. Chocolate coconut mousse cake Assemble Delicake Traditional Round Master. Put 250g plain chocolate biscuits in zip-lock bag and crush with a rolling pin until fine crumbs form. Put…

Remember when your relationship was a sizzling ‘handson, pants-off, anytime, anywhere’ affair? When the delicious anticipation of kisses made you weak at the knees? Remember gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes and hanging on every sweet nothing? Nope! Got you confused with someone else? This old love Inevitably, after those heady early days, a relationship settles into its contented, happilyever-after rhythm: not too hot, not too cold, juuuuust right. If this was a fairytale, it would wrap up right there. But reallife relationships are hard work. You can get caught up and complacent. Intimacy can slowly slink off until one day you realise you’re sharing a bed with somebody that you used to know. Sure, you still love them – it’s not like your bags are packed – but it’s…

SEE CLEARLY One of the best ways to see the world is through advanced polarised lenses. Maui Jim sunglasses have a stylish new range and all models provide a very high level of protection from harmful UVA, UVB and UVC. The Coco Palms (below) are $349. For details, go to mauijim.com. Stress less Feelings of anxiety are normal, but when they start to interfere in daily life they can be problematic. One in three women suffer from anxiety over their lifetime. Visit this online hub to better understand emotions and worries experienced at different times in your life. You can also do a self-assessment. Visit anxiety.jeanhailes.org.au. Food for thought Want to feel inspired, think more clearly and creatively, remember more accurately and learn quicker? You could reclaim your focus, memory…

BEST-SELLING BEAUTY The perfect fusion of elegance, style and sophistication, the Symphony is Narellan Pools’ best-selling pool. Available in a range of sizes and finishes, the Symphony’s clean, contemporary lines, wide steps and seating ledge make it the ideal pool for a family backyard of any size. HEALTHY COOKING The Decor Cook® Refillable Oil Sprayer works with all your favourite oils, making it the ideal cook’s companion for light and healthy cooking. It’s perfect for barbecuing, baking, dressing salads, frying, roasting and more. The unique easy spray action works without the use of aerosol gases and allows you to apply a thin, even coat of oil. RRP $12.00. Visit decor.com.au GET YOUR GARDEN INTO SHAPE Trim lawn edges, cut the shrubs or shape those hedges with the new Power X…