Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i Better Homes and Gardens Australia

We’ve been organising a move to another floor for months now. And you can imagine the amount of ‘stuff’ we have; the decorating people house paint chips, tins, brushes, fabrics, wallpapers. The craft editor has more yarns, fabrics, papers, scissors and cottons than you’ve ever seen. The garden department has as many flora dictionaries, and landscaping and plant books as the National Library. Screwdrivers, sandpaper, hammers and drills spill out all over the floor of the DIY space. Baking papers, cookbooks, pans and even ingredients crowd the food editor. And none of these begin to describe the number of bits, pieces and more that sit layer upon layer on each editor’s desk. It’s a thriving jungle of what we use to bring the magazine to you each month with all…

artwork, interesting mirrors and collected objects of desire are a great way to personalise rooms. They tend to reflect your style and passions in a totally original way, speak to your soul and allow guests a glimpse of your tastes and lifestyle. These pages, full of divine ideas both big and small, will help take the stress out of where to begin with your arrangements. “Lean art on a chair or where you’d least expect it for greater impact” “Hang frames within a coloured rectangle or square to unify disparate imagery and sizes” “View a stack of books as a platform to give picture frames a lift” EASY step-by-steps TO HANGING A PICTURE Paper templates will help you plan your gallery so you don’t pound a million holes in the…

green, lush and full of unexpected corners and beautifully composed scenes, this city garden uses every available space to advantage. Inspired by the flow of water, and with a largely tropical planting theme, the garden has a resort-like feel and beckons one to escape outdoors. It’s proof that you can still create a garden of rooms, even when spaces are small, narrow or irregular in shape. Let it inspire you to consider the possibilities of all the hidden corners in your own garden. “Water is the theme that inspired this verdant city garden” About the garden Completed only 18 months ago, the garden surrounds a modern family home in the Sydney suburb of Bronte. A long and skinny block, on a steep, sandy slope, the challenge was to create a…

before you put that rickety chair out on the kerb, check out these ideas to turn it into a planter! You can simply pop a container on top for an instant result, or adapt the seat to be planted. It’s a fun and easy project and you don’t have to stop at one. Create as many as you like! PS, it also makes a great gift. EASY step-by-steps TO MAKE THIS FLOWER CHAIR STEPS A traditional timber dining chair makes an attractive country-style planter, but if it’s going to be exposed to the elements, apply an exterior clear sealer to the timber to protect it. Or you can paint the chair any colour you like, using an exterior acrylic. Gather your supplies • Galvanised bucket• Solid timber chair• Potted flowers…

SEPTEMBER You must plant all ABOVE-ground crops during the moon’s WAXING cycle. You must plant all BELOW-ground crops during the moon’s WANING cycle. Times are in Australian Eastern Standard Time, AEST. This applies to NSW, the ACT, Qld, Vic and Tas. For SA and NT, deduct half an hour. For WA, deduct two hours. During Daylight Saving Time, add one hour. ZODIAC SIGNS The 12 signs of the zodiac are divided into four groups – fire, air, earth and water. Fire signs Aries and Sagittarius are in harmony with all fruit. Leo is in harmony with nuts and all seed-producing crops. Earth signs Capricorn and Taurus are in harmony with all root vegetables that produce crops below the ground, including garlic. Virgo is in harmony with all herbs. Air signs…

ZABAGLIONE WITH SWEET PICKLED CHERRIES AND CRUSHED AMARETTI Preparation time 15 mins plus 1 hour standing Cooking time 15 mins Serves 4 2 cups cherries, pitted½ cup raspberry vinegar or apple cider vinegar½ cup brown sugar4 fresh bay leavesJuice of 1 lemon6 free-range egg yolks½ cup caster sugar200ml marsala100ml riesling12 amaretti biscuits, crushedBaby mint leaves, to garnish STEP 1 Halve cherries and put in a large glass bowl. Put vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour over cherries. Stand for 1 hour. STEP 2 Combine yolks, caster sugar, marsala and riesling in a large heatproof bowl and whisk well to combine. Set over a large saucepan of barely simmering water and…

give your dining room a complete change of character with wall lining boards. Called wainscoting, this type of panelling has been around for centuries but has come back into fashion as an affordable, DIY way to decorate. You can take the boards to chair rail or even shoulder height, then choose a rich colour for the upper part of the walls. Pick up the materials at your local hardware store, then simply cut, nail and paint your way to a whole new look. STEPS EASY step-by-steps TO WAINSCOT YOUR WALLS Bring a touch of old-world charm to your home with easy-to-install wall panelling. Gather your supplies • Corner beads 18 x 18mm primed pine• Chair rail 42 x 19mm primed pine• Lining boards 133 x 13mm primed pine shiplap boards…

from nothing more than pieces of scrap fabric you can create homewares to love. Start with a sweet little house on a block to make wooden-handled tote bags, colourful cushions or framed artworks. To make the patchwork throw, all the beautifully coordinated fabrics are available to buy as a kit for your quilting pleasure! HOUSE BLOCK About 10.5 x 10in (25.5 x 27cm) Gather your supplies 5 assorted print fabrics for house, door, roof, ground and background; cutting mat; quilting ruler; rotary cutter; sewing pins Cutting instructions For the ground • 10½ x 2¼in For the house • 1 – 6¼ x 2½in • 2 – 2½ x 3½in For the door • 1 – 2¼ x 3½in House block For the roof • 1 – 8¼ X 3¼in For…

Let them give you stunning ideas to build your own or buy a kit, to create a utility workplace for a tool shed, garden hub, man cave, art studio, craft centre or just as a wonderful pleasure escape away from the house for entertaining, relaxing, ‘disappearing’ or simply imagining you’re on holidays. And for garden enthusiasts, look what you can do with plants – dazzling! we’re loving them!…

cacti are more than just prickly blobs or spiky spires. The ultimate in water-wise and low-maintenance plants, they come in lots of different architectural shapes with unusual textures, and many species produce wonderful flowers. They love the sun and are not just tough, they’re almost impossible to kill! Give them the right spot and soil, plus water when they need it, and you’ll be rewarded with shapely and unusual beauties. But before you start growing them at home, take a look at how the experts do it at Cactus Country. HOW TO GROW THEM Cacti and succulents are both fleshy desert plants but cacti have areoles (cushion-like buds) from which their shoots, spines and flowers grow. Both are at home in an environment of low rainfall, low humidity and no…

give your outdoor space a new look with eye-catching pots you can DIY in less than a day. These shapely planters look like bespoke garden art, but are so simple – and budget-friendly – to make. All you need are towels, old pots and a bag of cement! WHAT TO PLANT The cement towel planters team well with structural plants such as succulents and cacti for a dramatic effect. Try mixing tall growers with mounding and trailing varieties in one pot, and mulch with monochrome pebbles. EASY step-by-steps TO MAKE A TOWEL PLANTER Simple yet splendid! Turn old towels into sculptural works of art, to get a lot of visual bang for very few bucks. You probably have everything you need except for the cement, and you can pick that…

they may come out of a can you bought at the supermarket but canned tomatoes are surprisingly fresh. This is because the varieties used for canning have a high ratio of flesh to juice, are picked at peak ripeness, then processed quickly – often within hours of harvest. So you can use canned tomatoes in pastas, pies, casseroles and more with full confidence in their freshness and flavour. PRAWN, CHORIZO AND ZUCCHINI PASTA Preparation time 15 mins Cooking time 50 mins Serves 6 2 x 400g cans whole peeled tomatoes3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oilSea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season1 small red onion, finely diced2 cloves garlic, finely chopped2 tsp dried oregano leaves or 2 Tbsp fresh leaves (or use both)250g chorizo, finely diced800g whole green prawns,…

there are lots of muesli bars out there you can buy but it’s so simple to make your own. Full of seeds and free of sugar, this no-bake paleo bar is ideal for schoolkids, giving them a healthy treat with a wonderful flavour and mouthfeel that’s full of goodies. NUT-FREE MUESLI BARS Preparation time 15 mins plus 3 hours chilling Cooking time nil Serves 10 1 ripe banana, roughly chopped100ml coconut oil, melted90g cacao butter, melted80g hulled tahini100g honey or maple syrup¼ tsp sea-salt flakes1½ tsp ground cinnamon125g pumpkin seeds125g sunflower seeds2 Tbsp chia seeds2 Tbsp flaxseeds3 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted60g shredded coconut3 Tbsp currants STEP 1 Line base and sides of a 24 x 18cm baking tin with baking paper. STEP 2 Place banana, coconut oil, cacao butter, tahini,…

free PROJECT SHEET abare bones living area with a good sofa – or two – is actually a decorating win. All you have to do to create a chic yet comfortable space is add to what you already have with a combo of bargain hunting and DIY makes. A rug, cushions, throws and framed prints take care of the colour scheme and style factor, leaving you to make handy accessories and upcycle existing furniture and fittings. Stained pine and easy upholstery techniques are the key to transforming your lounge room for less. EASY step-by-steps TO MAKE A COUCH CADDY Conquer clutter and up convenience when lounging with a clever caddy that simply slots over the arm of your sofa. Gather your supplies • 405 x 19 x 1210mm laminated pine…

Courtyards and side gardens offer a whole world of possibilities for outdoor living. So don’t leave yours as an unloved, unused zone, get renovating to elevate it to the status of your favourite ‘go-to outdoor room’. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune either – work with the space you have and revitalise the scene with a fresh paint scheme, fabulous new plantings and simple-to-install features like a wall garden. 4 SIMPLE projects TO MAKE IT GREAT 1 PROJECT PAINT THE FENCE Immediately brighten the space by painting timber fences in a light colour, using an exterior-grade paint in a low-sheen finish. Apply using a mini roller for the palings, and a brush to access the recess spaces. 2 PROJECT MAKE A MESH SCREEN To break up a timber fence,…

women wear make-up not only for how it makes them look, but for how it makes them feel, and age is irrelevant. Whether it’s just a swipe of lippy or applying the whole works, it lifts the spirits and boosts confidence. But as you change so should your make-up. From the 30s and beyond it goes from being fun to being your best tool for beautifying the woman you are. So check out the following guidelines covering four decades and be your own kind of beautiful. in your 30s Your skin has a youthful glow and needs little to enhance it, so avoid heavy foundations. Focus on making up your eyes and lips and remember the golden rule is to save your bold and dramatic looks for the evenings. During…

whenever you are feeling overwhelmed and up against it, the best thing to do is stop and take a breather. Redirecting your focus for a few minutes may not seem practical in the heat of a stressful moment but we promise you’ll be glad you did. When the body’s stress response is always on high alert, hormones run amok and make it harder to function well. Long term, this can lead to tummy trouble, headaches, foggy thinking, sleep disorders, weight gain and lowered immunity. All for the want of a simple break in proceedings? That’s nuts! Try these stress busters: 1 LAUGH YouTube a comedian. We love Brit stand-up funny guy Michael McIntyre but there’s so much choice you can easily end up spending a lot longer than five minutes…

SMALL QUILT Dyeing fat quarters of fabric Gather your supplies • Gloves• Olive green Dylon multipurpose dye• Plastic tub• 40°C water• 6 fat quarters of fabric• Sink NOTE Before starting, read the instructions for the dye you are using. Here’s how STEP 1 Put gloves on and prepare the dye bath. STEP 2 Loosen fat quarter bundle by unfolding it and folding it back together again. This will allow for the dye to get into all the layers. STEP 3 Dunk fabric fat quarter one-third into the dye bath. The longer you hold the fabric in the dye the darker the colour will be. Pull the fat quarter out, letting the dye water drip into the dye bath. Turn the fat quarter of fabric around and repeat dunking it into…

CAKE IN SIX! New Décor Microsafe cookware makes a 22cm cake in six minutes from the microwave! Works perfectly with packet mix or homemade recipes and goes straight into the dishwasher for easy clean-up. Out now in the food storage aisle. EVERY SINGLE DROP USED TO THE MAXIMUM Did you know you can save up to 12,000 litres of water per year* with a Bosch ActiveWater™ dishwasher? They’re among the most resource-efficient in the world, generating the cleaning power of over 3600 litres from as little as 12 litres per wash. Visit bosch-home.com.au *Colmar Brunton Dishwashing Study, 2009. MAKE IT SPECIAL Knit this adorable Geo Throw using Patons Big Baby 8 ply for that special little one in your life. Go for modern neutral tones or choose a fun bright…

BIRD talk! not all birds speak and those that do are more inclined to if they like their owners. So, if you want to teach your feathered friend to talk, spend lots of time with them to strengthen your bond. After all, they do say patience is a virtue! To talk, your bird must be healthy, happy and intelligent, as in has the capacity to talk – think budgies, sulphur-crested cockatoos, lorikeets and African greys. Repetition is key and speaking with a heightened sense of emotion, like when you come home and say ‘hello!’. Speak excitedly when your bird learns a new word so she knows when she’s done the right thing. Make training a fun experience, and in a quiet room. Positive reinforcement helps greatly, such as using food…

BUNK IN Seize the opportunity that a niche represents to accommodate a day bed plus extra, and always welcome, storage and display. It’s just the spot for a kip or a read! BOOK CLUB ON A ROLL Ask yourself the question: why have a plain wall when it can be lined with all of your fave books? Serious bibliophiles (book lovers) aren’t the only people who will lust over a floor-to-ceiling library complete with rolling ladder. Interested? Search online for built-ins or freestanding units with library ladders. THINK PINK So you’ve taken the plunge and painted the walls a dark, moody forest green because you yearn for a dramatic yet soothing space. To give the room a softer, prettier feel, just add blush pink. Pink sofa a step too far?…

cymbidiums are among the most popular orchids, producing brilliant sprays of flowers in late winter and early spring. They make fabulous subjects for large containers, but they also need a little TLC every few years. Here’s what you need to do. STEPS HOW TO DIVIDE a cymbidium Cymbidiums need to be divided and repotted every 3-5 years because the potting mix decays and becomes less free-draining, leading to root and bulb rot. If the mix at the top has deteriorated and roots are showing, it’s time for a refresh. The good news is, you’ll end up with extra plants to enjoy! Gather your supplies • Mallet• Knife (sterilised) or secateurs (sharpened)• Terracotta pot• Good quality orchid potting mix• Seaweed solution Here’s how STEP 1 Remove plant from pot using mallet…

plant now FLOWERS All zones Alyssum, bedding begonia, celosia, cosmos, marigold, petunia, portulaca, salvia, verbena and zinnia. Zones 2-5 Ageratum, chrysanthemum, carnation, dahlia, impatiens, lobelia, nasturtium, snapdragon, sunflower and vinca. Zones 6-8 Amaranthus, cleome, gomphrena and nicotiana. VEGETABLES All zones Beetroot, lettuce and potato. Zones 2-5 Beans, broccoli, cabbage, leek, marrow, peas, radish, rhubarb and spinach. Zones 6-8 Beans, capsicum, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, okra, pumpkin, radish, shallots, silverbeet, squash, sweet corn, tomato and zucchini. KEY TO CLIMATE ZONES 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.…

CRISPY FRIED LAMB WITH HUMMUS AND PICKLED BEETROOT Preparation time 25 mins Cooking time 10 mins Serves 3-4 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil500g lamb mince1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground coriander1 tsp ground ginger½ tsp dried chilli flakes1 tsp sea-salt flakes1 tsp freshly ground black pepper250g tub hummus1 handful fresh herbs (mint, coriander or parsley), leaves torn, to serveWarm toasted Turkish bread, to serve PICKLED BEETROOT 6 small mixed colour beetroot, stalks on, washed thoroughly1 tsp sea-salt flakes80ml apple cider vinegar2 Tbsp maple syrup STEP 1 To make Pickled beetroot, thinly slice using a mandolin, then cut into matchsticks. Lay beetroot in a shallow dish, sprinkle with salt, pour over vinegar and maple syrup, toss and leave to pickle for 10-15 minutes. STEP 2 Meanwhile, put oil in a…

don’t re-buy – dye! Want to keep up with the latest trends or do you have cushions and linens that look a little tired? Instead of throwing them away and buying new, simply re-think, re-use and dye them! “Blue and green should never be seen – except with something in between! Add a dash of blush to a blue-green palett” “Make your shopping bags fabulous by adding colour and texture” “Once you master the basics of dyeing everything old will be new again” BASIC DYE TECHNIQUE Gather your supplies • Dye (liquid or powder)• Measuring cup• Metal spoon• Plastic or stainless steel container• Rubber gloves• Salt or vinegar Dye tips • Before dyeing, pre-wash items in warm soapy water. This helps to remove any finishes that may interfere with dye…

Better Homes and Gardens SHOP weaving by hand is enjoying a welcome renaissance and it’s little wonder when you can create stunning wallhangings, big and small, for your home or as art installations. Wonderfully relaxing, it’s exciting to see how the variously textured wools and stitches come together as you weave your way to textile heaven! WEAVING MAGIC There’s nothing beige about weaver Natalie Miller’s work – or her life – as BHG TV presenter Tara Dennis discovered when she visited her workshop. Originally an architect, Natalie upped sticks with her family and moved to the lush landscape of the Southern Highlands in NSW to concentrate on her multi-coloured tapestries and giant macramé projects. She has taught thousands of people all over the world at her workshops and loves the…

TIPS 4 COUPLES Relationship expert Gad Krebs shares four key tips for a successful relationship: • Don’t listen to advice – everyone is different and what works for one couple may be disastrous for you. • Never say “you never” – criticism becomes toxic when a specific issue becomes an identity. • Ask for directions – conflict is inevitable, but don’t go on suffering unnecessarily, seek professional help. • Don’t compare – couples can look happy, but in private they’re not. Build your own happiness. SUPER SLIPPERS These soft, lightweight and slip-resistant slippers won’t just keep your feet warm, they’ll also help improve your posture and balance. They have a built-in orthotic that aligns to the posture of your foot, and an antibacterial microfibre lining. You can even pop them…

most visitors to Japan wouldn’t miss a trip to the famous Mt Fuji, but if you time your holiday just right, you can see a truly spectacular spring showcase at the same time. Set against the backdrop of the iconic volcano and near Lake Motosuko, Shibazakura is a fabulous flower festival that proves more is more! It features an amazing 800,000 moss phlox flowers that are planted in stunning patterns over 2.4ha. You may have moss phlox in a rockery at your place, but you will never have seen the dainty blooms like this before. Also called creeping phlox, this perennial is a groundcover with flowers just 1.5cm in diameter in shades of pink, red, white and purple. The blooms look like tiny cherry blossoms, giving rise to its other…

if passing a massive roadworks project is the highlight of your kids’ day, then they’ll love this bulldozer bed. Painted to look exactly like the real thing, it’s not just a bed. The bucket includes extra shelving and there’s also space for their range of earthmoving toys. Awesome! Gather your supplies • Bed base, bucket, cabin, wheel and track hubs 2400 x 1200 x 15mm CD plywood (4)• Bed supports 70 x 35mm x 2.4m pine (2)• Wheel and track slats 110 x 18mm x 2.7m primed pine (4)• Bucket arms 66 x 42mm x 2.4m primed pine (1) You’ll also need Circular saw; straightedge; acrylic undercoat; painting gear; combination square; Sikabond PVA glue; 40, 65 and 28mm wood screws; countersinking bit; drill; nail gun and nails or 40mm bullet…

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