Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2021 i Better Homes and Gardens Australia

1 MIDNIGHT SPARKLER! On the stroke of midnight, serve celebration cocktails with a glittering gold mini sparkler to mark the occasion in style! 2 FANTASY AFFAIR A garland of green, fairy lights and paper tabletop trees add up to a magnificent centrepiece for a sit-down celebration. A white and a pretty coral and blush tone-on-tone colour scheme is as elegant as it is glam! Entertaining in the festive season can stretch from Christmas Day until New Year’s Eve. And let’s not forget the recovery party on New Year’s Day! For an event to remember, go all out with honeycomb paper decorations (no making required), glittering baubles and prettily wrapped take-home gifts. And the key to a stress-free party? Good company (as restrictions allow), great music and a well-stocked self-serve bar…

1 BALCONY LIFE A tiered wooden shelf is a fab plant stand (try eBay) but can also hold books and bevvies – especially if your drinks tray has been taken over by your cat! Think trailing plants such as Helichrysum petiolare and pretty petunias for the stand, and zebra grass for floor pots. 2 EASY BREEZY Keep an open feel in your covered patio with fresh white curtains that can offer privacy and shade as needed. So simple and stunning. And, note how the tropical-style plantings turn the side fence into a lovely, leafy view. now is the time for an alfresco affair! Create your own outdoor oasis anywhere – deck, patio, garden, balcony or courtyard. The size of the space doesn’t matter, just what you do with it. Whether…

Making your water feature suitable for plants and attractive to wildlife involves a few basic rules. • Put it in a spot that gets at least six hours sun a day for most plants. • If summers are hot, shade it from afternoon sun that can overheat the water, damage plants and hurt creatures. • Avoid overhanging trees, as falling leaves foul the water and clog pumps. Use filters to collect debris or scoop out the leaves yourself. • Watch algae levels – it’s essential food for pond creatures but too much sucks up oxygen, which is also essential. • Pumps churn water and add oxygen – gently or vigorously. Choose one that suits your plants’ needs. • Fish eat insects and algae but also create waste, so aim for…

1 GREEN HARVEST If you’re space poor, put all your herbs in a couple of baskets – mix parsley with basil, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme. Hang them outside your kitchen door, but make sure it’s a sunny spot. 2 SUCCULENTS LOOK SO SWEET! Gather a variety of sedums of different colours and textures, hold them together with the pretty pink training ice plant and crown it with a black Aeonium. Lift your spirits by lifting your garden, be it outside on your porch, or inside. As you take your plants to another level – eye level – by hanging them high, you no longer look down, you look out and up. And suddenly, you stand taller and stronger, too. 3 SLIM PICKINGS When your garden is limited to just…

• Hanging your plants indoors has the potential for water damage to your floors and walls. Use pots or baskets that are sealed at the bottom. You can use a pot with drainage holes within a larger pot that has none, or use a pot that has a saucer attached. • Hot air rises, so the air near the ceiling is warmer than that at floor level, meaning hanging plants need more water than those on the floor. • Ensure you position the plants where they get the light they need. Too much or too little light will affect their growth and vitality. • Be careful in your choice of plants for the bathrooms. Exhaust fans can suck out all the moisture from the room and dry your plant, while…

THAI OR BIRD’S EYE The fruit of these slender little things comes in red, yellow, purple or black – so pretty in your garden. In your kitchen they’re aromatic, spicy and hot – 50,000-100,000 SHUs. They’re great for stir-fries, soups and salads. Just one per meal is usually enough. JALAPENO The lovely, luxuriant foliage and delightful star-like flowers produce elegant green and red fruits and a mildish flavour – just 2500-8000 SHUs. It’s one for those fearful of the hot shot. Clean out the heat-inducing seeds and pith and you have a tasty bowl for any sort of filling that needs just a touch of zing. HABANERO The fat, dimpled fruit from this plant can be highly productive so use your glut to add to salsas, pickles or any other…

Paradise is another word for heaven, where you escape on your summer break. It’s a place of peace, relaxation and fun. It may also be just a figment of your imagination this summer as that far-off land remains off limits. So turn your backyard into your own paradise. Create excitement, enticement, mystery and discovery. Go down paths that surprise, hide in nooks, live with lushness, feel that summer breeze and hear the gentle rustle of leaves. You’ll never want to leave! SEEN ON BHG TV FRIDAYS 7.00 PROJECT 1 PERGOLA Gather your supplies • Posts 90 x 90mm x 2.7m H4 treated pine • Joists 190 x 45mm H3 treated pine • Battens 70 x 35mm H3 treated pine • Joist extensions 90 x 45mm H3 treated pine • Reinforcing…

How fun are presents that look like furry friends? These animal wraps will bring extra joy to the kids this Christmas, but also work for birthdays. And they’re so easy to make with brown paper and cardstock, plus sticky tape, glue and marker pens raided from your desk. For the grown-ups, elegant greeting cards are easy to create with washi tape, while fuss-free air-dry clay takes care of decos for your gift table. Clever you! PROJECT 1 EASY STEPS TO YOUR ANIMAL WRAPS Gather your supplies • Kraft paper • Brown, cream and red A4 cardstock • Googly eyes You’ll also need Sticky tape; pencil; scissors; hot-glue gun; glue; black marker pen For you to note Adapt these steps to make different animals, such as a mouse or a reindeer…

Show your competitive streak by building this simple hockey-style board game. Score by shooting pucks through the slot in the middle of the board. Take turns, with the person getting the most through winning. Or, create your own rules to make it more interesting! Gather your supplies • 42 x 19mm x 3m dressed pine • 1200 x 810 x 3mm plywood • 897 x 600 x 12mm plywood • 10mm x 1m elastic • Water slide transfer paper, for decals You’ll also need Combination square; pencil; tenon saw; mitre box; clamps; coping saw; chisel; PVA glue; drill; countersinking drill bit; 50mm screws; wood pu. y; sandpaper; undercoat; painting equipment; black and white paint; clear varnish; 20mm nails; hammer; upholstery nails; 51mm hole saw; furniture wax Here’s how STEP 1…

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Taking a day off? Here are four words to embrace – put the phone down. Almost half of us check our phones at least 25 times a day, and that’s no way to unwind. It may feel impossible, so that’s why baby steps are the way to go. Here's how to wean yourself… ▪ THE BEGINNER Check once every hour with a firm limit of 10 minutes per check. If the pings distract you, silence the alerts. ▪ INTERMEDIATE UNPLUGGING Double the amount of time you’re off the grid, and check every two hours. Need more help breaking the chains at this stage? Put on your gardening gloves and dig in the dirt for a few hours. You can’t scroll through a feed when you’re wearing gloves. ▪ ADVANCED DETACHMENT…

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ART FOR YOUR GARDEN Metal Garden gives you the ability to beatify your outdoor areas with affordaful metal flower sculptures and gardan art, by multi-award winning sculptor, Richard Kloester, who founded Metal Garden using his skills as an Industrial Designer. Free delivery Australia wide. Visit metalgarden.com.au FOR AUSSIE DIY Krugers is an Australian owned manufacturer of premium quality hardwood handles, tools, timber products and ShadeFix – a cost effective and professional looking shadecloth fastening system. Founded in 1907, you can be proud to own a Krugers product. Check out the online store today. Visit krugers.com.au MUSIC TO YOUR EARS Beautiful Koshi Wind Chimes come in four harmonious melodies – Earth, Water, Wind and Fire-are crafed from bamboo veneer and are treated with natural oil. They’re $67.50 each or $250 for…

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Gather your supplies • Terracotta bowl with drainage hole, about 45-50cm dia. • Pond liner • Terracotta or glazed saucer, about 30 cm dia. slightly deeper than pump • High-fired terracotta sphere, about 30cm dia. • Submersible pond pump, with 300L/hr flow • Flexible plastic tube • Washed pebbles You’ll also need Heavy-duty shears; drill; masonry drill bit; goggles Here’s how STEP 1 Line bowl with pond liner. Trim with shears to be a bit larger than bowl. STEP 2 Drill several drainage holes in saucer base – 1 in saucer centre for pump tube, another on the edge for pump cord. STEP 3 Drill 2 holes at opposite ends of sphere for tube. Wear goggles. STEP 4 Put pump in bowl centre. Connect end of tube to pump. Thread…

Watering Hanging plants are like pot plants and need watering more often than those in a garden bed because water drains away more easily. Elevation also means they are subject to winds that dry them out, so they need watering more often, perhaps every day. Water your plants at the coolest time of the day to minimise evaporation. Small planters dry out more quickly than large ones, so need water more often. Feeding Frequent watering means nutrients drain away. Feed regularly when mix is moist with a liquid or slow-release fertiliser, according to instructions. Protection Keep planters on swinging hangers away from winds as they can be blown away. This is a serious hazard if you live in a high-rise building. Deadheading When flowers fade, pinch them off where they…

As you settle in for a lazy, hazy hot summer spell, luck a little chilli fruit rom your chilli shrub to spice up your food nd feel your energy eturn – it’s magic! The lants start producing heir vibrantly coloured ruit from now until pril, brightening up our garden – they ook wonderful in your rnamental beds – and utting a punch back in your life. HEAT SCALE The pith and seeds give chillies heat but even if you remove them, there will still be a kick in your food. The heat is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHUs). Habanero is near the top while at the bottom is the humble capsicum with 1-100SHUs. Like most chillies, jalapenos produce flowers and fruit at the same time. SEEN ON BHG TV…

You can go for a restrained, classic look with an elegant pair of leafy lollipops at your front door or be totally flamboyant and create a giant snail in your front hedge. There’s no end to the topiary shapes you can create when you clip a shrub out of its natural shape. Take inspiration from Merribee Gardens in southern NSW and its 3ha of traditional and complex hedged and topiary gardens, and learn how you can hone your meticulous manicuring skills. SEEN ON BHG TV FRIDAYS 7.00 SEE IT! What Merribee Gardens Where 660 Comerong Island Road, Numbaa, New South Wales More information merribee.com.au…

It’s a glorious living work of art one day, a sad remnant the next. But there’s no need to call yourself a plant killer, and indoor plants are not really all that delicate. Here’s how to unravel the mysteries around ensuring your indoor plants survive. TOO MUCH WATER OR NOT ENOUGH READ THE SIGNS When your plant is thirsty, leaves wilt, growth slows, lower leaves curl, lose colour or fall prematurely, leaf edges turn brown and dry, and flowers fade and fall. When your plant is drowning, leaves develop soft, rotten patches, growth slows, leaf tips brown, lower leaves curl or yellow, young and old leaves fall at the same time and flowers and roots start to rot. SOLUTION SOLUTION Poke a finger a few centimetres into the potting mix.…

January 2021 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 1 hour How to use the calendar 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…

The bedroom gets a glam makeover on a budget with these three simple projects. Using an earthy pink palette and natural timber accents, you can turn old drawers into feature furniture, a plain mirror into a makeup station and a tired clothes rack into stylish storage. All it takes is plywood, paint and a free weekend. EASY STEPS TO YOUR DRAWER MAKEOVER Gather your supplies • Chest of drawers • 18mm plywood • One step primer • Paint You’ll also need Measuring tape; pencil; saw; drop sheet; paint tray and roller; paintbrush; pin shelf supports For you to note • For a similar colour, try Dulux European Romance. • Check whether your type of primer and paint require sanding as preparation or between coats. Here’s how STEP 1 Pull out…

Don’t choose between essential furniture pieces if you’re short on space – think outside the square and go for furniture that packs double the punch. This retro-style table is perfect for casual dining or entertaining, and then, when you’re done, just fold up the legs to create a cool coffee table. MATERIAL MAGIC The exposed plywood edges perfectly suit the project’s retro style. EASY STEPS TO MAKE A DOUBLE TABLE Gather your supplies • 2400 x 1200 x 19mm plywood • 2250 x 600 x 30mm plywood • 42 x 19mm x 1.2m dressed pine Components Tabletop 900 x 900 x 19mm plywood Bracket 480 x 200 x 30mm plywood (3 Leg 720 x 230 x 30mm plywood (3 Bracket plate 42 x 19 x 540mm dressed pine (3) You’ll…

Get to the point ▪ Skin needling is where the upper dermal layer is punctured by tiny needles. This creates microwounding just below the surface and generates a healing response and increased production of collagen and elastin. You can do it at home but a skin professional can go deeper and achieve better results. ▪ Micro-needling improves the skin's quality and texture, reduces scars, fine lines, large pores and age spots, and treats acne. ▪ Prior to the treatment, a numbing cream is applied to reduce the discomfort. Three sessions, four weeks apart, are recommended. The cost is about $300 a session. Talk to a skin therapist or cosmetic clinician. Buff and glow ▪ Microdermabrasion is a treatment that exfoliates and removes the dry, dead, outermost layer of the skin. The process uses…

YOU USED TO » CUT 3500 CALORIES A WEEK TO LOSE 450G FAT 1 NOW: SLASH 10 CAL (42KJ) A DAY FROM YOUR DIET The theory once held that 450g of fat equalled 3500 calories, so to lose 450g a week, you’d slash 500 calories (roughly 2100kJ) a day, by eating less, exercising more or a combo of the two. But, that didn’t take into account the fact your metabolism slows as your weight drops. An approach that does account for the slowdown says for every 450g you want to lose, permanently cut 10 calories (42kJ) a day. So to lose 5kg, cut out 111 calories (466kJ) a day. You’ll lose weight slowly but keep it o.. YOU USED TO » TELL YOURSELF CERTAIN FOODS WERE ABSOLUTELY OFF LIMITS 2…

“A master of plotting and pacing… suspenseful”NEW YORK TIMES A Time for Mercy John Grisham, $32.99 Jake Brigance (introduced in A Time to Kill) is a lawyer who seeks truth and justice at all costs, even when his life is on the line. This time he’s at the centre of a murder trial that bitterly divides the citizens of Clanton, Mississippi. Deputy Stuart Kofer is a protected man. Though he’s turned his drunken rages on girlfriend Josie and her children many times, the police code of silence has always shielded him. But one night he goes too far, leaving Josie for dead before passing out. Her 16-year-old son Drew knows he only has this one chance to save them. He picks up a gun and takes the law into his…

Proudly Australian owned, these locally made animals aim to bring happiness to everyday life. Made from Corten steel they are designed to change colour and rust – simply hammer into any timber tree or post, or in the ground, and enjoy! BUY YOURS AND SEE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION AT BHGSHOP.COM.AU *Postage and handling additional. Delivery within Australia only. Offer available while stocks last.…

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Algae is a food source for many aquatic creatures, such as tadpoles. But it can get out of hand and needs to be managed. As it thrives on light, heat, nutrients and high pH (alkaline) water, here’s how: • Protect your pond from the hot afternoon sun. • Colour the pond’s interior a dark colour to cut light reflection. • Limit your fish so waste doesn’t build up. • Restrict fish food to what they can eat in a few minutes, or else it settles on the floor. • Use potting mix specific for aquatic plants. Normal potting mix has too many nutrients. • Remove garden litter. • Add more aquatic plants, as these consume the same nutrients as algae. • Use slow-release fertiliser pellets on plants in containers.…

Before you hang your plants from a wall, ceiling or beam, make sure it is strong enough to bear the weight of all that potting mix and plants, especially after your plants have been watered. The brackets or hooks also need to be strong enough to carry the load. You can make the pot or basket a little lighter with your choice of potting mix. Most of the weight in potting mixes comes from peat, which is used for its water-holding capabilities. Adding perlite to the mix reduces the proportion of peat and makes it lighter. But perlite is used to aid drainage, so you will need to water the plant more often.…

• Soak your seeds for about 24 hours before planting. • Chilli seedlings can suffer transplant shock, so consider sowing seeds in a peat pellet you can put directly in your garden or a container after seedlings emerge. • The peat pellets come compressed and need to be soaked in water so they expand. The seed-raising mix is already inside. • Or, fill a seed-raising tray three quarters full with seedraising mix, sow seeds and cover with vermiculite to aid water and nutrient retention. • Put several seeds in the same cell to boost the chances of germination. • In both cases, keep growing media warm and moist. • When they are about 15-20cm tall, transfer to a container or garden bed with well-drained soil in a sunny position. •…

Decide the shape you want – balls, pyramids and cubes are easiest for beginners. For larger creations or hedges, you’ll need more than one plant. There are frames available to help you achieve the perfect form, especially if you want animal topiary. For a standard ball or lollipop choose one upright stem and remove the others, take off the lower shoots and leaves, then clip the plant top into a ball. For a spiral, select a tall, bushy triangular plant. Attach a ribbon at the top and wind it around the bush to outline where you want the spiral. Use secateurs to cut away branches and foliage back to the trunk between the ribbon. For animals or other shapes, it’s best to buy a young plant. Pop a frame over…

SEASON SPECIALS Summer flowering trees are now hitting their straps. TROPICAL STORM Wave after wave of flowers will be blooming on your hibiscus tree. WHITE MAGIC An evergreen magnolia casts shade – and a special spell. GOLDEN MOMENTS Savour the tulip tree’s final flowering fling before its leaves turn yellow. PLANT NOW In each issue we give ideas, tips and planting advice for cooler, warmer, wetter and drier areas in each zone, so ask at your local nursery which zone best matches your conditions. FLOWERS ALL ZONES Alyssum, anemone (top left), marigold, petunia, portulaca, salvia, verbena, zinnia. ZONES 1-3 Celosia, dianthus, helichrysum, ranunculus, torenia (bottom left). ZONES 4-6 Calendula, cornflower, cyclamen, gaillardia, Iceland poppy, nemesia, sweetpea, wallflower. VEGETABLES ALL ZONES Beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chives, cress, leek, lettuce, radish,…

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NUTTY, HERBY HOMEMADE STUFFING IS THE MOUTHWATERING FINAL TOUCH THAT MAKES YOUR PORK A ROAST WITH THE MOST BITE-SIZED AND BURSTING WITH FLAVOUR, ZESTY DIPPING SAUCE TRANSFORMS PANCAKES INTO SAVOURY, OH-SO SNACKABLE SENSATIONS SKEWERED CHARRED CALAMARI WITH LEMON AND SALTED CHILLI DRESSING Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 50 mins Serves 6 1kg whole calamari (6 small or 4 medium), cleaned, wings attached8-12 metal skewers160ml extra virgin olive oilFreshly ground black pepper, plus extra, to seasonSea-salt flakes, to season6 handfuls baby spinach3 anchovy fillets2 red bullet chillies or bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped2 long red chillies, finely chopped2 small cloves garlic, finely grated20ml sherry vinegar LEMON DRESSING 2 lemons, halved50ml extra virgin olive oil1 tsp ground cumin½ tsp salt STEP 1 To make dressing, put lemon halves in a saucepan…

CROSS-STITCH BACKSTITCH BLANKET STITCH RUNNING STITCH SLIP STITCH CROSS-STITCH GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOU TO NOTE • Photocopy to enlarge the project charts on the following pages to ensure easy viewing. • Work cross-stitch using 2 strands of cotton over 1 square of Aida. For backstitch, use 1 or 2 strands of cotton over 1 square of Aida, as shown on the project colour keys. • When stitching, don’t pull the thread too tight. Aim for a nice even tension. • Before you begin, familiarise yourself with all project instructions. Here’s how STEP 1 Small arrows on the cross-stitch chart help indicate the design’s centre point. To find the centre of the Aida fabric, fold it in half and half again, creasing the foldlines. Where the creases intersect is the centre…

SHOP NOW* Each box is tied with hemp twine and a tendril of leafy ribbon and topped with an adorable tag. It’s perfect for gifting! SHOP • BUY YOURS AND SEE THE ENTIRE COLLECTION AT BHGSHOP.COM.AU *Postage and handling additional. Delivery within Australia only. Offer available while stocks last.…