Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i SA Garden and Home

Think about where you spend the most time in your home (when you’re awake), and the living room is likely to be your answer – unless you are one of many that now work from your home office, of course. Whether you enjoy watching TV or snuggling on the couch with a book, it is not hard to see why ‘living’ rooms are named the way they are. These areas are places of relaxation, optimised for both style and comfort to suit each of your senses. Now, combine that with the place where families and friends gather to enjoy food and conversation – the dining room – and you will have two of the most important areas of your home, not only for entertaining, but also for family, and your…

When James Moffatt and Marc Watson first began searching for a new home, this house in Parktown North, Johannesburg, was the very first one they visited. ‘As soon as we walked in, we felt it,’ says James. They’d been considering building a house from scratch, but were keen to see what else might be available. ‘It was weird,’ says Marc. ‘In our minds, this was actually the home we wanted to build.’ Nonetheless, it took four more months of house-hunting before they realised just how serendipitous their first viewing had been. ‘Bizarrely, everything we’d hoped for was there,’ he says. We didn’t believe that could happen.’ When they found it, architect Kate Otten had recently altered it for the previous owners. She says that, while it had some original features…

Stylist Amber Keller admits she’s a city girl at heart, yet the allure of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast prompted her and her family to leave the hustle and bustle of Sydney for a more laid-back pace closer to the beach. We’d come every summer to visit my husband Matt’s relatives, who live at nearby Sunshine Beach, with our girls, and each trip we’d want to stay longer,’ says Amber. We just loved it so much.’ Four years ago, they made the permanent sea change and snapped up a little beach house – yet before long another move was on the cards after they discovered the Hinterland. We didn’t know much about the area when we moved here, but on weekend drives to the Eumundi Markets we started exploring a few pockets,’…

Tables are the hearts of our homes. They centre the spaces where meals are enjoyed, stories are told, and guests are welcomed. Tables of all shapes and sizes have the power to affect the overall aesthetic of your space. But, if you’ve been in the market for a new table, you’ll know that picking the ideal one is no easy feat. From statement side tables to hardy coffee tables and heirloom-worthy dining room tables, the options are endless. Luckily though, we did the research for you! Here’s all you need to know about finding the right table for your home. Size Matters When it comes to buying tables, size really does count. If a table is too large, it can overwhelm a room and give the impression of being cramped.…

Save water A pool is filled with a lot of water so it’s imperative to try and keep as much of it in the pool as possible. Evaporation is the number-one factor in losing pool water and this can be reduced by using a pool cover when the pool is not in use. Set up for summer Most space around pools is limited by the space of the paving around the pool. However, there is always a space for a few sun loungers with a small table for cocktails and a good book. With more space, bring the eating area close to the pool and invest in a good patio set that has comfortable seating, colourful cushions and shade in the form of umbrellas or gazebos. The days of having…

THE ESSENTIALS October – the most beautiful and exciting month! The garden springs to life, roses are budding and forgotten favourites start to show themselves again. • Time to get your lawn into shape – correct small problems now before they become big ones! Deal with bald patches by replacing them with healthy grass sods (of the same species of course!). Plant Wonder Lawn or Penny Royal in areas where lawn is going to struggle. • Clean up winter-flowering succulents, such as Echeveria and Kalanchoe, and divide and replant their babies in other parts of the garden. • Sow summer-flowering annuals such as Cosmos, marigolds, Lobelia, Zinnia and sunflowers. • Step up the mulching in beds and containers as the daytime temperatures start to climb. • Plant some pretty groundcovers…

Beans Both runner (aka pole) and French (aka dwarf or bush) beans are easy and rewarding vegetables, providing bounteous harvest for months. Beans come in hundreds of different colours, sizes and shapes. GROWING Sow seeds directly in well-drained, fertile soil. Wait until the soil has warmed up in spring – if it’s too cold (below 14°C) you will have poor germination. Plant the seeds double the depth of the bean’s size. Do successive sowing of bush beans until midsummer. Runner beans need only two or three successive sowings because they crop for much longer. All runner beans need support on a trellis or tripod. Bush beans benefit from support to prevent them breaking when bearing. Summer beans are not drought-resistant and if it’s too hot, they don’t flower well. If…

Top Tip You will need to start making the gin and juniper gravlax at least one day ahead of serving to ensure you have enough time to cure the salmon. “These mouth-watering dishes are sure to have your family and friends coming back for seconds PAGE 90 Scandi breakfast platter HANDS-ON TIME 30 min TOTAL TIME 30 min (Plus 1 day for refrigeration) SERVES 8 GIN AND JUNIPER GRAVLAX 1 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp juniper berries 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind 300 grams sea salt flakes ⅓ cup white sugar ⅓ cup gin 800 grams piece salmon fillet, pin-boned, skin on ¼ cup Dijon mustard ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh dill QUICK PICKLED VEG ¾ cup white-wine vinegar ½ cup caster sugar ½ tsp…

You might wish that your home looked like something out of the pages of a decor magazine. But, if you are a pet owner, you’ll know that the struggle is real when it comes to keeping your living space clean. You’ll also know that our companion animals like to be close to us, so unless they live outside (with the appropriate shelter provided) you are bound to end up with hair and muck getting into your home. Fortunately, there are ways to share your space with your animals while keeping your house as clean as possible. Create Their Space Do your animals love to stretch out on the couch or your bed? One of the easiest ways to avoid them taking over and leaving fur on your furniture is to…

Tip Play with how you organise objects and swap the placement of your art. This is a simple way to introduce change into your space.…

YOU WILL NEED: • Artist’s canvas, cut into 2 x squares (50 cm x 50 cm) and 1 x rectangle (1.58 m x 40 cm) • ruler • pencil • scissors • sewing machine • beanbag beans • sewing needle • thread • spray paint 1 | Place the first 50 cm canvas square in front of you. Fold it in half, then half again, to make a 25 cm square. 2 | Hold the top of the ruler at the closed corner of the canvas. Swing the ruler from one edge to the other, using the pencil to mark 25 cm points towards the bottom of the canvas as you go. 3 | With a sharp pair of scissors, cut along the marked points. Unfold the canvas to reveal…

If provenance is the food world’s holy grail, then Roushanna Gray’s Veld & Sea classroom is a temple to the movement. Veld’ means ‘field’ in Afrikaans but a more accurate description is ‘wild, untouched vegetation’. This is especially true of Cape Point, the most southerly point of the famed Cape of Good Hope where Roushanna and her family live. Part of the Table Mountain National Park and home to one of the most biodiverse indigenous plant kingdoms in the world, this protected reserve area is characterised by a treacherous coastline, a landscape carpeted in indigenous fynbos (the local term for the heather-like flowering plant covering) and wild, wild winds. One is truly at the mercy of the elements here. Whether you visit in winter or summer, rain or shine, it…

There is nothing quite like pulling a fresh citrus fruit from your own tree, peeling it then and there, and enjoying the juicy, delicious tastes of summer they provide. Unfortunately, not all gardeners have the space to grow an entire citrus tree. You may only have patio space, or even indoor space, limiting your options for fruit growth. Luckily, citrus trees are some of the best fruits to grow in small spaces. Dwarf varieties are available that remain compact and don’t require massive pots. They also appreciate the warmth found indoors, improving your chances of fruiting. While conditions are less than optimal indoors or on balconies and patios, there are ways to make small-space citrus growing work for you. First, you have to choose your plant – you’ll need to…

A braai is basically our national sport, come rain or shine we look forward to weekends with the smell of grilled meats wafting through the neighborhoods and enjoying the fresh air with an atmosphere that’s something else. It’s often the centre of our celebrations, and we don’t need an excuse to have one. Our fires remain lit even after the food’s been cooked and our guests gather around the rest of the evening. Why not kit out your entertainment area with affordable comfort from Leroy Merlin and create your own private oasis? There’s no need to sacrifice style for function, with a wide range of outdoor furniture options you can be sure of both, with choices from the relaxed coffee table style, to pool lounging as well as dining outside,…

A timeless base palette or muted tones for your home is often coined as too safe, or even boring, by the colour club. The truth is these colours have the superpower of grounding any colour palette. Whether you’re opting for investment floor and ceiling finishes, ensuring the easy sale of your property in future or simply creating a steady palette on which to layer tons of colourful hues and tones: a classic neutral or monochromatic base gives you all the creative freedom you need for any interior aesthetic.…

‘I sound like a Mad Hatter, but I am actually not that crazy,’ laughs Sarah Ord, as she tries to make sense of the melange of furniture, artworks, heirlooms and quirky curiosities filling her Cape Town home. Last year, Sarah moved from a small house in the city centre to the family home her mother was previously living in, in the leafy suburb of Claremont, to ensure more space for their growing family. Her sons would need more room and a garden in which to play. It had been an exhausting four years for the family: pregnancies, illnesses, opening their new property, and then a house move. ‘I felt like I needed a new lease on life,’ says Sarah, who immediately took to painting the walls of the dining room,…

One of South Africa’s renowned horticulturists and garden designers, Arthur Mennigke – aka The Naked Gardener – was faced with an established one-acre garden in Bryanston, Johannesburg, which featured a random collection of old-fashioned planting. A space with no structure, no form and nothing to entice anyone into the garden to spend time there. The owners tasked Arthur to come up with something new and exciting with different private areas for relaxed entertaining, increasing the ‘livability’ of the home. At the time, Arthur – who was used to teaching students how to divide gardens into usable outdoor rooms – was himself struggling to find a solution to this garden, especially due to the difficult pool shape. While in class, he had a light-bulb moment and suddenly knew exactly how to…

Babylonstoren Workshop, Simondium, Western Cape The Secret Life of Bees, 5 October 2022 Avondale Wine Estate Open Garden 22 - 23 October 2022 Klein Drakenstein, Paarl, Western Cape National Garden Day 9 October 2022 Garden Town Stellenbosch 20 - 30 October 2022 Greyton Garden Show 22 - 23 and 29 - 30 October Greyton, Western Cape A Blooming Affair Garden & Craft Market 1 October 2022 Parktown, Johannesburg…

What You’ll Need: • Self-drying clay • Knife • Roller • Letter press stamps STEPS 1 | Roll out until the clay is about 3 mm thick. 2 | Cut a rectangle with a width of 15 cm. 3 | Cut the rectangle of clay into strips 3 cm wide and cut one end into a point so that they can be inserted into the soil. 4 | Print the names of the herbs in the clay using letterpress stamps. Leave the signs to dry in a cool place for at least 48 hours.…