Lifestyle Info

 

The classic country garden is definitely charming with greenery bursting to create a wonderfully abundant feel. But where do you start?

Follow our tips and advice to get the ideal country garden look and feel.

1) Look after your soil

The secret to the cottage country garden look is healthy and plentiful strong plants. However undernourished soil cannot nourish a wealth of foliage and flowers. So improve the soil fertility in your garden by using home-made compost, well-rotted manure and soil conditioners.

2) Use ground cover

Cover every fragment of soil to make your country garden look rich and full. Ground cover plants that stay quite low and spread across bare ground will achieve this. Some good Australian choices are Purple Fusion, Gold Cluster, Meema, Yarina and Mundi.

Make sure you split the plants each spring to increase your stock and plant new ones to cover the area for fast results.

3) Get the colour scheme right

• Make sure there’s lots of green as this is what gives the look of abundance and natural beauty.
• Add touches of silver to edge pathways and create a wonderful contrast to the greenness of the grass.
• Introduce strategic spots of colour in the flowering by using roses, hydrangeas, petunias, honey suckle and dandelions. As a rule, deep blues, pale pinks and crimson, plums and purples.

4)Create cottage style features

For an instant cottage garden feel incorporate structures such as winding brick roads, stone walls, water features or bird baths, latticed fences, garden statuettes, reclaimed timbers and more traditional plants.

Now all you have to do is bask in the peace of your own idyllic country garden!

For more great garden ideas see The Outdoor Room on LifeStyle HOME.

If you're tired of battling for a car park at the supermarket only to find underripe bananas and avocados you can't devour for a week, then it might be time to have a go at a vegie patch. By Jennifer Chapman

Not only will you be saving yourself the weekly slog at your local grocery store, you'll also cut your food miles and reduce your stress. And if that's not enough inspiration, think about how much juicier your tomatoes will taste picked from your own backyard and how much healthier your apples will be without a coat of white pesticide.

It all sounds great but I hear you asking where to start.

Mat Pember, founder of littleveggiepatchco.com.au, has some helpful tips on how you can start your first vegetable garden.

1. POSITIONING

When it comes to positioning your vegie patch Melbourne-based Pember says the first consideration should be sunlight. But he adds almost just as important is how accessible the fruit and veg is to your home.

People should choose somewhere close to the kitchen, he says. "It draws people into using (the garden) a lot more and being a bit more interactive with it."

2. KEEPING PESTS AWAY

If you want to keep your garden as environmentally-friendly as possible and avoid using pesticides, Pember says there are plenty of organic options.

"Eggshells and sawdust and mulch are things to keep snails and slugs away from the vegie garden; it makes their travelling across the garden just a little bit more difficult," he says.

"There's a number of concoctions to try and keep possums at bay, which is a big problem in Melbourne." He recommends using chilli or garlic sprays in the hope the scent will perturb them. But he warns it's inevitable that possums, birds and pests will develop immunities to such treatment.

"I think using physical barriers to prevent the main pests from striking is the most important thing; setting up netting to stop birds and possums."

3. POLLINATORS

"Incorporating flowers and herbs in the garden is really important," says Pember, who started The Little Veggie Patch Company in 2007.

"A lot of people use herbs mainly in their vegie patches to stop them from going to the supermarket and spending $5 on a pack of herbs to use once and throw away."

He explains that pollinators are needed for fruit to set (to be fertilised). The pollinators, mainly bees but also other insects, carry the pollin from the female flower into the male flower.

"With a lot of fruit trees you need one species of both sex..." Pember says. An example is the passionfruit, which has male and female varieties.

Pember says there are also grafted plants, in which two plants are grafted to make one that is asexual. He advises asking your local nursery whether a plant is a self-pollinating variety or not.

4. SOIL

When starting your very first vegie patch you need to use the correct type of soil.

"The idea is to try and get something that resembles a sandy loam," says Pember, who explains that sandy loam is a mix between clay and sandy soil. "The idea is that you need to retain moisture but at the same time you need it to be free-flowing. A lot of problems with vegetables comes from either water-logged ground where they develop diseases with too much water, or not enough water, so there's no water retention, and (plants) get thirsty and die."

5. MULCHING

Mulching helps plants to grow and makes soil `healthy'. Pember suggests using materials that will add nutritional benefits to the soil such as pea straw, lucerne hay and sugar-cane mulch.

"When they break down they provide a lot of nitrogen for the plants, which they enjoy and feed from. But most of the garden soils that you go through will have a garden blend that will incorporate all these things and try to mimic sandy loam."

6. WHAT VEGIES TO CHOOSE

When starting out Pember says it's best to stick with vegies that are easy to grow. He suggests growing herbs because they're hardy and most of them will keep your patch green all year round, meaning your garden won't be bare in between seasons.

Leafy greens are also a good option.

"All the lettuce varieties are really easy to grow and they're also very quick to harvest, so within about four weeks to six weeks you'll be picking and using them in your cooking," he says.

"Try and stick to the basic things first and you'll have success... if you're trying to grow very difficult varieties... you'll get deterred."

Difficult varieties include autumn brassica crops, such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts, which Pember says are susceptible to pests. He says it also takes a long time to grow asparagus.

At the other end of the spectrum however, are easy-to-grow tomatoes: "There's nothing like picking a tomato off your tomato plant. I'd definitely encourage everyone to grow a tomato plant."

7. COMPANION PLANTING

If you're not sure where to position your plants in the garden then it's best to read up on companion planting.

Pember says there are benefits in growing plants near each other, including attracting pollinators, using the scents of certain plants to deter pests and changing the soil condition to include, for example, more nitrogen.

8. WHERE TO GROW

Whether you live on a farm or in the city, you're sure to be able to grow vegies.

"People get turned off the idea (thinking) it's very difficult and it's really scientific but if you get your set up right and you're diligent about watering (the garden), it pretty much takes care of itself," Pember says.

There are various products on the market, he says, that cater for balcony, wall and rooftop gardens.

"I don't think it matters where you live, especially in Australia, you're always going to find a small spot of sun that is going to be perfect for growing vegetables."

9. HOW TO BUILD A VEGIE PATCH

When building your garden, Pember also suggests using timber crates as they are an affordable entry point. He says they're at a good height for tending the garden and allow for soil drainage.

"Also, building your vegie garden up allows you to chase sunlight if sunlight is a bit of an issue."
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Autumn is the time of change and can be a very busy time in the garden. Here are a few tips on what to get done at this time of the year:

Spring flowering bulbs will all be available now. Daffodils, freesias, tulips, hyacinths and ranunculus will be in store now so buy them early for the best pick. Store them in a cool dry spot until you are ready to plant. Most spring flowering bulbs can be planted from April on wards but leave tulips and hyacinths until May or june when the soil is cooler. Always add a little bit of lime when planting bulbs and it is important to feed them after flowering for next year.

Lime is also excellent for the veggie patch and its time to look at all the cooler season’s crops. Broccoli, cabbages, snow peas and carrots can be planted from now on. Give the soil a dig over with manure or mushroom compost and don’t forget to mulch. If you struggled to grow lettuce or coriander through summer now is the time to look at planting them as they will perform much better in the cooler weather.

Spring and summer perennials will have just about finished up by now and it is the perfect time to lift and divide them. Agapanthus, Clivia, day lilies salvias and many others will respond well with a hard prune back and can be lifted and divided. This will provide you with extra plants to fill any gaps around the garden. In saying that it is also the time to relocate any plant that may not be suitable or has grown too big for its area. Make sure after transplanting any plant it receives plenty of water and regular doses of Seasol.

Autumn is also citrus time and as long as you looked after your citrus trees through the summer months they should all be in full flower and about to set fruit. It is important that citrus get a light feed at this time of the year with a well balanced fruit and citrus food and to ensure they receive plenty of water while they produce their fruit.

Lawns too will benefit from a final fertilize before the winter months set in and it is also the ideal time to keep an eye out for bindi and winter grass as these weeds will be actively growing from now on and need to be sprayed early to get on top of them.

If you are on the hunt for a deciduous tree autumn is the time to keep an eye out for what you want. The trees themselves will not be in stores until winter but you can get a good idea of the sort of thing you are after as they begin to show their autumn colour. If you see a tree you like take a picture of it and your local garden centre can identify it and order it in for winter.

Lastly give all your hedges and shrubs a final tidy up and general prune.

Do you have an old shed sitting in your backyard that has seen better days? Why not give it a magnificent makeover and convert it into the perfect hideaway…

Cladding the outdoor shed can completely transform the look, feel and function of the space.

Designer Kathryn Rayward, ‘pimps this shed’ for the father of the house in this episode of 60 Minute Makeover by cladding with a fabulous and sexy veneer.

Benefits of cladding

• Cladding provides insulation from the heat and the cold

• It can beautify an existing space quickly and cheaply, thereby adding value to your home without much fuss

• It is maintenance free – all you need to do is to wash it occasionally with soapy water

• It’s available in a variety of colours and textures to perfectly suit the purpose and style of your renovated room.

With the sun setting an hour earlier as of
Sunday 3 April in the ACT, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania, people will find their energy consumption will increase.

Ben Polis, founder of EnergyWatch.com.au advises consumers to mark the end of daylight savings as the perfect time to shop around for a cheaper electricity deal.

“As electricity prices across Australia continue to soar, residents should be more conscious of their expenditure than ever before, and ensure they are not on the expensive default rates set by all retailers. And it is typical for bills to rise over the cooler periods,” Polis says.

“People will not only need to light their homes for longer periods in the evening, but as the daylight hours disappear, people start to spend more time watching television, inside on the computer, charging digital devices and heaters will start being used more as the temperatures begin to drop. All of these factors result in higher energy usage, and therefore higher bills,” Polis says.

“Although customers are increasingly exercising choice, many people are still on inflated default tariffs. Fight back against the constant price rises and phone EnergyWatch.com.au to compare retailers in your area and find a better deal. Don’t wait for your next bill – act now.”

Visit www.EnergyWatch.com.au or call 1300 SAVE NOW to speak to an energy consultant and find a better energy deal.

Who is EnergyWatch.com.au?

EnergyWatch.com.au is an independent energy broker that provides a free consultation for people to compare the electricity retailers in their area and get a better deal in just a few minutes. Their mission is to save people money by helping them to make an informed choice on which provider best suits their needs.

Founded by Ben Polis in response to the continued forecast increases in energy prices across Australia, EnergyWatch.com.au seeks to educate consumers and businesses of the various options available for their energy needs when selecting providers. Their success to date has saved more than 100,000 consumers collectively millions of dollars across Australia.

EnergyWatch.com.au’s team of industry experts can compare your electricity retailers and get you a better deal in just a few minutes. Their mission is to save people money by helping them to make an informed choice on which provider best suits their needs. And they do it for FREE!

Nothing tastes better than fresh, vine-ripened, juicy tomatoes. They are easy to grow and there are many varieties now available.

Growing tomatoes
Here are some tips to help you grow a bumper crop.
• Plant them in an open, sunny spot. They need about six hours of sun a day.
• Prepare the soil before planting. Roughly dig the area to around 60cm deep and incorporate additional compost to open up the soil. Do not overcrowd as they like a lot of room for their roots to run for stability and access to water and nutrients in stressful periods.
• Do not incorporate excessive amounts of animal manure as high nitrogen levels will encourage leaf growth rather than flower formation.
• Make sure the soil is well-drained. Tomatoes like a soil pH between 6 and 8. If your soil is too acidic, add lime or dolomite. Sprinkle a handful or two per square metre onto the soil before planting. Lime will also help prevent blossom end rot developing.
• Apply an organic mulch to suppress weeds and also to conserve moisture.
• Practise crop rotation. This means avoiding planting tomatoes in the same bed for at least two years (this will reduce disease build-up).

Tomatoes are warm-season, frost-susceptible plants. In cooler areas plant out seedlings after the risk of frost has passed, from September to November.

Varieties to plant - NEW Tomatoberry has sweet, strawberry-shaped fruit on beautiful, long cascading trusses. Use in salads, sauces and lunch box treats. Tomato Truss Plum is vigorous, really tasty and holds well on the vine with fantastic looking trusses of deep red, shiny fruit.

Planting tip: Tomato plants can root along the stem, so seedlings can be planted deeper than normal to encourage a larger root ball and a stable start.

Heirlooms
For old fashioned flavour and sheer spectacle, you can’t go past heirloom varieties. With their wild colours, textures and tastes, they look as good in the garden as they do on the plate They tend to crop over longer periods than hybrids so you get a steady supply of fruit, you can collect the seed to grow next season; Good varieties to try are Green Zebra, Tommy Toe, Tigerella.

Although tomato seeds can be planted direct into the garden, you can have a lot of success sowing into pots or trays of Seed Raising Mix and transplanting when the plants are a few centimetres tall. If you're really keen you can start your tomatoes indoors so they’re ready for planting out when the soil is warmer.

The Selling Houses Australia Extreme team change a rabbit warren layout in episode seven of the hit show.

Address: Balmain, NSW
List Price: Offers over $1,600,000
Sale price: $1,350,000
Makeover budget: $30,000

Story Synopsis

Balmain is one of Sydney’s hottest suburbs with a median house price of well over a million dollars. Normally the most run down of properties will walk off the agencies’ listings so why is this not selling? Is it the fact that the layout is more like a rabbit warren than that of a contemporary home in an upmarket area? With two mortgages costing owners Hazel and Aggi approximately $20,000 a month and now on their 9th real estate agent, they are keener than anyone to work out why their home just won’t sell.

Interior:

This was perhaps one of the most ambitious projects Shaynna had to tackle this series. The property had too many bedrooms and not enough living area, so what was there to do but knock out a few walls? Opening up the living space was really the only solution if Aggi and Hazel’s property was to appeal to family buyers or upmarket professionals.

First thing for Shaynna was to get expert advice from a structural engineer. It cost a whopping $5000 out of her budget, but it was essential to make sure the demolition and rebuild complied with council regulations. As Shaynna was knocking out a load bearing wall, the team had to erect a steel beam to support the second story. These massive structural changes were expensive but necessary to open up the entire house.

Once the walls had come down, Shaynna needed to consolidate the area by making it into one massive room. The easiest way to do that is with a uniform floor covering. It was a shame to cover up the existing floorboards, but by putting down ‘Natural Oak’ wide floating floor from Carpet Call, the rooms now run seamlessly into one another, creating the large living area this property so desperately needed.

Shaynna’s aim for the living area was to keep it as light and bright as possible, so she avoided dark wall colours and chose the creamy Taubmans Endure Interior ‘Sandbar’. This is a great base colour for a period style house like this because it suits the local design trend of mixing the vintage and industrial look.

With the amazing new living space downstairs, Shaynna decided to turn the non-descript upstairs rumpus area into a self contained parents’ retreat. Charlie was roped in for this too, and helped out by fixing up the day seat on the terrace. He used a treated pine decking board and stained it to look like hard wood to save money. To continue the classy feel from the bedroom, Shaynna asked him to repaint the terrace floor in Taubmans Endure Exterior ‘River Birch’. To add some privacy, roll up shade blinds from Blinds Online were installed. With some gorgeous furniture and accessories from Valiant Hire and Spotlight, this whole area was transformed, giving it a real wow factor to set it apart from other properties on the market.

Exterior:

Charlie had only a tiny area to work with in the courtyard. He needed to create a sense of space and started by removing the oversized palms and transplanting them to the front yard. Then he brought in a mini dozer to make short work of the brick garden beds. They were way too big for such a small area and just removing them alone really opened up the outdoor entertaining area.

One risk of having a courtyard garden like this too much hard landscaping, which means there’s nowhere for rain to soak into. To avoid this potential problem Charlie used an economical mix of decogranite and cement from Materials In The Raw to resurface the courtyard.

It was one thing to create some space in the courtyard, but to bring this outdoor area up to scratch, Charlie needed to give it a wow factor. Hanging gardens are a striking way to bring green into a small paved area just like this one. Charlie built a sturdy frame covered with geotextile, and once it was mounted on the wall, filled it with perlite and potting mix from Alpine Nurseries. He chose agaves because they don’t need much maintenance and they look great.

Taubmans colour chart

Interior walls - Interior low sheen “Sandbar”
Interior celings, including Kitchen - Ceiling “Flat White”
Exterior garden wall - Exterior low sheen “Iron Stone”
Exterior garden wall gaps - Exterior low sheen “Twiggy”
Exterior top balcony french doors - Exterior low sheen “Snowy White”
Exterior top balcony floor - Exterior low sheen “River Birch”
Exterior courtyard walls - Exterior low sheen “Coffee Cake”

Worms, vermicast and worm wee are essential elements in a biodynamic soil; a healthy soil full of trace elements and nutrients, ready to encourage strong, vigorous growth, especially in the vegie patch. Worm farming is fun and free! Use worms in the compost to accelerate the composting process or have a completely separate worm farm. Worms work best in a worm farm and it’s a clean, safe way of producing organic nutritious fertilizer for your garden, completely free of charge!

Worm Farm
Open the worm farm and use the wrapping cardboard as the bedding layer. After soaking the coconut fibre block in water, spread this out as the worms bedding. Add 1000 worms and top with a layer of 6 sheets of wet newspaper torn into strips. Wet hessian or carpet is also a suitable blanket.

Think of a worm farm like a worm penthouse – the bottom layer is the toilet where you collect the wonderful worm liquid, the middle layer their loungeroom and the top level is the kitchen where you leave the food.

After 7 to 10 days, start adding the kitchen scraps under the hessian. Add more when the scraps are eaten. It might take a while to really get the worms humming – but when they are, you’ll be able to hear them mulching! Chop up kitchen scraps finely for the worms and feed a little and often. Every time you feed them add a handful of soil – this helps the worms’ digestive system. If the food decays quicker than the worms can process it, it could become smelly, so reduce the amount of scraps. Worms don’t like onions, garlic, meat and citrus.

Place the worm farm in a cool, shaded area, morning sun is fine. Every week flush the system out with 5 litres of water and every month add a handful of garden lime.

Harvest the worm castings by attracting the worms into the top layer with melon (they love rockmelon), then pick up worms into a bucket, remembering not to leave them in the sun. Scrape out the castings and siphon out the worm liquid. Use the liquid diluted 1 to 10 with water and use over the entire garden with this – leaves and all! Provide new bedding for your worms, like wet hay or newspaper and off we go again. Soon you’ll have free food and compost for your garden and a happy family of worms.

During the Ceremony
Plan how you want to interact during your ceremony. Intimate moments can get lost in the scale of a park or beach. Perhaps you'd prefer to maintain a space a little away from your guests to keep a connection between you and your partner.

Love notes
Often the hours before a wedding ceremony are hectic with photographers clicking and family flocking in. Write notes for each other to read just a moment before the wedding ceremony starts that focus you back on each other - be as sincere or as frivolous as you like.

Walk the aisle
Connect with wedding guests before the ceremony starts. Ask them to bring a single stem of their favourite flower or whatever's in season along to the ceremony. While walking down the aisle, collect each bloom, and by the time you've reached your husband-to-be, you'll have an armful of flowers, each with meaning.

Wedding vows
Wedding vows can be solemn, but don't fake lofty ideas of eternal love. This is a declaration of 'us two together', so why not include practical promises in your vows to keep it real. We know a couple who agreed to make a real vow to each other. The groom's promise: to finally get his driver's licence!

Wedding photography
Get the romance burning and the jitters under control with an engagement shoot. The images can be used for save-the-dates, but mostly it's a fun way to spend time together, be creative and take some of the pressure off your wedding day.

Say thanks
Traditionally, bomboniere weren't for theming your tablescape, they were for thanking your guests for their support of. Toss the token lollies but say thank you to your guests in some way, whether it's thank you cards or a gift to thank your wedding guests.