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Better Homes and Gardens Season 32 Episode 2
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FunTranscript
00:00:00Crazy, so what I gotta do to live you up?
00:00:05Change can be daunting, and often it's the fear of the unknown
00:00:09that stops us from pursuing the things that give us great joy.
00:00:12However, if you can overcome that fear, the world is your oyster.
00:00:16Tonight on Better Homes and Gardens, I've come to Honeysuckle Lane.
00:00:19I mean, even the name sounds like a fairy tale.
00:00:22To meet a couple who really are proving that dreams can come true.
00:00:26Tonight, Adam's got some quick fixes,
00:00:28but it all hinges on you following closely.
00:00:32With a little know-how, you can keep your doors swinging.
00:00:35You won't be able to keep this dish under wraps.
00:00:38It's all about when you bite into it,
00:00:40the oozing sauce, the chunks of chicken.
00:00:43Do you live in a high-rise?
00:00:45Well, your gardening can be great on so many levels.
00:00:48You can still cram big green ideas into a small space
00:00:52and take your gardening love to new heights.
00:00:56Make your last-minute outfit checks 100% more stylish.
00:01:01I want to create a statement mirror to hang beside the front door
00:01:04with a hidden shelf underneath.
00:01:07Plus, Charlie's got a great gardening project you can make for chicken feed.
00:01:12There's nothing better than relaxing underneath the tree,
00:01:14and with a deck platform like this, you can have all your friends.
00:01:17There's no right, Beryl.
00:01:17We're distilling some delicious gardening secrets.
00:01:21Here at Distillery Botanica on the central coast of New South Wales,
00:01:25they grow all the essential ingredients for our cracking good gin.
00:01:30And Dr Harry's riding high at the biggest race in town.
00:01:34You're looking at some of the best stock horses,
00:01:37stock men and stock women in the whole of Australia.
00:01:48If a butterfly beats its wings in one corner of the globe,
00:01:52it can change the weather halfway around the world.
00:01:58When one door closes, another door opens.
00:02:04I wonder what I'll have for lunch.
00:02:07I'm feeling a bit pecky.
00:02:09Pecky.
00:02:10Pecky.
00:02:14Oh.
00:02:16I like to think of myself as more of a goose than a guru,
00:02:19and while I can't help you with the existential problems of the world,
00:02:23I can help you with the wannabe outdoors.
00:02:25Opening, closing, and in particular, being stuck.
00:02:30The sort of jobs that you keep avoiding,
00:02:32because, let's be honest, life gets in the way.
00:02:36How proud would my mother be?
00:02:38I use the word existential.
00:02:43Oh, and as the universe dictates, another couple of doors.
00:02:52Oh, hello.
00:02:53Hi, Adam. How are you?
00:02:54Very good, Maddie. It looks like you've got your hands full.
00:02:56Certainly do, yep.
00:02:57I've got Ruby here and Zara.
00:03:00She's so precious.
00:03:02Now, Ruby, I've got a little Ruby at home as well.
00:03:05How old are you?
00:03:06Five.
00:03:06Five? I tell you what, I love your dress.
00:03:10I hear you do have some dodgy doors at your place.
00:03:13Is this true?
00:03:14Yeah.
00:03:14Can I come and have a look?
00:03:16Come on in, Adam.
00:03:24This door?
00:03:25Yes?
00:03:26This door goes where the bin is.
00:03:28Ah.
00:03:29The good thing is, it is easy to fix.
00:03:31Is there any other doors in this kitchen that need to be fixed?
00:03:35This door is broken.
00:03:38Oh.
00:03:38Yeah, see how it doesn't line up here?
00:03:40Yeah.
00:03:40Look at that.
00:03:41It's got a lot of movement.
00:03:42And what about any other doors, Ruby?
00:03:44Yes, my bedroom door.
00:03:47Oh, is there something wrong with your bedroom door?
00:03:49I slammed it too much.
00:03:52That happens when we get upset sometimes, doesn't it?
00:03:54High fives?
00:03:55Leave it with me.
00:03:56I've got this.
00:03:57Oh, what was that?
00:03:59That's better.
00:03:59Good work.
00:04:04Now, this is definitely a common problem that you see in a lot of kitchens.
00:04:09Basically, the fixings of where the hinges go have blown out, and there is no way we'll
00:04:13be able to get screws back in these holes without me putting these hinge repair plates.
00:04:19They are fantastic.
00:04:20Basically, what they do is they give us other options to fix to this door outside of this
00:04:25area.
00:04:40All right.
00:04:41With the plate in place, now you can refit your hinge.
00:04:44Now, with these hinges that were on here, you can see that they're a little bit rusted
00:04:48and ratty, so I've decided to get some new ones.
00:04:51And simply, you just sit it over the hole.
00:04:53Now, it is a tight fit, so you do need to give it a good push down, and then once
00:04:58it's
00:04:58set in place, you can just screw back into the new fixing holes.
00:05:12So, in this pack, it comes with these extra plates, and they're to replace the ones on
00:05:17the carcass here.
00:05:30Look at that.
00:05:31Absolutely perfect.
00:05:33I'm happy with that.
00:05:34Now, I'm ready to tackle our next door.
00:05:36And that is right here.
00:05:38So, if we look at this door, there is a lot of movement in these hinges, so I will be
00:05:42replacing
00:05:42all of them.
00:05:43They're pretty old and ratty.
00:05:45But also, we've got this big leaf that is attached to the smaller leaf door.
00:05:49So, I am going to be adding in an extra hinge just to give it that strength and make sure
00:05:54that it doesn't drop any more.
00:06:08With the hinges off, before I put the new ones on, I'm going to be drilling an extra hole
00:06:12in this door so we can add the hinge for extra strength.
00:06:15Now, to set the location, I'll find the centre in between these two existing hinges, and also
00:06:21copy where these hinges are set.
00:06:23So, that measurement there is about 6mm, so I'll be coming in 6mm and then drilling my
00:06:2835mm hole.
00:06:43So, with all the new hinges on, I'll clip these two leaves back together, and we can take
00:06:48it and install it back on the carcass.
00:06:52And look at that.
00:06:53Already, you can see that there's no wobble in this door, so that extra hinge has helped
00:06:58a lot.
00:07:00Ha!
00:07:01And that is perfection.
00:07:02I think I've got one more door to fix.
00:07:08Ah!
00:07:08This has to be Ruby's room.
00:07:10Let's have a look at the door.
00:07:12Oh!
00:07:13It is sticking on the side here, so you do have to slam it.
00:07:16Let's have a look at the problem.
00:07:18Oh, yeah!
00:07:19Look at the movement up here.
00:07:20So, basically, what that tells me is these screws aren't grabbing into the side of the
00:07:25door anymore.
00:07:26The first thing I want to do is get my wind bag out, prop it up underneath the door,
00:07:30and then we can take those screws out.
00:07:39Alright, so we can see here that our holes are pretty blown out.
00:07:42So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to drill them out with a 6mm bit, and then I'll
00:07:47get
00:07:47some PVA glue and a 6mm dowel, add it to the holes, so then that's solid timber again,
00:07:52which means we can put our hinge back and then put some new screws in, and this door
00:07:56will be holding nice and strong.
00:07:58Alright, with all four dowels in, I'll now let that sit for around 15 minutes, let the
00:08:03glue dry.
00:08:04Alright, then I'll just use a chisel and knock the excess dowel off so everything is flush,
00:08:09and then we can refit that hinge.
00:08:29It's time to see what the boss thinks.
00:08:30Oh, good timing guys.
00:08:32Hi.
00:08:33Well, Ruby, I think, I think I may have just fixed it, I've replaced these screws, do you
00:08:38want to be the first to test it out?
00:08:39Yeah.
00:08:39Yeah?
00:08:40Alright, let's try it.
00:08:42Go.
00:08:43Go.
00:08:43You shut the door.
00:08:46Yo, beauty!
00:08:48That's a good one, yeah, Root?
00:08:49Yeah.
00:08:50Great.
00:08:51Well, I think I've just got myself a new bedroom.
00:08:54No!
00:08:56Connect the different zones of your garden with a simple repurposed pathway.
00:09:01Honeysuckle Lane sounds like it's out of an Enid Blyton book, but for one couple this
00:09:06fairy tale is a reality.
00:09:14You can't get much further away from big city corporate lifestyle than here in picturesque
00:09:20Woodend in Victoria's Macedon Ranges.
00:09:22It is so gorgeous here, it is almost too idyllic.
00:09:26But it's easy to see why Ali and Jo said bye to 9 to 5 in Melbourne and hello to
00:09:31a life
00:09:32chasing their dreams.
00:09:33Is everybody playing this game?
00:09:38Do they like it?
00:09:42Hello!
00:09:43Hi!
00:09:44How are you, Jo?
00:09:45I'm so excited about being here.
00:09:47Thank you for being here.
00:09:48Thank you for coming.
00:09:49This is paradise.
00:09:51We love it.
00:09:52How long have you been here?
00:09:54Just over 10 years.
00:09:55So tell me, what actually brought you out here?
00:09:56How did you end up with a Woodend?
00:09:57We were living in Melbourne, six kilometres from the city.
00:10:01Oh wow.
00:10:01And we loved it.
00:10:03The culture there and everything.
00:10:04But we really wanted to have a garden, space, vegetables, chickens.
00:10:09But you did actually have corporate jobs in town, didn't you?
00:10:12And then you've totally turned your lives on its head.
00:10:15Yeah, we wanted to make a difference.
00:10:16Today is pretty much talking about everything that I love in my life, which is veggie growing,
00:10:22chickens, bees.
00:10:24Can we have plenty of that?
00:10:25Yes.
00:10:26Yes, slowly.
00:10:26Because you know I've done all the classic stuff and it never works in nowhere.
00:10:33So now, now, now, now.
00:10:38Wow, this is epic.
00:10:40This is so beautiful.
00:10:42And did you make these beds?
00:10:43Yes.
00:10:44We did.
00:10:45We didn't really know what type of vegetable garden we should have because these trees around
00:10:50us would suck up a lot of water.
00:10:51Yeah.
00:10:52And we were still working in the city.
00:10:53And we went to the diggers club and we did a course, like a free course, and they gave
00:10:57us the plans.
00:10:58And so then we went out and bought the material and put them together.
00:11:01And is it right that your veggie patch was what sort of started the patch for you guys
00:11:05to have bees here?
00:11:06Well, when we first started planting, there was no real pollination happening.
00:11:11And Joe was out there with a Q-tip pollinating a pumpkin by hand.
00:11:16And we got three pumpkins at you and we thought, there's got to be a better way.
00:11:20And then the next season we had the beehive and in the same patch there were 26 pumpkins.
00:11:24Wow, doesn't that say it all.
00:11:25And that was ignoring it.
00:11:26And then we became obsessed with bees.
00:11:28Well, you technically had been a little bit obsessed with them in your job back then.
00:11:33You actually worked...
00:11:34With Agriculture Victoria.
00:11:35Agriculture Victoria, right.
00:11:36Yes.
00:11:37I was the bee biosecurity officer.
00:11:39Wow.
00:11:39So I just helped beekeepers with managing a sick hive.
00:11:43Yeah, okay.
00:11:44Helping them with pests and diseases.
00:11:46Don't change a thing, you are amazing.
00:11:50I can't believe you come and save me.
00:11:53These are our girls.
00:11:54I think a lot of people might not realise that beekeeping itself is a bit tricky at the
00:11:58moment because of varroa mite.
00:11:59Yeah.
00:11:59So maybe for people who don't understand, could you give us a little summation of what varroa mite
00:12:03is?
00:12:03Varroa mite is a very bad little parasite on European honeybees.
00:12:09And it feeds off their fat bodies in the cells.
00:12:12Yeah.
00:12:13So it's going to weaken a colony very fast.
00:12:15Yeah.
00:12:16We really need to help the bees manage it.
00:12:18I think people sometimes underestimate the importance of bees.
00:12:22Look, if we don't help the bees manage the varroa mite, we're going to lose a lot
00:12:29of our backyard beekeepers.
00:12:30And it will impact our veggie gardens.
00:12:33I think everyone needs to support their beekeepers.
00:12:35You guys started this for your veggie patch.
00:12:37Yeah.
00:12:37But you've taken it like a hundred steps further with our business, haven't you?
00:12:41We have.
00:12:43It became, I guess, a big rabbit hole in the end because we did end up leaving corporate
00:12:48life to start a business in Kyneton called Waggle and Forage Beekeeping Supplies.
00:12:52Yeah.
00:12:53Where we manufacture most of our gear, or a lot of our gear, and we have a retail space
00:12:58there.
00:12:59Do you want to go see it?
00:13:00Of course I want to go see it.
00:13:01I thought you'd never ask.
00:13:14Let's go.
00:13:15This is enormous.
00:13:17What did you two decide to do?
00:13:18Find the biggest warehouse in Kyneton and then decide to make it your own?
00:13:22No.
00:13:23We just needed space.
00:13:24We needed space for retail, but also for the workshop out the back.
00:13:28So where did you start?
00:13:30We started the business focused on the woodware and the wax.
00:13:34Obviously all the other products, it's easy to get in, but we wanted to have something
00:13:38that we made here in-house.
00:13:40Wax assembling, wax dipping and painting our own woodware.
00:13:47Probably something that people don't know is that sometimes you actually have to give
00:13:50your bees a little bit of assistance with food, don't you?
00:13:53Absolutely.
00:13:54Lots of rain, the bees are trapped inside, and if we haven't left enough honey stores
00:13:57for them, then our jobs as bee farmers really is to make sure they've got enough food.
00:14:02And you can do that through sugar syrup or fondant.
00:14:04And so we make fondant here.
00:14:07There's no precedent for this fondant in Australia.
00:14:10Nobody else makes it.
00:14:11Yeah, okay.
00:14:12And we've had to learn it all from scratch.
00:14:14It's amazing for me to wrap my head around just how much you two have learnt.
00:14:17You're never not learning, are you, with bees?
00:14:19No, it's a constant evolution and we're still learning, like all beekeepers.
00:14:24Yeah.
00:14:24You know, it doesn't matter how long.
00:14:25And it's just been this constant research program here.
00:14:30Yeah.
00:14:31And problem solving.
00:14:40So what are you actually making up here?
00:14:41You're making up a little frame, are you?
00:14:42So we do assemble, wire and wax our own frames all in stores.
00:14:50So how many can you do in a day?
00:14:51Assembly I can do 500 a day, wiring about 200.
00:15:00Well that was seriously impressive and very efficient.
00:15:05Done.
00:15:07And there it is.
00:15:09This is the best part.
00:15:14Into the groove.
00:15:17Little electric embedder.
00:15:20And that just melts it in.
00:15:21Yeah.
00:15:22A couple of seconds.
00:15:23I've got to say, this is a seriously impressive setup that you've got here.
00:15:27Does it kind of terrify you when you think how far you've come as to where you can potentially go
00:15:31from here?
00:15:33We're just enjoying the journey and where it takes us, we're not quite sure yet, but we're just really loving
00:15:39what we do every day.
00:15:40And the community.
00:15:41Yeah.
00:15:42It's all about the people that come in every single day.
00:15:44You learn from, you exchange, you get to share tips, plants, produce, it's the best.
00:15:50Unreal.
00:15:50Yeah.
00:15:51This is my little Nirvana.
00:15:53Thanks for coming, Joe.
00:15:55Yeah, thank you so much.
00:15:56I've loved every second of it and I'll be doing some shopping on the way out.
00:15:59It's hard to see you, but I wish you were right here.
00:16:03Always hard to leave you when I kiss you everywhere.
00:16:08We are back to complete this suburban backyard and we are maximising every square inch.
00:16:13Here we are in the main arena of Marirundi, just waiting for some more action in what is King of
00:16:18the Rangers Stockman's Challenge.
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00:16:36Discover a beginner's guide to all the tools you need to get confident with your own projects.
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00:17:01Whenever you're building a garden, it is a series of little jobs.
00:17:04It is never one and done, but you will get to a point where you sit back and think, hmm,
00:17:09this looks quite nice.
00:17:10And that's what we're working on in this garden.
00:17:12We started off by making it more practical with a potting shed.
00:17:15We then came back, put some zones in and made it more productive.
00:17:19And it is now time to finish the job.
00:17:25And this is the area we are dealing with.
00:17:28Now, you might think, because we've got chickens and a really large tree, that it's a useless space.
00:17:32But I can see a lot of potential with this space.
00:17:35We have a lovely shady canopy, which means we can get some shady plants in.
00:17:39The ladies, well, they may have to move.
00:17:41And whilst I'm at it, well, I'm going to redo the path as well.
00:17:45How do I catch a chicken?
00:17:49Sit, chicken. Sit, chicken. Sit, chicken. Sit, chicken. Sit, chicken. Sit, chicken. In you go, chicken. Good chicken.
00:17:57Here we go.
00:17:58That went a lot smoother than I thought it was going to be.
00:18:15Now, what am I going to do here?
00:18:16The chickens, they do need a bit more real estate than they've got here.
00:18:19But I don't want them to take up as much space as they've had.
00:18:21So, I'm going to build a new fence for them, probably out around here.
00:18:24Then, underneath our tree here, I'm going to build a deck platform so the family can come out, sit down
00:18:29and enjoy the shade of the tree.
00:18:31But before I get on to all of that, I need to sort the pathway so the family can get
00:18:34in here.
00:18:40I'm just setting up a string line for our new path.
00:18:42Now, this is going to give us a nice straight edge to our new location in the garden.
00:18:46And with the pavers, I'm actually going to put them together as stepping stone pads to get through the garden.
00:18:51It's going to mean it's a nice slow amble through the space and allow me to get more planting in
00:18:56between them.
00:19:10I'm laying our stepping stones on a mud bed.
00:19:14And the pattern I'm going for, well, I'm going to put border around the outside and I'm stacking them in
00:19:18the middle.
00:19:18The spacing between them should be 200mm.
00:19:22What that will give us is around 600mm step, which is perfect to head up the garden.
00:19:34And I've got to say, it looks pretty good for the cost of a few bags of sand and cement.
00:19:38We can't slow down if we want it to...
00:19:41It'll speak the solar light for...
00:19:44No, no, no, no...
00:19:46No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
00:19:49no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:19:49She says, boy, boy, boy, what are you coming to?
00:19:53All good?
00:19:55Are they?
00:19:57We have made our area a little bit smaller for our chickens, but for three chooks, this is still a
00:20:01pretty ample space.
00:20:02I've gone for a rustic style with the fence we're just doing simple posts and
00:20:06rails and then we're going to use a black mesh on the inside of it that way
00:20:10the chickens have got enough airflow they can still see out into the garden
00:20:39before I put our mesh onto our fence I'm just giving the timber a clear coat of varnish this
00:20:45doesn't change the look too much just enhances the grain and gives us better longevity
00:21:02well the chickens have seemed to found their way back even without the coop being completely finished
00:21:07but just to make sure they can't get out this time I'm just using the black mesh
00:21:11which I'm using tiny staples to attach it to our new timber frame
00:21:27with our hens house we're halfway there and a little later on we're going to put this mulberry
00:21:31tree to good use and create an area where the family can relax and enjoy the garden
00:21:43coming up there are no ponies but harry's still getting a little horse
00:21:47at the king of the rangers festival what an amazing weekend i am full up to here it's crispy
00:21:55it's made with chicken and it's a pancake could this be the best dish ever it's not as good as
00:22:02i
00:22:02remember it's better and with this in your hallway you'll never leave the house with food in your
00:22:08teeth again it's not just pretty it's also practical
00:22:25it's all happening here at king of the rangers in the township of murrarundi in the upper hunter valley
00:22:30of new south wales it's fantastic now if you remember last week there's a whole lot of
00:22:35competitions that were preliminary to the main event that's a great birthday now we're getting
00:22:41to the pointy end of the whole event lots going on at the moment of grand parade and some presentation
00:22:46of awards you're looking at some of the best stock horses stock men and stock women in the whole
00:22:52of australia
00:23:08sarah congratulations i mean you've made it to the sharp end of the pencil so to speak haven't you
00:23:13yes i have thank you i squeezed in coming in fifth into the finals what are your tactics um you've
00:23:19got
00:23:19to go at them hard and fast trust your horse to get you in the right spot and keep going
00:23:24turn back
00:23:25if the front if the wild horse turns back so what does the horse do for you when you're out
00:23:29there sarah
00:23:29he puts me in the right place harry so responsive this horse i just love him so much he knows
00:23:34his job
00:23:35in there and it's not about winning it's about the love of the sport and i'm just happy to be
00:23:44up here
00:23:44with those girls and the and the blokes they're all so incredibly talented
00:23:51now one event that is part of the overlaw competition for king of the rangers is shoeing
00:23:59now shoeing is not easy it's back breaking work so what's going on here well the competitors have
00:24:06got to put on a front shoe and a hind shoe on a horse difficult competition because the judges are
00:24:13all professional farriers and they are pretty tough on the competitors
00:24:21and what are you looking for uh we want a level flat foot uh we're at a stock horse competition
00:24:27so
00:24:28generally these horses will be either mastering or going pack saddling yep so if they pull a shoe we want
00:24:33the horses to be able to come home if they pull a shoe soundly okay
00:24:45how did she go it's an acceptable job really good job yeah good pretty decent so for a fairy to
00:24:58tell
00:24:59i bet it's a good job that's pretty good oh she's a vet yeah oh it's pretty well
00:25:14so you're cooper yeah where'd you get that name from that's mine
00:25:18do they call you coops or they call you cooper cooper they call you cooper right and this is audrey
00:25:24right so you're eight years old no no gee when you make a mistake like that you're in big trouble
00:25:30you're nine and you're eleven so you guys both competed in the stock handling championship is
00:25:36that right yeah how'd you go yeah good real good yes what'd you have to do um i had to
00:25:42go through do a
00:25:43cutout and then go through obstacles to get points why do you like doing this what's the buzz um just
00:25:52making friends and having a good time really audrey is it fun yeah you think you scored well yeah you
00:25:59think you'd beat cooper maybe maybe
00:26:06it wouldn't be an australian afternoon if you didn't get to have a cup of tea
00:26:09but to make a cup of tea you got to boil the belly so we have a competition about belly
00:26:14boiling
00:26:17you've got to spread that timber to make some kindling you have to light the timber
00:26:25what a ripper
00:26:40karen nice to meet you
00:26:42that's a handshake look at that hand what's the big attraction for coming up here because you've won
00:26:47this twice now haven't you last year before been lucky enough yeah no we've um we've had a bit of
00:26:52luck up here at the end of the day it's not only just about the competition but it's about the
00:26:55people in general we love it it's a lovely spot you know you look up there and there are the
00:26:59rangers
00:26:59over there you know it's a beautiful part of the world up here i think it's one of those things
00:27:03there that uh keeps australia alive in the way of heritage we've got to preserve what this country
00:27:07was built on right you're going to do it this time around again make it three in a row oh
00:27:11i don't know
00:27:11you have to keep the traffic a couple of boys a couple of boys up there yeah but they've had
00:27:15a couple more beers than you
00:27:21and as the dust settles on another brilliant event it wasn't to be for karen who placed third behind
00:27:28the new king of the rangers john mitchell in the women's open sarah plays second behind winner kelsey
00:27:36loves what an amazing weekend i am full up to here fantastic make a point of being here
00:27:57in september you can see it happen all over again it's a great event don't miss it the king of
00:28:05the
00:28:09rangers caution curve the head but don't worry these ones aren't dangerous or difficult this
00:28:15entry garden is just beautiful with lots of tips for home gardeners if you like to garden as much
00:28:22as i do check us out on seven plus where you can find all your favorite stories plus tons of
00:28:28gardening
00:28:28how to's exclusive content and more
00:28:39a hallway has to be one of my favorite spaces to decorate especially in a beautiful federation home
00:28:45like this one but it has to serve lots of different purposes it needs to be functional leading you from
00:28:51room to room often it's also decorative with lots of beautiful period details and it has to be practical
00:28:58too somewhere for your keys and to do final checks before you head out the door and that is what
00:29:03i'm going to tackle here i want to create a statement mirror to hang beside the front door with a
00:29:10hidden
00:29:10shelf underneath it's going to add a whole lot of style and personality to the hallway and it's not as
00:29:16complicated as you might think to make this is the base and i'm going to talk you through this very
00:29:22easy
00:29:22build starting with these beautiful curved panels for that are some off-the-shelf pine pieces that
00:29:28are 1200 by 184. this top piece is going to be 10 mil deeper to create the curve i'm using
00:29:34my old
00:29:35favorite some electrical feeder cable and i'm just going to tap in a few nails to create the shape
00:29:52that i'm using my old
00:30:09here
00:30:09kind of
00:30:09the
00:30:09main
00:30:10like
00:30:11all right now I'm just going to trace around this one but adding in a couple of packers to create
00:30:18that extra 10 mil before I join the pieces together I want to show you a really fun element
00:30:39that I'll be adding later on I could leave these shelves open but then you'd see everything on the
00:30:44inside or you could add traditional doors to the front but I'm going to use something pretty cool
00:30:49which is fringing now this comes in lots of different colors styles and sizes for this
00:30:55particular project I really love this one I love the creamy color and also this detail at the top
00:31:00what you'll need to do is work out the height of your fringing because that will determine
00:31:04the gap between your pieces for that I'm going to use some dowel which will support the top I've
00:31:09pre-cut these ones and I'm just going to glue and screw them in place
00:31:29now before I attach the bottom piece I'm going to attach this larger top piece because it'll
00:31:34be much easier to do now screwing it in from the underside
00:32:01I love the look of this especially with the curved lines but if they're a little challenging for you to
00:32:06create you could easily do this
00:32:12the next job is to create the mirror and I'm using a plain off the shelf one that's 900 by
00:32:171200 but to make it suit the style of the Federation home I'm adding a backing board I've cut this
00:32:22down to 1075 by 1441 and I'm adding in a decorative border around the edge placing the mirror in the
00:32:29center and now I'm going to attach the shelf at the base
00:32:32there in the edge of the side
00:32:47I've measured out where the mirror is going and for the border around the outside I'm not going to go
00:32:51too ornate it's just going to be a nod to the Federation style so around the outside I'm using this
00:32:56lovely picture rail and it does have this curved edge which will mirror the curves in the shelf and then
00:33:02the
00:33:02Inside that, I'm using two pieces of dowel in different sizes, and that's going to look really lovely.
00:33:46Time to paint, and I've chosen a really lovely chalk paint in a creamy tone to tie in perfectly with
00:33:52this gorgeous fringe.
00:33:53It'll also seal the timber.
00:34:09Apart from giving a really lovely finish, this is an all-in-one chalk paint, which means you don't have
00:34:15to undercoat, which will save you a whole lot of time.
00:34:27To attach the fringe, I'm just using some tape to hold it in place, and then I'm going to use
00:34:32some upholstery tacks.
00:34:33I've chosen this really lovely matte black finish, and I'm going to put them in the centre of each crown
00:34:40at the top of the fringe.
00:34:47I've used furniture wax to seal everywhere, except for where the mirror is going in the centre here,
00:34:51because there, I'm using some mounting tape and also some special mirror adhesive to hold the mirror in place securely.
00:35:16And it fits like a glove.
00:35:18Now, let's go see what it looks like in the hallway.
00:35:23And that is secure.
00:35:25Now, I've just got to give it a bit more style.
00:35:30I just love everything about this mirror.
00:35:32The scale, the colour, and the embellishments feel very at home in this gorgeous, traditional hallway.
00:35:38And the best part is that it's not just pretty, it's also practical.
00:35:42You will never lose your keys again.
00:35:53Get ready to explore an amazing garden of flowers, herbs and botanicals, with a little twist at the end.
00:36:01And one thing I've learned from being an adult, don't go straight in because you'll burn your lip, but it's
00:36:05worth it.
00:36:32And I'll see you next time.
00:36:35in for a whole world of gardening inspiration.
00:36:38And don't forget your chance to win a million dollars.
00:36:54Flowers, herbs, botanicals, they're just so clever, aren't they?
00:36:58They beautify our gardens, they produce the food that we eat, and of course we use them
00:37:03for pharmaceuticals, all our medicines.
00:37:06But taking that one step further, here at Distillery Botanica on the central coast of New South Wales,
00:37:12they grow all the essential ingredients for our cracking good gin.
00:37:22From the moment you arrive here, you realise it's a very special place.
00:37:27You might remember it as a nursery called the Fragrant Garden.
00:37:30It was very popular, but by golly, has it changed since then?
00:37:34This entry garden is just beautiful.
00:37:36Look at the contrast of colours, convolvulus blue, right next to the yellow of the marigolds.
00:37:43And then, of course, the canis, a lovely orange, vibrant orange, and the blue salvia.
00:37:48And then there are agapanthus, this stunning white.
00:37:51But the big tip is here, if it works, like these canis and the salvias, just repeat it.
00:37:56And you can do that at home.
00:37:58And all the way up here, the shade flowers are provided by the Brugmansia.
00:38:02Double white, double orange, double yellow.
00:38:05And they're going to provide lots of perfume and shade as the season progresses.
00:38:19You know, they've even created a garden between the distillery and the cafe.
00:38:23And it's one of those long, narrow passageways.
00:38:25We've all got them at our homes.
00:38:27Well, look at the planting they've created here.
00:38:29Lots of colour.
00:38:30The blue plumbago, the blue of the hydrangeas, contrasting with the tangerine of the impatiens.
00:38:36And it all extends right down into the view and the hills and the bushland beyond.
00:38:42And they've even continued planting this beautiful floribunda espresso rose.
00:38:47It's like a burnished coffee, isn't it?
00:38:49Now, you might be thinking, what about the gin?
00:38:52Well, let me introduce you to my friend, Philip.
00:39:01Well, I've got to congratulate you, Philip.
00:39:03This is just beautiful.
00:39:04You were a horticulturist.
00:39:05How did you get into distilling?
00:39:07Well, I spent 20 years growing herbs.
00:39:10And a lot of the herbs that I grew with my herb nursery are actually gin herbs.
00:39:16Right.
00:39:16So that was Renaissance herbs.
00:39:17Everyone all remember Renaissance herbs.
00:39:19It's still around with a different owner.
00:39:21But from there, you moved into this, which is a great adventure, isn't it?
00:39:26It was, yeah.
00:39:27And to make my first gin, I did 252 different trials.
00:39:32And for the first one that I thought was okay, I sent it to London.
00:39:35They gave me a silver medal.
00:39:36Oh, wow.
00:39:37And then a few years later, I improved it even further and became the first Australian made gin to get
00:39:44a gold medal in London.
00:39:45Wow, isn't that fantastic?
00:39:47So what are the essentials for a gin?
00:39:49Well, you must have juniper by law in a gin.
00:39:53Ah.
00:39:53And after that, you can put anything you like in a gin.
00:39:56You could put watermelon.
00:39:57It would still be a gin.
00:39:58Oh, really?
00:39:59So basically, the next most important one, so coriander, angelica and licorice.
00:40:05Ah.
00:40:05And then after that, you have to make a decision, are we going to have a citrus gin?
00:40:09Are we going to have a floral gin?
00:40:11Are we going to have a spicy gin?
00:40:12Are we going to have a herbal gin?
00:40:16Oh, and here's Buddha's hand.
00:40:17So that's a pretty spectacular citrus.
00:40:20Now, could you include, what, the fruit or the leaves?
00:40:23You can use both.
00:40:24The leaves tend to be a little bit more refined, and you don't need very much of them.
00:40:29Goodness, you don't need much.
00:40:30Yeah.
00:40:30And this one is cardamom.
00:40:33I know you're probably familiar with using the seeds of cardamom.
00:40:36Yes.
00:40:36But it doesn't set seeds here, but the leaves do have the cardamom flavour.
00:40:41Oh, okay.
00:40:41Yeah, it's slightly softer, but it's very nice in a gin.
00:40:44Well, I notice you're getting very little, so all of this can go in our gin.
00:40:48Absolutely, yeah.
00:40:49Wow.
00:41:01Ah, so this is the heart of the operation.
00:41:04Yes, this is where we do the distillation.
00:41:07Okay.
00:41:08Now, tell me of the science that's happening here, fella.
00:41:11Well, we're distilling 2,400 litres of molasses and alcohol,
00:41:18and out of that we will get 450 bottles of rum.
00:41:21Really?
00:41:22In the other room, we've got a smaller still, which is our gin.
00:41:27Okay, Graeme, so we're going to make you a gin,
00:41:30and we're starting with rosemary, some Buddha's hand, and also some cardamom leaf.
00:41:37So we'll just basically cut those up, and they can then go into our still.
00:41:44We've already put in here a spirit of juniper, coriander, angelica, and licorice.
00:41:50All right.
00:41:50And then we're going to drop the herbs into here.
00:41:53We'll heat this up to 86 degrees.
00:41:57It'll turn into a vapour, and that vapour will have extracted the oils out of the leaves.
00:42:04A lot of herbs, you know, they will have 1% of the essential oil in it, which is their
00:42:08flavour.
00:42:08Right.
00:42:08So that's why you need so little of a herb in order to influence the flavour of the gin.
00:42:13The great thing is, of course, it's all coming out of your garden,
00:42:16so you've got this wonderful resource that's just sort of coming back into all of these gins.
00:42:23It's very, very economical making gin, because you don't need acres and acres of, you know, coriander or whatever.
00:42:32Fascinating.
00:42:33Brilliant.
00:42:33Well done.
00:42:34My pleasure.
00:42:42I've been waiting to do this all day.
00:42:47So refreshing.
00:42:48You know, what we've just experienced was a masterclass in extracting those essential oils
00:42:53out of the botanicals that, many of which we grow in our own gardens,
00:42:57the herbs and the veggies and the flowers and the citrus and some of the native plants.
00:43:01But what Phil has done is actually turn them into gold medal,
00:43:05award-winning liqueurs and rums and gins right around the world.
00:43:09It's an Australian first, and it's really fantastic to see.
00:43:12You know what?
00:43:13The old G&T will never be the same again.
00:43:16Cheers.
00:43:18All right, when I was younger, I used to go to the freezer and pull out a snack.
00:43:22It was a crispy pancake, usually with a chicken filling.
00:43:25So today, I'm going to try and recreate that using a wrap and some fresh chicken.
00:43:35So for the dish, we're going to make a chicken stock using chicken legs.
00:43:40We're going to use the stock and the meat.
00:43:43So you've got eight chicken legs, cover that with water.
00:43:53Two onions.
00:43:59Garlic.
00:44:04So that goes into our pot.
00:44:09I've got some green shallots and some tarragon, which I'm going to use for the garnish later on.
00:44:15But you might as well use the tops to flavour your stock.
00:44:18I've got some tarragon, the stalks are great in the stock.
00:44:22That goes in.
00:44:23Salt and pepper.
00:44:28I like a little bit of white pepper, a little bit of spice.
00:44:34Right, I've got some parmesan later to finish, but what's great with the parmesan is you've
00:44:41got that rind.
00:44:42Now, we used this before, so that goes into the stock.
00:44:45It's going to flavour the stock as well.
00:44:49So that goes on.
00:44:50While that's cooking, we get our garnish ready.
00:44:53So I've got my spring onions.
00:44:55Basically, just cutting nice little like fingernail length spring onions.
00:44:59Because you want that texture.
00:45:08Got my tarragon.
00:45:14Get that in a bowl.
00:45:18Give that a mix.
00:45:20Right, that's our garnish.
00:45:22So once our stock is cooked, I'm going to thicken it.
00:45:25Now, to thicken the stock, I'm going to make a roux.
00:45:28We've made this before.
00:45:29It's like a slurry.
00:45:31So, it's not your traditional roux.
00:45:33It's flour.
00:45:34About a cup of flour.
00:45:38And, equal parts of olive oil.
00:45:41Enough to bind it, so it looks like a slurry.
00:45:45So what happens is, when the flour and the oil combine, you get a nice paste.
00:45:51And when that paste hits a hot liquid, that's what thickens it.
00:45:54We've had time enough.
00:45:56Chicken has softened.
00:46:00So we're going to leave all the onions in there.
00:46:03We'll pop the garlics out.
00:46:04Because we really need that stock.
00:46:06Because that's what's going to make our creamy sauce.
00:46:10We've got our garlic.
00:46:13Chef fingers.
00:46:15Pop our garlic.
00:46:19To the stock, I'm going to add cream to add a little bit of richness.
00:46:22About 200 ml.
00:46:25Some onion powder.
00:46:27Some garlic powder.
00:46:31Right.
00:46:32This is where our slurry comes into play.
00:46:35Start with a little bit.
00:46:37Stir it in.
00:46:38It starts to thicken.
00:46:39And then you work out how thick you want it.
00:46:41But I want it quite thick for this, because I want a paste.
00:46:49It thickens straight away once you add it.
00:46:52So what you want to do is continue cooking it for about five minutes just to cook out the flour.
00:46:57Have a look at that.
00:46:59It thickened right up.
00:47:01As that cools, it will actually get harder and it's better to spread.
00:47:05So I'll let that cool down a little bit.
00:47:07I'll flake my chicken.
00:47:08So all you do is take your chicken off the bone.
00:47:13Can I keep it quite chunky?
00:47:15Because when you bite into it, you want that nice nugget of chicken.
00:47:18Now to assemble.
00:47:20Pan on a low heat.
00:47:21Two wraps per portion.
00:47:23A very big portion.
00:47:24A culling portion.
00:47:25Think of it as like a sandwich.
00:47:27Wrap on the bottom.
00:47:28Wrap on the top.
00:47:29So what you do is take our filling, which is our chicken stock that we thickened.
00:47:34And you basically put that onto your wrap.
00:47:38It will break my heart, break my heart, break my heart.
00:47:41Then we're going to add our greens.
00:47:43The spring onion, the tarragon.
00:47:45That's going to give you the texture and the freshness.
00:47:48Then we're going to add our hiked chicken.
00:47:57Then I'm going to smash it with the parmesan.
00:48:00Then we're going to smash it with the parmesan.
00:48:04Second lid.
00:48:05Squash it down.
00:48:06Encapsulate all our flavour.
00:48:10Till it sticks.
00:48:11And then into the pan.
00:48:13Just let it sizzle away there.
00:48:27And while it's still hot, smash it with the parmesan again.
00:48:30So it melts into that hot crust.
00:48:35It's crisp on the bottom.
00:48:41Slide it onto my board.
00:48:44Beautiful.
00:48:46Obviously, if you've got a small frying pan at home,
00:48:48you can just cook them in halves.
00:48:50You can cook them in slices if you want.
00:48:52Never have enough parmesan.
00:48:55Lemon zest.
00:48:59Salt and pepper.
00:49:04Bit of fresh lemon on there with the zest.
00:49:07A little bit of fresh thyme if you've got it.
00:49:12And now just cut it into wedges.
00:49:23It's all about when you bite into it, the oozing sauce, the chunks of chicken.
00:49:27So it is very textural.
00:49:29It's very nostalgic for me.
00:49:31And one thing I've learned from being an adult,
00:49:33don't go straight in because you'll burn your lip.
00:49:35But it's worth it.
00:49:36All right, let's go.
00:49:45It's not as good as I remember.
00:49:47It's better.
00:49:55Coming up, is this the perfect excuse for spending more time outside?
00:50:01It doesn't matter if you're young or old.
00:50:03There is nothing like sitting under the shade of a nice big tree.
00:50:08And downsizing doesn't mean downgrading.
00:50:11I'm really keen to see how you've taken all those big ideas I know you've got
00:50:15and brought them down to a small space.
00:50:23Over the last few months, we have been transforming this garden step by step.
00:50:27And that is a great way to tackle your own project at home.
00:50:30This time around, we've added a new stepping stone path.
00:50:33We've put in an enclosure for the chickens.
00:50:36And it's time we tackle this massive mulberry tree.
00:50:45It doesn't matter if you're young or old.
00:50:48There is nothing like sitting under the shade of a nice big tree,
00:50:51especially on a hot day like today.
00:50:53So I thought, why not build a platform around this mulberry?
00:50:56Nothing really grows around the base.
00:50:57So the best thing to use it for is a lovely seat.
00:51:00I've just knocked up a simple frame, which we're going to screw together.
00:51:02We'll then locate it to exactly where we want it.
00:51:05We'll put the posts in and go from there.
00:51:20Now, we're positioning the platform in a slightly askew angle.
00:51:23The reason I've done that is because we've got a big root here,
00:51:25so we need to work around that.
00:51:27We've also got joists to consider, so we don't want the trunk to hit too many of those.
00:51:30But also, it makes the platform really usable around here whilst maintaining the shade.
00:51:35So, I'm going to mark out where the posts go.
00:51:36We'll dig some holes.
00:52:03All right.
00:52:05With our posts set in concrete, I'm going to leave these to go off before we get on to our
00:52:09framework.
00:52:11What are you doing here? I think I better go catch a chicken.
00:52:29You can see how the rest of this framework works around the existing tree.
00:52:33Now, if you're thinking of doing something like this, you do need to consider how big your tree is going
00:52:36to get and give it enough room.
00:52:38Finishing the deck off with some decking boards, which I've already given a clear coat to match in with our
00:52:42chicken fence.
00:52:52With the decking board's down, it's almost like we've created an open-air cubby house.
00:52:56This is going to be a great spot for play, but also a nice spot to relax.
00:52:59The best part is to come. We're about to put the plants in the ground.
00:53:02The good thing is, we don't have to do any soil prep, because my chicken friends have done it all
00:53:06for me.
00:53:12Now, when we built this potting bench, we went to a bit of trouble to line up all the screws
00:53:15and make the back really nice,
00:53:16because we had the vision that we were going to be doing this down the line.
00:53:20One of the things I love about working in a garden with different climates,
00:53:23we've got sun out there, semi-shade over there, and shade under here, is the wide variety of plants we
00:53:28can grow.
00:53:29Now, this board is perfect for a staghorn like this.
00:53:37Now, the only ones that aren't going to like this are the chickens, because it's going to take a few
00:53:40scraps.
00:53:53Now, we've actually got quite deep shade in this corner of the garden,
00:53:56and then it gets much lighter as it gets to the canopy's edge, so I've got to be careful with
00:54:00where I put my plants.
00:54:01Things like the hydrangeas will grow in both conditions, but in the shade, they'll just be a bit smaller.
00:54:06Things like the peace lilies here, they need the deeper shade, so they're over in this area.
00:54:10Now, you'll notice I'm using a lot of bright colours, so white in this peace lily, the hydrangea,
00:54:15and this lovely standard begonia, but also a variegation in the hosta,
00:54:20and all that light colour just tends to bring light to a dark environment like this, and just lifts the
00:54:25whole thing.
00:54:33Although we do have some flowers in this garden, I'm relying quite heavily on foliage for year-round interest,
00:54:38and we've got stuff that we use quite a lot of.
00:54:39We've got Ligularia and the Silver Lady Ferns, but we do have a couple of plants that are a little
00:54:43bit unusual.
00:54:44This is Pachysandra. It's a ground cover plant.
00:54:47It's going to give it a lovely woodland look and give it a bit of a mystic feel,
00:54:50and then this, Fatsia japonica. It's got these incredible leaves.
00:54:53It's going to get up and kind of hide the view of our deck from the house,
00:54:57so it's going to make this garden feel really lovely and secretive.
00:55:00Now that all the plants are in the ground, we're just going to finish off a path with some white
00:55:03gravel
00:55:03to tie into the areas we've already done.
00:55:20All right, ladies, come on out and have a look at the new part of the garden.
00:55:23Whoa!
00:55:23I feel like I need to move in here, the amount of work we've done,
00:55:25but this should be the finishing touches.
00:55:28Come have a look.
00:55:28Whoa! This is incredible!
00:55:35This is amazing!
00:55:37Wow!
00:55:39Beautiful!
00:55:39The colours of, like, all the different plants are incredible.
00:55:42Wow! Thank you!
00:55:44Hey, it's our pleasure. I think even the chickens are going to be happy.
00:55:46Even though they've got a smaller spot, you know, they're nicely contained,
00:55:48and they did a lot of good fertilising for us, which is good.
00:55:52They did. I think these plants are going to grow really well.
00:55:55Absolutely, and it's a really shady area here,
00:55:57so you guys can come up, relax on the new deck.
00:55:59There's even a bench seat there, so when it's really hot,
00:56:02this is going to be a great spot in the garden.
00:56:03We had all this shade before, but we didn't have anywhere to sit.
00:56:06Yeah, absolutely.
00:56:07Because now we can really enjoy it.
00:56:09And all the plants, you know, we've gone for texture and foliage interest here,
00:56:13so all year round it's going to look great for you.
00:56:15Yep, that's fantastic.
00:56:17You don't need anything else doing?
00:56:18No, we don't.
00:56:19Okay, well, I'll leave.
00:56:20And the invoice is in the mail.
00:56:31I love the bench seat.
00:56:35Look, whoa, I love this little path here.
00:56:39Look at all these ferns, girls.
00:56:41Whoa.
00:56:42Wow.
00:56:42The chickens are going to enjoy eating them as they grow through the fence there.
00:56:46Yeah.
00:56:47We'll have, like, just bits of fern just, like, all, like, gone.
00:56:53The shade garden, and, like, all the pillows.
00:56:55It's a good place for a sleep.
00:56:57Yep.
00:57:04Stephen here has some great ideas on how you can create a botanical wonderland like this on your apartment balcony.
00:57:11If you're after international inspiration or you just want to try something new,
00:57:15this month's Better Homes and Gardens magazine is all about exploration.
00:57:20How would you explore if you won a million dollars?
00:57:23Discover how you can win within the issue.
00:57:25Then test your taste buds by cooking up spicy favourites with chilli,
00:57:30including a chilli jam that you'll want to put on absolutely everything.
00:57:34And Matt Moran makes a slow-cooked lamb tagine and a one-pan Tuscan roast chicken.
00:57:40So grab your issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine right now for a whole world of cooking to explore.
00:57:49So much better.
00:57:56So you're a passionate gardener, but you've only got a small space like a balcony or a courtyard to play
00:58:02around with.
00:58:02So how do you create your own patch of paradise?
00:58:05Well, I'm here catching up with a friend of mine who's just moved into an apartment in Melbourne CBD,
00:58:10and he's proving that you can still cram big green ideas into a small space
00:58:15and take your gardening love to new heights.
00:58:38Stephen, it's so good to see you.
00:58:40Welcome.
00:58:41Great to see you here in my little apartment in the city.
00:58:43Look at it.
00:58:44I can feel the anticipation of what's beyond.
00:58:48Oh, wow.
00:58:49That is an incredible view.
00:58:51It is an amazing view, isn't it?
00:58:53Is that the State Library?
00:58:54It is a beautiful old building, wonderful space, so good to have that right up my doorstep.
00:58:59Now I'm right in the thick of the city, close to cafes, bars, restaurants.
00:59:03It's quite different.
00:59:04You will remember as viewers that we actually visited Stephen's Garden when he was in the suburbs.
00:59:09And, I mean, an incredible garden.
00:59:11Lots of creative ideas for backyard privacy.
00:59:14You know, he had lots of upcycled art, some quirky succulents.
00:59:18It was an incredible space.
00:59:20But how are you finding leaving that behind?
00:59:22It has been a really good positive change for me.
00:59:25It was hard in some respects to leave that because I'd been there for 19 years, created it all.
00:59:31But now is a really different time to enjoy giving life a bit of a nudge and getting out and
00:59:37about.
00:59:37And I still have a balcony here.
00:59:39I still have my indoor plants.
00:59:41And you know what?
00:59:42I can spot lots of things from your old garden here.
00:59:45So did you bring much of it across?
00:59:46There were a few, about half a dozen good trips of loading up things into the back of the car,
00:59:51full of greenery, bringing it in up the lift.
00:59:54Well, a lot of people do this, don't they?
00:59:56They go from the suburban home and they downsize.
00:59:58So I'm really keen to see how you've taken all those big ideas I know you've got and brought them
01:00:02down to a small space.
01:00:04Well, it's wonderful to be able to welcome you in to come and have a look at them.
01:00:06Excellent.
01:00:09You know, in a small space, there really is nowhere to hide, is there?
01:00:13You're spot on.
01:00:13Small spaces are really interesting to work with.
01:00:15It can be challenging.
01:00:16But they also can be a lot of fun because you have to work out how you want to style,
01:00:20whether you're a maximalist and you want everything in or whether you want it pared back a bit.
01:00:25There are a lot of things I think people can learn from this space.
01:00:27Like, I love the way you've used the mirror there to double the area.
01:00:31Yeah, it's a wonderful little play on how you visualize a space, making something smaller feel bigger.
01:00:36Mirrors are really good at that.
01:00:38And also, I can see that you have really thought about, you know, the texture and the layering of plants.
01:00:43I have, and it's a bit like garden design.
01:00:45Yeah.
01:00:46We do that in a garden setting.
01:00:47We look at the heights, the shapes, the textures, ground covers, shrubs, trees.
01:00:53So you're playing with that.
01:00:54Yeah, well, in a small space, it's all on display.
01:00:56Correct.
01:00:57It's like an art gallery.
01:01:08Oh, gosh.
01:01:09This really is an extension of the living space, isn't it?
01:01:12It is.
01:01:12And that's what I love about it.
01:01:13It's a nice big window.
01:01:14Well, it actually feels like it's one big space, which is what I've had a lot of fun with creating
01:01:19this area.
01:01:21So we get a little bit of wind.
01:01:22Obviously, we're 12 stories up.
01:01:23So we get wind.
01:01:24So I've kept things generally lower.
01:01:27But that's all practical from a plant health point of view and looking after them.
01:01:31But it's also about, I don't want to block the view.
01:01:33I was going to say, you wouldn't want to block that, would you?
01:01:47So when it comes to plant selection, I mean, that's a covered balcony.
01:01:50What sort of light are you dealing with?
01:01:51Yeah, so this is a north-facing.
01:01:54I get the morning sun and the afternoon sun end to end.
01:01:57So what it means is with the shelter, it's essentially a shaded garden in summer with a little tiny wedge
01:02:04of sunlight that comes through.
01:02:06But then through the rest of the year, I actually get some sunshine coming all the way through into the
01:02:10lounge room.
01:02:11So shade-loving plants are the predominant context.
01:02:15All of these are plants that I have brought from the previous garden, and they were tested there.
01:02:21So I know they're pretty tough and pretty hardy, and they can cope with the lower maintenance that I'm happy
01:02:25to give it.
01:02:26Yeah, yeah.
01:02:27But they are things like the spider plants, the asparagus fern, the agaves.
01:02:35But also, I have a little bit of fun.
01:02:37The kangaroo paws here, for example.
01:02:38I did spot a kangaroo paw in amongst all that.
01:02:41They love a sunny spot.
01:02:42I love a garden.
01:02:43I'm a gardener, but I'm also, in this timing, not wanting to have a lot to look after.
01:02:48So it's about choosing plants that are pretty robust and tough, don't need a lot of water.
01:02:52So a lot of the plants here, I may only water once a week, if that.
01:02:56But it's also about having a bit of trickery, for want of a better word.
01:02:59Like the large pot I've got here, these big cone pots.
01:03:04The pot is there, but I've got the plant sitting in its own pot.
01:03:07To reduce the weight?
01:03:09So it reduces the weight.
01:03:10And because everything is in pots, it's a really great thing for renters, really, isn't it?
01:03:14Because everything's so movable.
01:03:16It is spot on.
01:03:17So for a rental context, like I am here, it means that I can move stuff around.
01:03:22I can transport it to another place, but I actually also do move stuff around here.
01:03:26You'd be surprised.
01:03:28So for people at home who are downsizing or maybe live in apartments, who want to think
01:03:33that they can do something like this, what are your top tips?
01:03:36I would say one of the key things is to give it a go.
01:03:39It's okay to trial and error, which is what we do in our gardens in bigger spaces.
01:03:44Yeah, I think gardening is so much trial and error.
01:03:46Failure is okay.
01:03:47You learn.
01:03:48And that's part of the enjoyment of it.
01:03:50So yes, having a garden on a balcony is very much doable.
01:03:54Just embrace the opportunity to explore and have a bit of fun.
01:04:05Well, Stephen, I actually can't think of a better place to be.
01:04:08This is just so nice, listening to the sounds of the city.
01:04:11It is a wonderful little treat, and this is a wonderful little chapter of my life, being
01:04:15here in the city.
01:04:16And in amongst it all, you've managed to find your little oasis, your patch of greenery.
01:04:20It is my little quiet sanctuary within the city noises and city escape.
01:04:26So here's to the next chapter.
01:04:28Thank you for having us.
01:04:29Look forward to following the journey.
01:04:31Thanks, Melissa.
01:04:31Great to have you here.
01:04:41Jo and Ali, just when I thought that the world's best day at work couldn't get better, you
01:04:45bring me into this amazing produce room that has a chandelier.
01:04:49It does.
01:04:50It does.
01:04:51Just thought we'd jazz it up a little bit.
01:04:53You had me at all of this.
01:04:55Is this all your produce?
01:04:56It is.
01:04:57We preserve what we grow, and then in wintertime, which in Wooden can get quite cold, we've got
01:05:02a lot of food to choices.
01:05:04What about your honey?
01:05:05Yes.
01:05:05Because obviously that must be highly sought after as well.
01:05:08Yeah, you should try some.
01:05:09We'll get a little taster.
01:05:10Ah, you beauty.
01:05:12This was from three years ago.
01:05:14Three years ago.
01:05:15It's a gorgeous colour.
01:05:15Yeah.
01:05:17Oh, what do you think?
01:05:19That's outstanding, ladies.
01:05:21Honestly.
01:05:22So we keep a jar from every year since we started beekeeping.
01:05:26There's been actually a couple of years where we didn't extract honey at all.
01:05:29But we like seeing the different variances in season because both season is the same.
01:05:34Yeah, exactly.
01:05:35Colour variances is quite extraordinary just in that.
01:05:37All from the same backyard.
01:05:38But you've been here, what, 10 years now?
01:05:40Is there anything that you would change?
01:05:42I don't think so.
01:05:43I think for us it's all about the journey.
01:05:45Yeah.
01:05:46And we love getting down and learning about how to do things.
01:05:49It did take quite a bit of planning for us to move out.
01:05:52Yeah.
01:05:52We moved here 10 years ago, but it was 10 years before that when we really, really wanted
01:05:56to do it.
01:05:57And it just took a lot of planning to be able to make the change.
01:05:59Fantastic.
01:06:00Well, I have found today incredibly inspiring.
01:06:02I also love that there's love in this room, there's love in your house, in your garden
01:06:06and in your business.
01:06:07It's been a real joy.
01:06:08Thank you for sharing it with us.
01:06:10Thank you for visiting us.
01:06:11No worries.
01:06:12We'll see you next week with more Better Homes and Gardens.
01:06:14Bye-bye.
01:06:14Bye.
01:06:16Bye.
01:06:16Bye.
01:06:16Bye.
01:06:17Bye.
01:06:21Bye.
01:06:22Next time, this peachy dessert is a real breeze.
01:06:28Any condition, I'm here for you, but the tarts will be worth it in the end.
01:06:33They say man created angles and God created curves.
01:06:37Well, how about this?
01:06:39We've found an architectural masterpiece that takes the very best of Mother Nature as its
01:06:43inspiration.
01:06:46These roses look straight out of a fairy tale, but the reality is they're hard work.
01:06:51We've kissed many frogs here.
01:06:53And end up with a prince.
01:06:57Plus, Adam tackles the place where all your junk goes to die.
01:07:01Oh, let's talk about the garage.
01:07:02I can already see one big problem.
01:07:04Yeah, mate.
01:07:05Car doesn't fit.
01:07:07This is one renter-friendly hack you won't want to sleep on.
01:07:10Oh, my gosh.
01:07:12This is incredible.
01:07:14You did ask for a pop of colour, so that's exactly what I gave you on this bare white wall.
01:07:19And these rescuers need all their ninja skills to do their job.
01:07:23There you go.
01:07:24Got one.
01:07:25Oh, how's that retirement?
01:07:26That's next time on Better Homes and Gardens.
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