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00:07Hello and welcome to our first Saturday edition of Better Homes and Gardens.
00:11Don't worry, we're still on Friday nights as well.
00:13All it means is you now get a double dose of inspiration every Friday and Saturday evening.
00:19Now to celebrate, we have come to Sydney's brand new fish markets,
00:23soaring high above Blackwattle Bay.
00:25I mean, how stunning is this?
00:26It is a great place to come to watch the bustle of the seafood trade,
00:30pick yourself up something for dinner,
00:32or sit here and enjoy some of the freshest fish in town.
00:35But there's nothing fishy about what's coming up on the show.
00:38Here's a look at what's on the menu.
00:41Tonight, they're slimy, they're creepy and they're totally cold-blooded.
00:46And all I can say is, wow.
00:49No grass, no problem.
00:52Charlie's got the solution all potted up.
00:54We're going to create a lovely container oasis where we can sit down, relax and watch the world go by.
01:01Your next beach holiday is just a few sizzles away.
01:05Now, if only I could be transported to a nice tropical island in Thailand.
01:12Plus, this garden might be small,
01:15but Melissa's got some great pointers about why you should have one.
01:19This little cactus garden is super simple and looks amazing.
01:23And Adam's sharing the board-approved way to prep your veggies.
01:28This is practical, but also, I have to say, will be a work of art in any kitchen.
01:45I'm at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, and I haven't been here for quite a while.
01:49There's a lot going on.
01:50If you look over my shoulder, you'll read Amphibian Reptile Conservation Centre.
01:55And all I can say is, wow.
01:58Because inside that is every animal you could possibly imagine that slithers, creeps, crawls,
02:04and doesn't really swim and has a go at it.
02:06I'm going to show you a few, and you will be blown away.
02:10I promise you.
02:19What have we got here?
02:21So this is our alligator snapping turtle,
02:23one of the most incredible-looking turtles we have here at ARC.
02:27Most turtles, they can bring their head back inside their shell for protection.
02:31His head's too big to do that because it's just an absolute weapon.
02:34Generally, they're going to be sitting on the bottom with their mouth open.
02:37They have a little tiny worm appendage on their tongue that they can wiggle.
02:40It'll attract fish and other small crustaceans like that,
02:43which come in close to try and pick up the worm,
02:46and then that's when he snaps closed and ambushes them like that.
02:50No way would you put your fingers anywhere near that mouth.
02:55Oh, that went straight down.
02:59A walking dinosaur with a shell.
03:04I'm glad he said it, not me.
03:16Come on in, Harry.
03:17Well, what have we got here, Chris?
03:18Because it's a bit of everything.
03:19It's an exclusive little room that we keep lots of little animals in
03:22to show guests behind the scenes.
03:25And in fact, there's one over here I'd like to introduce you to.
03:27This is a Fijian crested iguana.
03:29And sadly, there really aren't too many left these days.
03:32They're critically endangered.
03:34This is an adult male.
03:35This is as big as these get.
03:37And they're quite different.
03:38So as far as iguanas go, these are one of the world's smallest.
03:43With some of the sharpest little claws.
03:51They're just marvellous, marvellous animals.
03:58You can see that this animal here has a really well suited to the canopy, like you said.
04:02It's bright green, big long claws to grab onto trees.
04:05And that tail, as you can see, is certainly the longest feature of the lizard.
04:09More than half of his body length is his tail.
04:12Now, it's pretty rigid.
04:13It's not overly flexible.
04:15Yeah, it is.
04:16And that's because they don't use it for grip at all.
04:17They use it for balance.
04:18To do your bit as a zoo, breeding animals, I think, is super important.
04:23Yeah, absolutely.
04:24Don't just display them, conserve them, you know.
04:26Let's breed them as well.
04:27That's the important part, is contributing back to changing that wild conservation and improving where we can.
04:32Yeah, yeah, certainly.
04:44Michael.
04:45Harry.
04:45Now, they tell me you are officially a wildlife conservation officer.
04:51I am.
04:51I am.
04:52I shall know him in future as the frogman.
04:54Is that fully grown?
04:55It is, yeah.
04:56This one's a fully grown adult female.
04:58And this is a corroboree frog.
05:00It is, yeah, yeah.
05:01That is the most beautiful, is that not the most beautiful frog you've ever seen?
05:05What's the population like in the wild?
05:07What's our situation and where do they come from?
05:09Unfortunately, pretty dire.
05:10So, this species, the southern corroboree frog, is only found in Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains.
05:16Yeah.
05:16And unfortunately, in the wild, there's very few of them left.
05:19There's less than 50 mature adults left outside of fenced enclosures.
05:23You might notice he's doing a lot of walking.
05:25Yeah.
05:26They don't jump.
05:28So, tell me what you're doing.
05:29We're looking at ways where we can hopefully selectively breed for frogs that are more immune to chytrid fungus.
05:35The long-term aim is chytrid fungus will be out there forever.
05:38We want to make the frogs, I guess, better equipped to deal with the fungus long term.
05:41Yeah.
05:41Surely that's the thing.
05:42These animals have to be equipped with a better disease resistance.
05:51These are our largest reptiles at the moment.
05:55These are our Aldebaran tortoises.
05:57So, this is the female Esmeralda.
05:59She's slightly smaller than her male counterpart.
06:02And we recently weighed her at about 130 kilograms.
06:05And she's still growing.
06:06So, she'll get even bigger.
06:08How old is she?
06:08She's 109.
06:09And still gaining weight.
06:11That's right.
06:12And him over there, what's his name?
06:15So, that's Lance.
06:16He's a bit younger.
06:17He's only 71.
06:18But the males do grow quite a lot larger than the females, hence the size difference.
06:23But again, he's growing still as well.
06:24So, he could attain a weight of 250 kilos or so.
06:28Wow.
06:38But I want to ask you, as a reptilian creeper, what's the big attraction?
06:45Just how different they are, really.
06:46How prehistoric and otherworldly they are and how different they are to most other animals
06:51you'd normally come across.
06:53I like the weird and wonderful.
06:56And for reptiles, boy, have we seen some diversity.
07:00I think it's fantastic.
07:01I wouldn't have believed that we could have seen what we've seen today.
07:04So, thanks a lot.
07:06No worries.
07:07Thanks for coming.
07:14Perfect spot to sit and enjoy a drink at the end of the day.
07:17But it didn't always look like this.
07:18I'll show you how we got here.
07:20Who loves outdoor entertaining just as much as we do?
07:24Mozzie's.
07:25Here is how you make them buzz off in style.
07:34Over time, our houses change as families move in and adapt them to their needs.
07:39But that can sometimes cause tension between the practical and the pretty.
07:42This garage is the perfect example of that.
07:45It was put in a few homeowners ago.
07:47Why?
07:48Well, it gave them a nice secure space for their car.
07:50However, they didn't think about how it connected to the pretty Federation cottage.
07:53So, what are the options?
07:55Well, we could completely knock it down, but that has a huge expense.
07:57So, instead, I'm coming up with a solution with plants.
08:00This space is a real challenge.
08:02It's stark, uninviting, hot, windy, and not to mention there's zero soil.
08:07But it's not all bad news.
08:08It is nice and level, and there is a tap down there so we can set up some essential irrigation.
08:12The answer will be pots.
08:14We're going to create a lovely container oasis where we can sit down, relax, and watch the world go by.
08:27Now, before you head out and buy a whole heap of pots, it's well worth having a look around.
08:31We've all got that area where we store the old plant here and there.
08:34And down the side, we've got these absolutely cracking citrus.
08:37These are going to set the tone for the whole rooftop garden.
08:39There's a couple of things that perhaps might not make it there, but this is a great start.
08:45Because rooftop gardens are generally a lot higher, they don't get as much humidity as gardens down at ground level.
08:50We've already got some citrus, so we're going to combine it with some Mediterranean plants.
08:54They tend to work perfectly.
08:55Things like the olives, the lavenders, rosemaries, they're all classics.
08:58You can also use some succulents as well.
09:00I'm going to use a native as well.
09:02This is the woolly bush.
09:03Now, this has evolved in Perth's Mediterranean climate, so it's perfect, incredibly tactile, and even gets an orangey-red flower.
09:23You'll often hear me say, get the best potting mix you can afford.
09:26And in a location like this, it is really important because we're in such a hot spot.
09:30So, I've got two different types here.
09:32This one is an inexpensive one.
09:33It's basically just wood chip, and there's just not much oomph to it.
09:36In the more expensive one, though, there's lots of different particle sizes, which means it's going to stay open for
09:41longer, so it's going to keep draining.
09:43There's also some compost in there, so as well as the drainage, you get water retention as well.
09:48You'll notice there's bits of fertilizer in here, and there's a wetting agent as well.
09:52So, although it may cost you a little bit more up front, in the long run, your plants are going
09:56to be healthier, so I know which one I'd be buying.
10:03When you're setting out your plants in a space like this, I always start with the biggest ones and put
10:07them at the back.
10:08In this location, they're offering us a little bit of screening from the road, but really just starting to create
10:14a garden room and a little bit of atmosphere for the space.
10:17Countdown every hour until May, once o'clock move them in, and so wait till then, I'll see you when
10:26it's there, among the weaker days.
10:46The thing I love when it comes to reusing plants is not only the size you get, but they've also
10:53got a sense of character.
10:54They're not perfect like the new plants are.
10:56This does need a bit of a prune to tidy it up, but it does look pretty good as well.
11:10With all our big pots placed out, we've sort of got the structure, and before I want to start putting
11:15in the smaller pots to add the layers, I'm going to start the irrigation system.
11:18Now, we've got a lot of pots here.
11:20They're going to dry out really quickly, and it would be a nightmare for the homeowners to come out and
11:24have to keep everything watered, and it becomes quite stressful, and then you forget about it, and everything dies.
11:27So, an irrigation system is the way to go, and it really doesn't have to be that expensive.
11:32We're just going to use a 25mm pipe that runs around the outside, and each pot's going to get its
11:36individual sprinkler.
11:48Now, I've placed our main line on this side of the pots because it's going to be much easier to
11:52put the spaghetti into the top pots and the layered ones in front rather than it all being tucked in
11:57the back.
11:57You need to get yourself one of these little tools, which allows you to put a hole in the main
12:02line, simply like that.
12:04You're going to take one of these barbed joiners that goes into that hole, like that, and then spaghetti on
12:10top of that.
12:15Then cut that to the right length.
12:17I like to always give it a little bit extra so you've got some flexibility in the movement.
12:21Then one of these drippers that just goes into the top, and then you have to do that for every
12:27single pot.
12:29When it comes to placing your dripper, I like to go towards the center, and these drippers will give you
12:34about 4 litres an hour.
12:49Now, one of the benefits of working with pots is you can move them around to get it looking exactly
12:53how you want it.
12:54Here we've got lots of different layers and textures, but, you know, if you get bored of it, you can
12:57always move it around as well.
12:59Once I'm happy with this, I'm going to run the irrigation to all the smaller pots and then finish it
13:03off with mulch to make sure the pots don't dry out too quickly.
13:21Now, with the hard work done, it is time to fire up the irrigation system, and there's a couple of
13:24things you do need to remember.
13:26Here we have a pressure reducer.
13:27This makes sure the pressure doesn't get too much in the pipes and blow it all apart and you get
13:31a flood.
13:32Down here, we have a filter as well. That keeps the water nice and clean so your drippers don't block
13:36up.
13:37You then have the timers, and there's lots of timers you can get, one for every single budget.
13:41Here, we've gone really super simple. You turn to get the water flowing.
13:45Now, when it comes to timing, I wouldn't do it every day for a little bit.
13:49I'd probably do it every couple of days for at least 15 minutes.
13:51Of course, if it's raining, don't turn it on. If it's really hot, maybe give it an extra boost.
13:55And then, you'll have a flourishing oasis in no time.
14:06So, we have transformed what was a barren, desolate space that had nothing to do with the house
14:11into an inviting, green oasis where you can imagine yourself doing some work, reading a book, or enjoying a drink
14:17at the end of the day.
14:18The best part is, it's only going to get better as it matures.
14:25One of the many wonderful things about life in Australia is the potential to entertain outdoors year-round.
14:32But do you know who else loves it almost as much as we do? The mozzies.
14:36They just can't resist the buffet of arms, legs and feet when you're entertaining outside.
14:41But here is how you get them to buzz off in style, by making your own citronella candles that look
14:47as good as they smell.
14:52This project starts by having a dig around one of those drawers that collects all the bits and pieces that
14:58you never use.
14:59You know the ones I'm talking about.
15:00And what you're looking for is anything glass or ceramic that can hold wax.
15:04Things like these ramekins are perfect.
15:06This gorgeous ceramic vessel and glassware is great too.
15:10I love the shape of these glasses.
15:13Citronella candles often come in these tins, which are fine.
15:17But if you're going to place them on the top of your table, they're not the most chic look.
15:21So the idea behind using these is that you can create a really pretty display on the top of your
15:26table.
15:27You can play around with heights.
15:28You can see these ones are a little bit lower, these are taller and this is mid-sized.
15:32Once you've got all your vessels, it could not be easier.
15:35All you need to do is take this tin and pop it into a saucepan and you're just going to
15:40boil it.
15:42Now you don't want to boil the wax, so make sure that you just put it on a gentle heat
15:46and melt it low and slow.
15:56While the wax melts away, I am going to place a wick into the glasses.
16:02So you can buy these pretty much anywhere, any craft store.
16:06You place that in and what you want to do is take a couple of thin skewers.
16:11I've tied a rubber band at one end to hold them together.
16:15Place that across the top and then another rubber band at the other end to hold it in place.
16:23Once you've done that and it's in place, you can then pour your wax in.
16:35Once the wax has completely melted and turned into liquid, you can then take it and pour it into your
16:40jars.
16:53Once the wax is set, you can take some scissors and just trim the wick.
16:56Usually to the top of whatever vessel you're using and it is as simple as that.
17:02So gorgeous and I love that with this project, you can use up old citronella candles that you might have
17:07lying around.
17:08And also use some of these vessels that are sitting in the back of your cupboard.
17:13And they look so attractive.
17:15They'll be gorgeous on the table and the mozzies are going to hate them.
17:27To finish the salad off, some chopped peanuts and fried onions.
17:35I'm piecing together a chopping board that's going to make your life easier in the kitchen.
17:50Travellers around the world flock to Thailand for its beaches, warm weather, shopping and food, of course.
17:58One of my favourites is a Thai beef salad.
18:07Now, through the years of making this Thai beef salad, I have chopped and changed it to suit what's in
18:15my fridge or in my pantry.
18:17Coriander is one of the key ingredients.
18:20And I only use the stems for the paste.
18:23And then I have two stalks of lemongrass.
18:27Just take off the first layer because it can be quite woody.
18:32Just roughly chop them.
18:34And in it goes into the mortar and pestle.
18:38Next is the peppercorn.
18:40I use whole peppercorns rather than ground peppercorns because I do want that crunch when you bite into your beef.
18:48I'd say about 30 to 40 whole peppercorns and two garlic cloves.
18:56And next, pound them together.
19:04You'll know when the paste is done when you can smell this beautiful perfume permeating from this.
19:14Next, to prep the beef, here I've got porterhouse steak.
19:18You can use whatever cut you like for this.
19:25Slice quite thinly.
19:33We're going to marinate this with the paste that we made earlier on.
19:38Just for a few minutes.
19:40It doesn't have to be long.
19:42But if you do have time, definitely marinate it for about an hour.
19:49Because we already have pepper in it, we're going to add sea salt.
19:53Good crack of that.
19:57And then mix it.
20:00Oh, this is smelling so fragrant.
20:07It's so nice.
20:09Dressing.
20:09First things first, palm sugar.
20:13This is Thai palm sugar.
20:16It's lighter than the Malaysian palm sugar.
20:19The best way to do this is to grate it with your knife like so.
20:26Using half a block.
20:28Put that in a bowl.
20:29If you don't have palm sugar, light brown sugar as well will do.
20:35Next, chillies.
20:37You can use however much or however little you want.
20:41Lime juice.
20:43About two limes.
20:47And four tablespoons of fish sauce.
20:55So what we want here is to make sure that the palm sugar is dissolved into the liquid.
21:03I'm going to give it a taste.
21:09We're going to go to our beef now.
21:11A good glug of oil.
21:15On a medium to high heat.
21:17You can see it's smoking slightly already.
21:20And in the beef goes.
21:28Spread it around your wok.
21:36Do not toss it until it caramelises on one side.
21:41So see how it's just starting to cook at the top.
21:44Now you can start tossing it.
21:46And it's only going to take 30 seconds now.
21:54That is done.
21:57I'm going to set that aside while I do my salad.
22:01Here I've got some cucumber, red onions and some grated carrots.
22:08So just scrape the seeds off the cucumber like this with a spoon.
22:15I slice them like so.
22:20If you didn't have a cucumber, you can just bulk it up with a bunch of salad leaves.
22:33Some sliced onions.
22:37I've got red here.
22:39If you have brown onions, you can use them.
22:42Grated carrot.
22:47Some cherry tomatoes.
22:50I like my tomatoes chunky.
22:52So I leave them half.
22:53So remember how I use the stems of the coriander?
22:56I'm using now the leaves.
22:59I'm just going to just roughly cut them.
23:02I like it chunky.
23:04I want to taste the herbs.
23:06Next, I have Thai basil.
23:09You can use just normal basil.
23:12Make sure you don't put the stems in because the stems can be quite woody.
23:19Next, mint.
23:20It's like a bouquet of herbs.
23:23The aroma of this is so beautiful.
23:26Now I do have another special herb, which is Vietnamese mint.
23:30It has a beautiful aroma.
23:33And not only that, it tastes delicious.
23:36Here I've got some lettuce.
23:39So I'm just going to pluck a couple of leaves.
23:43If you're feeding a family, you can put more of the leaves just to bulk it up as well.
23:52And last but not least, the beef.
23:58The beef.
24:06The dressing.
24:09I would just go in with about two or three tablespoons first.
24:18And then mix it around because a little bit goes a long way with this dressing.
24:26To finish the salad off, some chopped peanuts and fried onions.
24:38It's fresh, it's herby, it's sweet, salty with a hint of heat.
24:44Now, if only I could be transported to a nice tropical island in Thailand.
24:57Coming up, it may look like an ordinary chopping board, but what lies beneath?
25:02You slip a plate underneath and slip your food straight onto it.
25:06And there you have it.
25:07No more juggling.
25:09And Melissa's back with some breaking news for your cactus collection, that is.
25:14Next time you break a pot, look at it differently and turn it into a showpiece.
25:19Doesn't that look incredible?
25:29How many of you can relate to this?
25:30You're madly chopping up meals at home.
25:33Or you could be at work like myself and I just want to have a nice salad.
25:36But you're running out of room on the chopping board, so you need to try and pick it up,
25:40pour it onto the plate, you lose half the ingredients, you start chopping up the food again.
25:45It's just a constant juggling act.
25:47Well, what if I told you I've got a design solution that would take your board to new heights?
25:53You'll thank me.
26:00The secret trick to this timber chopping board is to build some elevation into it.
26:05That way, you can slip a plate underneath and slip your food straight onto it.
26:09And there you have it.
26:10No more juggling.
26:11So the material I'm using is some spotted gum timber.
26:15It's 40 by 19.
26:16You can pick this up from the hardware store.
26:19But one thing you want to look at is make sure that it isn't H3 treated,
26:23because we're obviously using this for food.
26:25Now, the first thing I need to do, start cutting all my sizes.
26:53All right.
26:55All right, so I've got 14 pieces at 455 mil, and then I've cut two pieces of this 70 mil
27:02wide spotted gum, and they're going to be on the ends, and that's what's going to allow
27:06me to elevate this cutting board.
27:09So now I'm ready to laminate all these together.
27:12But I'm not going to be using the face.
27:14I'm actually going to be using the edge of the timber as the finished product.
27:18So I'll lay these out face down.
27:21I'll then put on my PVA glue.
27:23And you just want to make sure that it's an exterior grade, because that is water resistant.
27:26And then basically, I'll stand these all up and use my clamps to laminate them together.
27:31Don't forget my life.
27:40Don't forget my life
27:48Don't forget my life
27:56Don't forget my life
28:04Don't forget my life
28:11And one thing you want to be mindful of
28:13when you're laminating timber like this
28:15is the more pressure you put in this direction,
28:17the more it wants to bow.
28:19So a simple solution.
28:20I've just got some offcuts of timber.
28:22Now I have put some clear tape on.
28:24That way the PVA glue doesn't stick to this.
28:27And I'm simply going to be putting one underneath,
28:29one on top using these G clamps and clamping it.
28:33And I'll do that to both ends.
28:56So I have left this to dry for 24 hours
28:59and this is the end result.
29:01Already you can see the beautiful colours
29:02in the timber
29:03which is only going to be enhanced
29:05once we dress this up.
29:07So now I want to tidy up these edges
29:09so I'll square them off.
29:10I'll use a circular saw to cut it
29:12and then I'll use my sander
29:13with an 80-grip pad on it
29:15to smooth this all out.
29:42You can see this spot of gum timber
29:44is absolutely beautiful
29:46but it is obviously very dense
29:49so I am giving it a good workover
29:51with this 80-grit paper
29:52but the problem with that is
29:53if we put some wax on it now
29:55you'll see all these scratch marks.
29:57So what I'm doing
29:58is I'm getting off all these high spots
29:59with the 80-grit
30:00and I'm going to move to a 120,
30:02get everything super fine.
30:04Once that's done,
30:05we're ready to give it a coat.
30:19Oh, look at that.
30:21Super smooth.
30:23Now, we've actually dulled down the colour here
30:26so now what I'm going to do
30:27is wipe this board down
30:28to get all the dust off it.
30:31And would you have a look at this.
30:36Absolutely gorgeous.
30:37Look at those colours.
30:38To seal this board,
30:40I'm going to be using
30:40a food-safe beeswax.
30:42You want to make sure
30:43that whatever you use,
30:44whether it be the wax or oil,
30:46that it is food-safe.
30:47A lot of people might want to reach
30:48for the oil that's in their cupboard
30:49but that will make your board go rancid.
30:59All right.
30:59Now, let's see how this works.
31:03Now, remember, we did raise this 30 mil
31:05so we can fit the plate underneath
31:07and that way, when you're chopping,
31:09you can simply just push your ingredients on.
31:12So that means you're not lifting the chopping board
31:14and taking it to where you want
31:15or you're not pushing a plate up
31:17against the chopping board
31:18and losing most of your ingredients on the side.
31:21So this is practical
31:22but also, I have to say,
31:24will be a work of art in any kitchen.
31:34Transform your broken pots
31:36into a miniature cactus garden.
31:40If gardening is your passion,
31:41check us out on 7 Plus
31:43where you can find all your favourite stories.
31:45Plus, explore hundreds of beautiful gardens
31:48from all around the world
31:49and lots more.
31:58I love using decorative vases like these
32:00around the home
32:01to pop flowers and candles in
32:02because they look so pretty
32:03and add so much warmth
32:04and personality to a space.
32:06But they can be expensive
32:08so I'm going to show you
32:09a fantastic way to make these
32:10at home using things
32:12you probably already have on hand.
32:17If you're anything like me,
32:18you'll have lots of these old glass jam jars
32:21and vases already at home
32:23and that is what we're going to start with.
32:28First up, you'll want to protect
32:29whatever work surface you're using
32:31and then take some gloves
32:33to protect your hands.
32:35Trust me on this one.
32:36and you'll thank me later.
32:37Use some rubbing alcohol
32:39just to clean off any old glue residue
32:42or grime from the glass.
32:44I just want to be yours tonight
32:46You just want to be my sunshine
32:48When I'm laying awake at night
32:50Now you'll need a bucket
32:52filled to about halfway with water
32:54and it needs to be about twice the width
32:56and depth of your vessel.
32:58You could protect your bucket
33:00with a plastic bag
33:01but I'm happy for this one
33:02to get some paint on it.
33:04Now for the fun part,
33:05adding in some spray paint
33:06to the top of the water
33:07and that will create
33:08that beautiful marbled effect.
33:10Satin or gloss paints
33:11work best for this
33:12so avoid chalky or matte finishes
33:14and metallics also work really well
33:16but they do dry quickly
33:17so put those ones in last.
33:19For me, I'm going with
33:20these gorgeous blue tones.
33:21A real pop of this gold.
33:38Then take your jar
33:40place it inside your hand
33:41and roll it over the top of the water.
33:52And that's it.
33:53How pretty.
33:58So that first one
33:59I just kept the clear glass
34:01which I really like the look of
34:02but if you want a more opaque finish
34:04you can use a white primer
34:06on the glass first
34:07just let that dry
34:07and then apply the marbled effect.
34:15The beauty of this
34:16is that there's no perfect way to do it.
34:18Marbling is just like that.
34:20It's slightly imperfect
34:21and you'll notice
34:22this one I actually dropped
34:23into the water
34:24and I thought it was going to be a disaster.
34:25Looks really pretty.
34:27Such a simple project
34:28but looks really lovely
34:29and you can leave them
34:30just as they are
34:31or to finish them off
34:32you could add some ribbon
34:33or some cord
34:34just around the top here.
34:36And then pop
34:37a flameless candle
34:38a real candle
34:39or even some flowers
34:40inside
34:40and that would look
34:42absolutely gorgeous
34:43even make a really
34:44beautiful gift.
34:53Last year I showed you
34:54around this beautiful
34:55cacti and succulent garden
34:57which was lovingly created
34:58by Rose.
34:59It's full of some great
35:01take home project ideas
35:02and this one really
35:03caught my attention.
35:05This little cactus garden
35:06is super simple
35:07and looks amazing.
35:13I always like to
35:14upsize my planting
35:15so I'm using a bigger pot.
35:17I mean how often
35:17do you have a broken pot
35:18at home?
35:19I had to smash one
35:19the other day
35:20just to get the plant out
35:21and it's a really great
35:22way of using them.
35:24Now this one in particular
35:25is really good
35:25because a big chunk
35:26is missing from the front
35:27and it will provide
35:28the perfect picture frame
35:29for our planting.
35:30So all I have to do
35:31is get some free draining
35:32cacti and succulent mix
35:34in there.
35:42So this mix is nice
35:43and coarse and gritty
35:44there's a little bit
35:45of perlite and sand
35:46in there
35:47even some controlled
35:48release fertilizer.
35:55Now you have to build
35:56the house before you
35:57put the furniture in
35:58so I always find
35:59that it's better
35:59to get the structure
36:00of the pot
36:01and create those tiers
36:02before you do
36:03your planting.
36:04So I've got a few
36:05broken pot pieces
36:06hanging around
36:07so you can get a little
36:08bit creative
36:08with your design
36:09but I think these two
36:10will look really good
36:12as perhaps that first
36:13tier in our pot
36:14and then I can backfill
36:16it with potting mix
36:17and we can continue
36:18to create those layers.
36:27Okay so now we can
36:28get our next tier
36:30in place
36:30and this rim piece
36:32is perfect.
36:34so the key
36:35is to just make sure
36:36you leave lots
36:37of little spaces
36:37and pockets
36:38for planting.
36:45I just want to add
36:46one final little
36:47broken piece
36:48just to break
36:49it up visually.
36:58so I'm going to start
36:59by planting the biggest
37:00cactus first.
37:01Now this is a silver
37:02torch and here's a
37:04little tip for you
37:04when you're dealing
37:05with these spiky critters
37:06get your hands on
37:07some styrofoam
37:08or polystyrene
37:09just to help you
37:10with your planting.
37:11So I want this one
37:12to be the hero
37:13of our pot
37:14so I'm just going to
37:15plonk it in there
37:18and then we'll
37:19backfill with a bit
37:20of potting mix.
37:31It helps to have a few
37:32rocks or pebbles
37:33around that you can
37:34simply poke into the soil
37:37around those taller plants
37:39just to help stabilise
37:40them a little bit.
37:51So to balance things out
37:52and just bring a little
37:53bit more height
37:54to the display
37:54I'm using this
37:55spectacular blue torch.
37:57Just look at the colour
37:58on it.
37:59See if I can get it in
38:00without prickling myself.
38:25So this one's falling
38:26apart a little bit
38:27so if you've got
38:28fiddly work like this
38:29how cool are these
38:30little tiny tools
38:31they help you get into
38:33those little tight spaces.
38:47So I'm playing around
38:49with different textures
38:49and colours that work
38:50together but I think
38:51it's also nice to play
38:53around with form.
38:54So I'm using this
38:55little trailing string
38:56of pearls just in the
38:57corner here to cascade
38:58down the sides.
38:59Give me something
39:01Somewhere to go
39:03Somewhere that I know
39:05I'm taking the globe
39:07Give me something
39:08And if you've got
39:09any succulent
39:10cuttings hanging
39:11around you can
39:12always pop them
39:12into.
39:24You're bound to get
39:25a little bit of
39:25potting mix into
39:26some of those spines
39:27so just use a little
39:28old makeup brush
39:29or even a toothbrush
39:31just to clean up
39:32the pot.
39:33And then all we
39:34need to do is put
39:35some pebbles in
39:36there for a bit
39:36of decorative mulch
39:37and it'll be good
39:38to go.
39:53So there you go.
39:54Next time you break
39:55a pot look at it
39:56differently and turn
39:57it into a showpiece.
39:58Doesn't that look
39:59incredible?
40:08Well that's it for
40:09tonight's show.
40:10Enjoy the rest of
40:11your weekend and
40:12I'll see you again
40:12next Friday night
40:13for the first of two
40:14more big nights of
40:15Better Homes and
40:16Gardens.
40:20Next time meet the
40:22Aussie rock star of the
40:23jewellery scene.
40:24From Fitzroy to
40:25London to New York
40:26meet Millie Savage and
40:28her wonderfully creative
40:29life.
40:29Oh thanks Joe.
40:32Graham's visiting some
40:34of the finest gardens
40:35we've ever seen and
40:37they're just a stone's
40:38throw away.
40:39A rare and special
40:40place.
40:41This is the only
40:42botanic garden in New
40:43Zealand that is dedicated
40:45to native plants.
40:48How about a dish for
40:49the cooler weather
40:50you'll absolutely fall
40:52in love with?
40:53What better way to
40:54celebrate autumn than
40:55with some beautiful
40:56lamb meatballs and the
40:57best autumn vegetables.
41:02Easy, quick and loved
41:03by everyone.
41:04Adam's making the DIY
41:06equivalent of fast food.
41:08Do you like KFC?
41:10Not much?
41:11How about a Kentucky
41:12folding chair?
41:15Plus, this prawn curry
41:17brings the flavour without
41:18the food coma.
41:20And it's fresh, it's
41:21delicious and it's
41:23light.
41:24And she might be reigning
41:26supreme on Australian
41:27Idol but in this
41:28household her dog
41:30marshes to a different
41:31beat.
41:32Is this the problem
41:33child?
41:33Yeah, that's a
41:34brother.
41:35That's next time on
41:36Better Homes and
41:37Gardens.
41:38Yeah.
41:39Yeah.
41:39Yeah.
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