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00:00:00Welcome to the Better Homes and Gardens summer series where we bring you a bunch
00:00:03of classic stories why the whole team cooks up fresh ones for 2026. Now I'm
00:00:08sure that the holidays already feel like a distant memory but speaking of
00:00:12memories why don't you enjoy some of our favorite stories from recent years.
00:00:16Tonight it's not about the size of the house that's designed, it's about the
00:00:20size of the design in the house. It's only 30 square meters but he's managed
00:00:24to put so much house in this space. Who doesn't love a burger and Colin does
00:00:29them so well. I reckon I should open the chain. We're creating a clever little
00:00:35entertaining area but sometimes the entertaining starts before the job is
00:00:40finished. Plus if you're renovating your place or creating a new space the question is how do you get
00:00:53big impact when you're not spending a lot of money? Graham's found a dream garden with
00:00:58magic and wonder around every turn. It's like stepping into a storybook.
00:01:05And there are tree changes and then there are fleece changes. Dr. Harry meets a couple who are fully committed
00:01:12to their herd.
00:01:12120 old packers? What? We're dreaming to get a lawnmower.
00:01:21Now we are in the heart of Sydney's bustling inner city suburb of Surry Hills where space is at an
00:01:28absolute premium.
00:01:29Now this corner shop was discarded but it's re-salvaged into an award-winning house, apartment and office space.
00:01:37That is right. The architect has managed to turn one property into three and what is a shining example of
00:01:42urban density done right.
00:01:43This I can't wait to see. This was the original shop front and then off the back of it there
00:01:48was actually
00:01:49originally all these like ad hoc series of buildings. In fact the last bit was like a, I don't know,
00:01:54like a storage facility
00:01:55for a rag trader. Yeah, spot on. Now the front now is a modern architectural office. Above is a self
00:02:00-contained apartment
00:02:01with its own street entrance. But this is where the real matching is happening.
00:02:12So Pete, it's actually this part of the whole design that has everyone in the world losing their minds.
00:02:16The owner is the architect Adam Haddow and he has got 30 square metres here but boy he has put
00:02:21a lot of house on it.
00:02:22Yeah, it's a teeny tiny block but packed with some big ideas. Now Adam took a Bowerbird approach to design
00:02:28in the sense that he collected
00:02:30all of his favourite window configurations of this surrounding area and reinterpreted it in this modern facade.
00:02:36Well it almost looks like a Picasso painting. Yeah, a big cubist.
00:02:44Oh I love this Pete. Oh far out, that's got some weight in it. Hefty, it's hefty.
00:02:50Now underpinning the architecture, artists and artisans have been commissioned to create these beautiful sculptural pieces
00:02:56including this semi-circular iron gate by none other than Mika Utzon Popov.
00:03:02Did you say Utzon?
00:03:02Utzon. Grandson of Jorn Utzon, designer of none other than the Sydney Opera House.
00:03:07That's some serious design pedigree there.
00:03:12Into the ground level and Pete, fair to say it does feel small and compact.
00:03:15OK, but like a flower this design will really open up.
00:03:18Hey, it's not the only thing that opens up. Check out this. This is the door to the downstairs bathroom.
00:03:22But when you open it up fully, it means that you actually have a completely private, closed off area for
00:03:27this,
00:03:28the study slash second bedroom.
00:03:29That's amazing.
00:03:30Now this room down here is slightly underground.
00:03:33So how do you get natural light down here?
00:03:34Well there are two windows.
00:03:35This vertical Romanesque slice cut in.
00:03:38It stops people looking in to get natural light.
00:03:41But it's all about this light well.
00:03:42It's known as the golden snorkel.
00:03:45It reaches up some three metres siphoning light down into this subterranean room.
00:03:50All lined by gold leaf. Brilliant.
00:04:02The house is effectively three storeys, but within that there are seven split levels linked by this very narrow stair.
00:04:08This is the bare minimum you're allowed, 600 millimetres wide.
00:04:11Now people thought that would be a problem, so the architect had to be very strategic at how he got
00:04:15everything in.
00:04:16I love it. It's the spine of the whole home and all of the rooms spin off it.
00:04:26Into the living room.
00:04:27Now, Peter, you have talked about getting things into this home, but behind me is one of the most amazing
00:04:32artworks I have ever seen in my life.
00:04:34But it is enormous.
00:04:35And looking at the options, I actually can't fathom how they got that in here.
00:04:39That is a masterpiece. It's by Nicholas Harding. It won the win prize in 2022.
00:04:44Now, it was supposed to come in in three separate sections, but they thought there's no way we're dividing this
00:04:48up.
00:04:49So they had to manoeuvre it across that Juliet balcony in past the open fireplace and install it on that
00:04:54wall.
00:04:55And, Peter, I love that you can actually see it from the street. I mean, it feels like a gift
00:04:58to the neighbourhood.
00:04:59Yeah, it's very much part of the urban jungle. Speaking of which, we've got this little outdoor courtyard with its
00:05:04own fern tree getting light and ventilation into this space.
00:05:08And greenery. And I also like they've maximised the space by having custom-made built-in furniture. It makes the
00:05:13most of everything, pushes it up against the wall.
00:05:15Again, you didn't have to manoeuvre them up those stairs. Now, remember, this room is only 3.3 metres wide.
00:05:20That's the size of a small car. The whole building is 10 metres long.
00:05:24So what do you do when you've got limited dimensions in the plan? You work with the section, the floor
00:05:29to ceiling heights. Here, it's 3.6 metres high, which is the biggest dimension in this room.
00:05:35Yeah, I mean, it makes it feel so much bigger than it is, but the ceiling height is different in
00:05:38the kitchen.
00:05:39It's what we call a split section. So all these feature rooms like living rooms and bedrooms have this vertical
00:05:44drama, but the servicing rooms like kitchens, laundries and bathrooms, the ceiling heights are a lot shorter, the size of
00:05:50a standard door height.
00:05:51But, gee, they've got some clever ideas in there to make a small space feel bigger. The use of mirrors.
00:05:56I mean, it's an age-old trick, but all the cabinetry in that kitchen is finished in a mirror.
00:06:00And then there's just the pretty things. I mean, the design that he's actually put on all the taps throughout
00:06:04the home, whether he's used stone or timber,
00:06:07this is actually something the architect designed himself, and it's just amazing. He's too clever.
00:06:21Into the master bedroom. The thing that strikes me here is how quiet and tranquil it is. I mean, we're
00:06:26in a really busy inner city suburb. You wouldn't know it in here.
00:06:29You have all these different shaped windows that actually capture a slice of the greenery outside.
00:06:34You have this gorgeous curved wall at the end here. Not by accident. That's actually to conceal the flue of
00:06:40the heater downstairs.
00:06:41They decided to work with the bends in the piping as opposed to try and conceal it.
00:06:45Within that space, they have this little recessed dog sleeping nook.
00:06:49Now, this is one spoilt pooch because Eric, the dog, even has a little window that's perfectly sized for him
00:06:55to watch the action on the street.
00:07:03Into arguably the most beautiful room in the house, this dual bathroom where it combines the natural elements of water,
00:07:10light and nature.
00:07:11Now, these plants love this space so much they need constant pruning.
00:07:15And again, all the tapware is custom made.
00:07:18The walls are clad in red oxide tiles and Chepo Rosso marble.
00:07:23This room really is a feast for the eyes and the senses.
00:07:36Jo, from a bathroom garden...
00:07:38To a rooftop garden designed by Danga Baron-Smith.
00:07:41Again, a small space but so much here.
00:07:44You have the top of the tree fern, you've got the grass tree,
00:07:46you've even got a Queensland bottle tree and your own patch of real turf.
00:07:51Pizza oven and smoker.
00:07:53All this design on a postage stamp sign sign.
00:07:56But very much this is a letter addressed to all of us of what you can achieve on a tight
00:08:01inner city urban site.
00:08:03Designed by an architect for an architect. Signed, sealed, delivered.
00:08:07With a lesson for us all on how to live less large.
00:08:11Today's groundbreaking recipe is a beef burger.
00:08:17With an old kitchen like this, should you renovate or detonate?
00:08:29This is a style of kitchen that we are all familiar with. Traditional timber.
00:08:34The former owners have used and loved this kitchen for over 30 years.
00:08:38But now the new owners are wondering, do they detonate or should they renovate?
00:08:49Sustainability and budget are their main concerns.
00:08:52So the question is, how do you get big impact when you're not spending a lot of money?
00:08:57The good news is, there are lots of things you can do.
00:08:59And you might be inspired by one of these or all of them.
00:09:06These doors and hinges are in really good working order.
00:09:10So the first focus is going to be changing them using paint.
00:09:13It'll give really big impact for minimal spend rather than having to do a major kitchen renovation.
00:09:19Similarly, the tiles on the splashback are in really good condition.
00:09:23Although they look pretty dated.
00:09:25So I'm going to use paint there as well to upgrade them.
00:09:29But the first thing I need to do is remove all these doors.
00:09:45We're removing the cabinets and part of the bench top in this corner.
00:09:48Because I'm making a couple of tiny tweaks to the layout.
00:09:51Which will make the space much more functional.
00:09:53You need your hands, Scotty? We got it.
00:09:59The first thing I need to do is remove this handle.
00:10:02And then I'm going to give it a really good clean with some sugar soap.
00:10:04Then use some fresh water to rinse that off.
00:10:07You try to call me and I turn away.
00:10:10I always turn away.
00:10:14I don't know why I have to be this way.
00:10:18I'd rather not be so hard for love.
00:10:26I keep my headlights on.
00:10:34Because I'm going to put new handles on here, I've filled in these holes.
00:10:37I'm giving the whole thing a really good sand.
00:10:39And then wipe it down and clean it all off.
00:10:46If your doors are solid timber like this one,
00:10:48you'll want to use a surface block of spray like this.
00:10:50Which will stop any tannins from bleeding through the paint.
00:10:53Don't you know I could do this dance on me?
00:10:58Ooh, what you doing?
00:11:01Don't know who you think that you're confusing.
00:11:04I'd be like, ooh, it's amusing.
00:11:09You think I'm going to fall forever and I do.
00:11:13All of the cabinet doors have had about four hours for the primer to dry.
00:11:17So now I can get on to the exciting part, which is applying the top coat.
00:11:21Wait till you see this colour.
00:11:23It is absolutely gorgeous.
00:11:25It's like a soft periwinkle blue
00:11:27and it will be a dramatic difference to what the kitchen looked like before.
00:11:31The standard approach when you're decorating is really just to pick one colour.
00:11:35But by using different strengths of a colour,
00:11:37you can create dimension and layer in a room.
00:11:40On the base cabinets, I'm using full strength.
00:11:43And then on the higher cabinets, I'm going to use quarter strength.
00:11:45And that means they'll sort of disappear into the wall
00:11:47and won't be such a focal point.
00:12:02This will need two coats and about eight hours in between to dry.
00:12:06And then a final clear coat.
00:12:13Oh, Sarah, I love it.
00:12:14She looks gorgeous already.
00:12:15Good job.
00:12:16To keep the colour scheme cohesive in here,
00:12:19I'm going for the same tone on the lower part of the walls that's on the cabinets.
00:12:23And then on the upper part, we're doing a vivid white, which will really brighten things up.
00:12:27And while changing the colours is going to have a big impact,
00:12:30another important focus is going to be the layout.
00:12:33Because in a kitchen, you need a functional workspace.
00:12:40You might remember the fridge before was on the other side of the room.
00:12:43It just didn't make any sense being there.
00:12:45So we're repositioning it over here.
00:12:47Scotty is building this housing for it.
00:12:49And there'll be storage at the top.
00:12:51So don't worry, we're not losing any of that valuable storage space.
00:12:54It's been under-coated and we're going to paint it that same lovely blue that's on the cabinet.
00:12:59So we're going to get big bang for our buck out of paint.
00:13:03And while we're talking function, this sink is just far too big for this space.
00:13:08Look, there's not even room for a kettle at the end.
00:13:10So I'm going to replace it with a double sink that has an in-built chopping board.
00:13:14And that way, it'll free up valuable bench space.
00:13:20That's it.
00:13:25The final step for these cabinet doors is to paint on two coats of this clear coat.
00:13:31Later, I'll be showing you a great idea for tile painting.
00:13:34And we're bringing the whole kitchen together.
00:13:39So now I have to taste.
00:13:41There is no easy way to do this.
00:13:44Right, so look away.
00:13:45You might want to look away.
00:13:48You ready?
00:13:50Our rammed-earth seat is nearly set.
00:13:53And the big reveal is coming up.
00:13:57Did you know that green spaces can help your sense of wellbeing?
00:14:01Or that red and orange are believed to increase energy levels?
00:14:06Colours can affect our moods and motivations more than we know.
00:14:09In this issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, it's all about harnessing the power of your favourite colour.
00:14:15Explore the power of colour drenching in an affordable way.
00:14:20And grab your copy to discover the magazine's call on the colour of the year.
00:14:24Plus, Creative Projects editor, Geneva van der Zeel, shows you how to refresh a second-hand lamp with vibrant fabric.
00:14:31Get your copy of the magazine for a bonus 36-page booklet of quick and easy recipes to master no
00:14:39-sweat summer cooking.
00:14:48Today's groundbreaking recipe is a beef burger.
00:14:52And where does it start?
00:14:53It starts with the meat.
00:14:54So I'm going to show you a few little tricks today.
00:14:57And then I've got the special sauce.
00:15:00I've got 500 grams of chuck steak.
00:15:03And I've got 500 grams of beautiful brisket with the fat still on it.
00:15:08So I bought the brisket and the chuck and I minced it myself.
00:15:12If you can't mince it yourself, what you do is you buy some mince with a high fat content.
00:15:17Because the fat is where the flavour is.
00:15:19Alright.
00:15:20So I've got my brisket, which has got that beautiful fat content.
00:15:25Got my chuck steak, which is a little bit leaner.
00:15:28So you've got the lean and the fat.
00:15:30I'm going to add a little pinch of salt.
00:15:32Not too much salt.
00:15:36Pinch of white pepper.
00:15:38Gives a little bit of spice.
00:15:43And this is where I start messing with the system now.
00:15:45Normally you can add some onions or raw onions in there, but I don't want chunks of raw onion.
00:15:49So I'm going to add some onion powder and some garlic powder.
00:15:53About a tablespoon of each.
00:15:54So onion powder.
00:15:57Garlic powder.
00:16:02And then I'm going to add, just for a little bit of aromatics, some chopped fresh thyme.
00:16:18Alright, thyme goes in.
00:16:20The hardest part of this recipe now is just the mixing up.
00:16:23But it's basically just mixing two different cuts of meat, one lean, one fat, so you get the flavour and
00:16:29the texture.
00:16:30So just gently mix it.
00:16:32Sort of tear it into each other.
00:16:34Because you don't want to overwork it because it gets a bit, you know, a bit pasty.
00:16:42So I reckon about 130, 140, maybe 150 if you're feeling hungry, that size putty.
00:16:48So I reckon I'll get six to eight putties out of this mix.
00:16:54Alright, now it's just about forming.
00:16:56I like to press it on some baking paper.
00:17:08Stick them in the fridge.
00:17:09So what the fridge does, cools it down, everything sticks together and holds its shape on the grill.
00:17:15And now slide.
00:17:18And into the fridge.
00:17:25Alright, meat's in the fridge.
00:17:27Let's make the sauce.
00:17:28Mayonnaise.
00:17:29About four tablespoons.
00:17:34One, two, three, four, five.
00:17:39About four.
00:17:41Tablespoon of mustard.
00:17:42Now this recipe, what you do is make it, and if you like more mustard, put more mustard in it.
00:17:47If you want more pickles, put more pickles in.
00:17:50A tablespoon of mustard.
00:17:54A teaspoon of paprika.
00:17:59A teaspoon of our old friend, onion powder and garlic powder.
00:18:07I add a little bit of pickle relish.
00:18:11A teaspoon of the pickle relish.
00:18:12So that gives you a little bit of the texture.
00:18:16And then what brings this dish together is, the secret is, the juice from the pickle jar.
00:18:23So you've got your pickles.
00:18:24A little bit of the juice.
00:18:30A pinch of salt.
00:18:31A pinch of pepper.
00:18:37A little whisk.
00:18:50Yeah.
00:18:52Got the right amount of pickle, right amount of mustard, that little bit of spice at the end.
00:18:57That is exactly what you're looking for.
00:18:59You want it quite tart, because you've got a lot of fat in the brisket in the burger, so it's
00:19:04going to cut through it.
00:19:10All right, patties are chilled.
00:19:14Grill is hot.
00:19:18So you want to hear that sizzle straight away.
00:19:24So just let them sit, get a nice bar mark on.
00:19:34You can see that fat just caramelizing.
00:19:44So when it's nearly cooked, I like to put my cheese on top, so it starts to melt just before
00:19:49I take it off.
00:19:59All right, let's get them off.
00:20:06Burgers are ready.
00:20:07All you've got to do is build.
00:20:09So, you've got a top and a bottom.
00:20:12I'm using milk buns, you can use brioche, you can use bread, whatever you want.
00:20:17So a spoon of the sauce.
00:20:25Lettuce on the bottom, and make sure you've enough lettuce that it's overhanging, because it's sort of singing.
00:20:31All those colours make you want to eat it.
00:20:36So we've got some tomato and your pickles on top.
00:20:41And now the tops.
00:20:48I reckon I should open the chain.
00:21:01So now I have the taste.
00:21:03There is no easy way to do this.
00:21:06Right?
00:21:06So look away.
00:21:07You might want to look away.
00:21:10You ready?
00:21:19That is an amazing burger.
00:21:22Try this recipe.
00:21:27Mmm.
00:21:32Coming up, as Juliet renovates this kitchen, she'll have plenty of tips you can use at your place.
00:21:39And you might be inspired by one of these, or all of them.
00:21:42Graham's found a magnificent garden that has to survive some harsh conditions to really shine.
00:21:49So the plants have to be super tough.
00:21:51And why count sheep when you can hug these guys?
00:21:55Are they more cute and cuddly?
00:21:56Yes, definitely.
00:22:03There's nothing more solid than earth.
00:22:05It supports the foundations of some of the world's tallest skyscrapers, and it's used as a building material itself.
00:22:10Now, Joe and Pete have seen some pretty impressive round-earth homes on the show.
00:22:14But if you're not up for building a house, how about a bench seat?
00:22:23This is Scott and Missy's house, but they've recently built themselves a granny flat,
00:22:26so the kids and grandkids could have the main house.
00:22:29Did you not like them very much, or did you like them too much?
00:22:32What made you move into a granny flat?
00:22:34As they were getting older, it's about pulling the family together.
00:22:37Great to be able to have the kids around.
00:22:39However, we've got nothing really permanent for them to use.
00:22:43It would be lovely to entertain out here.
00:22:45Now, you guys at the end are of a cul-de-sac, so it's a wedge-shaped block,
00:22:48so we've got plenty of room to play with here.
00:22:50I'm thinking of extending your entertaining space out, so a space for you guys,
00:22:54but also a communal area to get everyone together.
00:22:56I'm thinking a really big bench seat out of rammed earth, and then surrounded by lots of lovely plants.
00:23:01But, because there's quite a bit of construction in that bench seat, I'm going to have to call in Adam.
00:23:05Have you seen him around anywhere?
00:23:06I saw one out the front somewhere. Briefly, I think the grandkids were hanging off them.
00:23:10Hang on, I'm going to go fix this.
00:23:13Yeah, nice.
00:23:14What do you reckon, boys? A bit more water?
00:23:17Yeah, right, Noah, give it a scoop.
00:23:19Yeah, good. Good, good, sir.
00:23:21Oh, Charlie, we've got little Ollie here, Theo, Connor, they're the mixers.
00:23:26Noah's on the tap, out in the water.
00:23:28We're talking about, you know, the benefits of rammed earth and how we make it and create the structure.
00:23:33As much as I like seeing five children play with mud, this has nothing to do with rammed earth.
00:23:37You're making mud pies.
00:23:39Yeah, true, we are. Yeah.
00:23:40Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:41But it's fun.
00:23:42Yeah.
00:23:43Come on, Noah.
00:23:43I'll see you.
00:23:44Do you need my help?
00:23:46We're not finished yet, are we, guys?
00:23:48No, no, no.
00:23:49Do you want some water in there, boys?
00:23:50Yeah.
00:23:51Yeah, yeah, all right, go, let's do it.
00:23:53Nice.
00:23:55Now, the concept of rammed earth is actually quite an ancient one, but it is scientific as well.
00:23:59You can't just use garden soil because it's got organic matter in it.
00:24:02That'll break down and it will become unstable.
00:24:04So instead, I'm going to use deco granite.
00:24:06I'm going to stabilise it with cement.
00:24:08Before we get on to that, though, we're going to cover the area in road base so we've got a
00:24:11nice foundation and we're going about 50mm deep.
00:24:14Is that not right?
00:24:14Lucky for you, Charlie, I've come through with the goods.
00:24:17I've got my own wheelbarrow.
00:24:20Fantastic.
00:24:21The only problem is we know probably about another 10 barrows.
00:24:23Okay, you keep it coming, I will spread that out.
00:24:33You're not going to be able to keep up with it.
00:24:35I thought I got the easy job.
00:24:51Looking good, mate. Are we ready for the whacker?
00:24:54Well, it's a small area. I thought we'd just do it ourselves.
00:24:56Oh, you and I.
00:24:57Yeah, we could, you know, maybe do the nut bush.
00:25:00Yeah, well, the conga, if we're going to do that, we may as well get Scott and Missy involved and
00:25:04some of the team.
00:25:05Come on, guys!
00:25:07Why are you walking off, Charlie?
00:25:10Home for the hose way, mate. I'll be with you in a sec.
00:25:16Move those hips side to side. Charlie, you should be running this.
00:25:26Marvellous.
00:25:30So, ads.
00:25:31Yep.
00:25:31I'm thinking ramderf in this section.
00:25:34Thank you, gents.
00:25:35And then as we return, a nice timber bench seat.
00:25:38Yes.
00:25:38And I'll be able to utilise this formwork, these 100x100 treated pine posts.
00:25:42Yep.
00:25:42I'll use them as a seat and have a nice rustic look.
00:25:44Very nice indeed.
00:26:01Oh, Charlie.
00:26:02I've got your deco granite here.
00:26:04Um, wrong colour.
00:26:06Oh, really?
00:26:07No, that's fine.
00:26:08Oh, I was going to say, there's 20 shovels in there, mate.
00:26:10All right, so 20 shovels.
00:26:12We're doing a 10 to 1 mix.
00:26:14So, you can work out the cement.
00:26:1510 to 1.
00:26:17So, wait a minute.
00:26:18So, 10 plus 1.
00:26:20Yeah, do we work out so quick?
00:26:21Geez, you're smart.
00:26:22What are you doing in the box, mate?
00:26:23I'm drawing pretty little things on the inside.
00:26:25No, I thought, because we've got different colours, we do different layers.
00:26:28So, I'm just working some lines that we can build up to.
00:26:32Love me, I love you.
00:26:34It's crazy.
00:26:35It's stuck in my mind lately.
00:26:38When you're doing a moist mix like this,
00:26:39you just want to make sure that you mix it in dry first.
00:26:42Make sure that cement's nice and consistent all the way through the mix.
00:26:45And then we'll basically just spray it down, moisten it up,
00:26:48and flip it over one more time.
00:26:56Now, to take the hard edge off our bench seat,
00:26:58I'm just using a little bit of trim.
00:27:00It's going to give us a nice chamfer and an architectural detail.
00:27:19So, that is the earth part, and now you have to give it, obviously, a jolly good ramming.
00:27:23So, for that, I'm using a tamper.
00:27:25And you're going to do this in layers.
00:27:29And give it a really good whack.
00:27:36Now, on top of the brown, I'm going to be putting a little bit of a pink mix.
00:27:41All right.
00:27:41I've got the pink mix.
00:27:42You ready for it?
00:27:44Right on cue.
00:27:53Should have made a smaller box, Charlie.
00:27:55Yeah.
00:28:01Now, before Charlie and I get too carried away and fill this whole thing up,
00:28:04I've just got to add a little bit of form work in this corner.
00:28:08And what that will do is create a rebate.
00:28:10And this is where the timber seat will start.
00:28:12It will sit flush with our rammed earth and it will run out this way.
00:28:15It's going to look great, isn't it?
00:28:16It's going to look wonderful, isn't it?
00:28:18And to hold it in place, I'm just putting in a couple of screws.
00:28:21Come on, Charlie.
00:28:22Get it sorted.
00:28:23I was just letting you be informative.
00:28:35Oh, Charlie, this is a little bit exciting.
00:28:37It is, but we're going to have to wait a week before we take the form work off.
00:28:41Because it's so dense, I just want it to set properly.
00:28:44And, look, Scott and Missy have been really kind.
00:28:46They said I could sleep on the sofa.
00:28:48Oh.
00:28:48Yeah, and I said, I don't like to leave a man behind.
00:28:50So I've got you sorted.
00:28:52Me, yeah?
00:28:52Yeah, yeah.
00:28:52Thanks, mate.
00:28:54So what I was thinking, right, is this looks...
00:28:56What's going on here?
00:28:57You know, just a bit of extra weight on top of it
00:28:58just to make sure it all compacts down.
00:29:00You know, you have a nice place to sleep.
00:29:02You've got to be kidding me, mate.
00:29:04You've got to make me wait a week out here.
00:29:06You'll be all right.
00:29:07Well, I guess you're going to have to stick around
00:29:09and see what happens a little later.
00:29:12Unbelievable.
00:29:13This bloke.
00:29:14Is there a Harry here?
00:29:16There is a Harry, and we'd like you to come and have a look at him first.
00:29:19I'd better meet Harry.
00:29:22If you're looking for a project you can do this weekend
00:29:25and have a fabulous harbour, this is the one for you.
00:29:29If you like to garden as much as I do, check us out on 7 Plus.
00:29:33Where you can find all your favourite stories,
00:29:36plus tonnes of gardening how-tos, exclusive content and more.
00:29:56If you ask me, there is one thing that all successful gardens have in common, an authentic story to tell.
00:30:05Yes, they're sympathetic to their landscape.
00:30:08They're natural and organic.
00:30:09They're not contrived.
00:30:11You might say they're comfortable in their own skin.
00:30:14I walked across an empty land.
00:30:18I knew the pathway like the back of my hand.
00:30:24I felt the earth...
00:30:26Throw in a super tough, unforgiving climate, and that pretty much sums up Stone's Garden,
00:30:32here in the gold rush country of central Victoria.
00:30:36Now, I've been given a special invite to come and have a look.
00:30:40And it's like stepping into a storybook.
00:30:49There are several stunning specimen trees that make up the real backbone of the original garden.
00:30:55But they create the sort of the calmness, the serenity that exists in this garden at this time of the
00:31:02year.
00:31:06The pistachio, look at the colours, the claret ash is just stunning.
00:31:10You know, I even love the yellow bark of the golden ash with its big fat black buds.
00:31:17Even the miscanthus grasses, I think they look better at this time of the year.
00:31:21But you know, you can't beat those golden gleaming sentinels of yellow of the Italian populous.
00:31:31This is a really brutal climate.
00:31:34In summer, blistering dry heat.
00:31:37In winter, down to minus seven for weeks and weeks on end and lots of frost.
00:31:41So the plants have to be super tough.
00:31:44Under the shade of these beautiful golden gladysia, this is sunburst,
00:31:48are these fabulous plants like the tucrium, which they've clipped into formal balls all the way around.
00:31:54You've got an exclamation here of a dark green, fabulous Italian cypress.
00:31:59Just around the corner, they've gone for silver.
00:32:01A lot of it, in fact, because it's the cotyledon.
00:32:05It's a succulent that just loves the shade and will also take full, full sun.
00:32:10Next to it, there's a spillover rosemary.
00:32:12Lots of flowers, means lots of bees.
00:32:15And right next door is the absinthe, fabulous little plant, sometimes known as wormwood.
00:32:21They all just sort of blend in together to create a great deal of harmony.
00:32:37Talking of autumn colour, will you look at this climber?
00:32:40This is ornamental grape. Isn't it stunning?
00:32:42If you're looking for a really intense colour,
00:32:44it's Alicom Boucher is the variety that you should try and look for.
00:32:47But ordinary vitis will give you this wonderful colour.
00:32:51As the nights get colder, the colour is going to become more and more intense.
00:32:58But it's the structure that I love here.
00:33:01This is the simplest arbour I think I've ever seen.
00:33:04It's made from willow stems.
00:33:07These big posts in here give it some structure and strength,
00:33:09but it's the arbour and the shape that gives it its real charm.
00:33:25Grant and Jeremy, people in Melbourne will know you from your vintage clothing store shag in town.
00:33:32But out here, why? Why have you escaped out here?
00:33:35We just needed somewhere quiet to come to.
00:33:39Yeah.
00:33:39The climate is so tough, it's like learning a new language.
00:33:42Yeah, definitely.
00:33:43There's lots of lessons to learn along the way
00:33:46and we just had to listen to what the environment was telling us really.
00:33:58There's a lot of history here as well, gold mining history.
00:34:01Yes, yes there is.
00:34:03In the 1850s it was a hive of activity here.
00:34:06Really?
00:34:06There was 5,000 plus miners down on the river flats just behind us here.
00:34:12The back paddock there was like they were digging for gold like you wouldn't believe.
00:34:18The Stables is a beautiful building, isn't it?
00:34:21The Stables is the first building here.
00:34:22Really? Oh, right.
00:34:24It's got the original wattle and daub fronts on it
00:34:26and everything is really well preserved inside.
00:34:34Who's the wall builder out of the two of you?
00:34:36Because you've got some beautiful walls.
00:34:38The construction is really stunning.
00:34:40Jeremy tends to do a lot of that.
00:34:42I gather the rocks.
00:34:43Oh, a rock gatherer.
00:34:45I'm a bit of a gatherer.
00:34:46Jeremy likes to assemble the wall.
00:34:49We've really looked at the sort of the walls that have already been here.
00:34:53Yes.
00:34:55And Grant, you've actually been doing the restoration of much of the building,
00:34:59especially the barn.
00:35:00Yeah, I've spent a lot of time over the lockdown period
00:35:03doing all the repointing and using traditional lime render
00:35:08and all of that sort of stuff.
00:35:10Right.
00:35:10So, yeah, it's been...
00:35:11You've enjoyed that.
00:35:12An enjoyable thing, yeah.
00:35:21I guess when you're in the city, this gardening is often seen as hard work.
00:35:25Well, I find relaxation and meditation in the process of gardening.
00:35:30I'm certainly not one for lounging around doing nothing.
00:35:33Yeah, it keeps you moving, gets you up and gets you going each day, you know,
00:35:37and as you get older, it's always a good thing.
00:35:40It's just such a beautiful place.
00:35:43It's very relaxing and I can see why you keep coming back here.
00:35:48Thank you guys for sharing it with us today.
00:35:50No, you're very welcome.
00:35:50It's just been a real joy.
00:35:52Thank you very much.
00:35:52We're happy to meet you.
00:35:53Cheers.
00:36:01And now for the fun part, all the styling elements.
00:36:06Are they here as pets or...?
00:36:09They're all pets.
00:36:10All pets?
00:36:11They're all pets.
00:36:11And their purpose is to make our paddocks look good.
00:36:14This month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine
00:36:17is all about celebrating colour.
00:36:19Whether your garden's overflowing with tomatoes
00:36:21or you're getting great value on them
00:36:24because they're in season at the shops,
00:36:25check out these recipes to make the most of this summer stunner.
00:36:29Then cool down with the best icy poles and ice creams
00:36:32using fresh, seasonal fruit and flavours the whole family will love.
00:36:37Grab your issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine right now
00:36:40and get your bonus cookbook of 36 easy recipes
00:36:43so that you can master no-sweat summer cooking.
00:36:51We are giving this old kitchen a new lease of life
00:36:55using colour and some key changes to the layout.
00:36:58We're painting the cabinet doors
00:37:00and I'm using the same renovation range on the tiles.
00:37:03The process is exactly the same.
00:37:06I've cleaned, primed and applied a white top coat to these,
00:37:09but before I apply the clear coat,
00:37:12I am going to take these tiles to the next level.
00:37:15I absolutely love these traditional ceramic jugs
00:37:18that the homeowner had.
00:37:19So I've been inspired by those
00:37:21to create some stripes in these beautiful blues on the tiles,
00:37:24adding a little bit of extra detail.
00:37:27Now I have made some stencils just using some clear folders
00:37:31and I've cut sections out
00:37:33and had a little bit of a play around with different tones
00:37:37to tie in all the different blues in the room.
00:37:40Now there are no hard and fast rules with this.
00:37:43You can be as creative as you like,
00:37:45but I would say you should start with a plan.
00:37:48So what I've done is worked out exactly where each stencil is going to go
00:37:52so that I end up with a random pattern.
00:38:12Now, time for the big reveal on the first one.
00:38:23It does really have that gorgeous hand-painted feel
00:38:26and I am going to leave some of the tiles blank to get that negative space.
00:38:30But now, onto the next one.
00:38:44The cabinets in here were all in great working order,
00:38:48but the benchtops were not.
00:38:49So we've placed these off-the-shelf pine panels
00:38:53over the top of the old benchtops,
00:38:55which raises it to the right height before they were too low.
00:38:58The warmth of the timber works beautifully with the new paint
00:39:01and by putting the new panels in,
00:39:03it means that we can extend the benchtop the whole way across this wall,
00:39:07which gives us extra bench space, but also extra storage space underneath.
00:39:10Perfection.
00:39:17Perfection.
00:39:26Perfection.
00:39:34Perfection.
00:39:36Perfection.
00:39:37Adding in a dado rail in between two colors like this,
00:39:40adds so much character and style to a room.
00:39:43And I've chosen a shade that is double strength,
00:39:46the blue on the lower half of the wall to add even more definition.
00:39:50The great thing about this too is that if you're a DIYer
00:39:53and your line isn't perfectly straight, well, this will hide it.
00:39:56Why do my realities take over all my dreams?
00:40:00Why does all the purest love get filtered through machines?
00:40:04Give me something good that's even better than it seems.
00:40:08Why does all the purest love get filtered through machines?
00:40:12I put going on, do my thing.
00:40:19오, 잤is good.
00:40:21Just give it time, just give it time.
00:40:25Good.
00:40:26Be your friend.
00:40:30Flightens right out, get my line.
00:40:34Are you kidding me already?
00:40:37Get away.
00:40:49Wow, it is hard to believe that this is the same kitchen that we started with, but it
00:40:54just goes to show that by changing up a couple of things, the colour and a few minor modifications
00:41:00to the layout, it's had an enormous impact.
00:41:02It feels literally double the size.
00:41:06My favourite thing though is this colour and it's a great trick in design to start with
00:41:11just one colour and then play around with strengths, it will give you great visual impact.
00:41:16By moving the fridge as well, tiny change to the layout, it has made an enormous difference
00:41:22because it feels so much more streamlined and is much more practical to access now too.
00:41:43We have created so much extra storage and bench space just by extending the countertop all the
00:41:50way to this wall and underneath I've got a couple of these trolleys which will be great
00:41:55for storage and because they're on wheels it means they can be put anywhere.
00:41:59While we're talking space saving, I absolutely love this plate holder on the wall.
00:42:04It adds so much character to the room and it's also really practical because it means these
00:42:08plates and other bits and pieces can be stored here rather than inside cabinets and being
00:42:13positioned right above the dishwasher means unloading it is going to be an absolute breeze.
00:42:27And let's not forget the styling because that is what brings it all together, it is the icing
00:42:31on the cake.
00:42:32I've introduced lots of warm tones in here to balance out those blues and don't be afraid
00:42:37to do that if you're working with cool colours.
00:42:39I've used some terracotta pots with herbs and plants and then beautiful accessories using
00:42:45rattan which really brings out those warm tones I was talking about.
00:42:57Now you may be inspired by some or all of these ideas but I think the main takeaway we've shown
00:43:04is how a few simple changes like colour and layout has meant we did not have to hit that
00:43:09detonate button.
00:43:10We've camouflaged the old with the new into a beautiful, cohesive kitchen.
00:43:16I don't want to leave.
00:43:23What a beautiful property this is, Irish Lodge, 93 acres set in the hinterland behind the central
00:43:29coast.
00:43:29It belongs to Sean and Sharon.
00:43:31It was originally, believe it or not, a dairy farm, then a horse property and now, well,
00:43:36they bought it so they could both ride horses.
00:43:39The problem is they got a few other animals as well and the numbers have sort of increased
00:43:46quite a bit.
00:43:47I'll show you what I mean.
00:44:00Good morning Sean, Saren, how are you both?
00:44:03Good morning.
00:44:03Good morning Dr Harry.
00:44:04Great.
00:44:05How's it?
00:44:05Alpacas.
00:44:06Alpacas.
00:44:07With a S on the end of it.
00:44:10How many?
00:44:11120.
00:44:13120 alpacas.
00:44:14120 alpacas.
00:44:14120 alpacas.
00:44:16Right.
00:44:16We'd cheaper to get a lawnmower.
00:44:18Wow.
00:44:18That's a lot of animals isn't it?
00:44:21Yes it is.
00:44:21How come 120 alpacas?
00:44:24Because surely you didn't start with 120.
00:44:26No, we started with two.
00:44:28Are they here as pets or?
00:44:31All pets.
00:44:32All pets.
00:44:33They're all pets.
00:44:33And their purpose is it makes our paddocks look good.
00:44:39But hang on a minute.
00:44:40You bought this place originally for a couple of horses.
00:44:43We did.
00:44:44We did.
00:44:45But there was too much grass for two horses.
00:44:47You can say that again.
00:44:48Yes.
00:44:49On 90 odd acres.
00:44:50Yes.
00:44:50And so we wanted sheep and we sort of thought sheep are good because
00:44:54once again they eat a few weeds and bits and pieces like that.
00:44:57Yes I can see them over there.
00:44:58Yeah.
00:44:59And so we had a half a dozen sheep and a ram and then we ended up getting
00:45:06Bobby and Lucas and they did nothing but chase the sheep up and down the laneway.
00:45:11Who was Bobby and Lucas?
00:45:12Who were they?
00:45:12Bobby and Lucas are our first two alpacas.
00:45:14Oh right.
00:45:14So what is there about an alpaca that's so endearing to you?
00:45:17It's their personality.
00:45:18They're inquisitive.
00:45:19They're just a fabulous animal to be around.
00:45:22We've got flowers as well.
00:45:23Note that and we'll talk about the difference between the two later on.
00:45:25The sheep have done pretty well too.
00:45:27How many sheep?
00:45:28About 75.
00:45:31And we've got cows.
00:45:31And a couple of horses.
00:45:32You've got cows as well.
00:45:33Yeah.
00:45:3437, 38.
00:45:36You've got chickens as well?
00:45:37Yes we have about 60 odd chooks.
00:45:39So we do all the fresh eggs and yeah.
00:45:42Total the number of animals here, it must be well over 300.
00:45:46So you've got names for all of these?
00:45:48Over 50 here have names and I know I'm all by, the ones that haven't got names
00:45:51I know I'm all by sight and all by personality.
00:45:53Now I worry to ask you about Harry because you told me all the males in there were neutered.
00:45:58Yeah.
00:45:59So I have to admit, is there a Harry here?
00:46:01There is a Harry and we'd like you to come and have a look at him first.
00:46:04I'd better meet Harry.
00:46:14Now we've got two alpacas in here.
00:46:16So who's this?
00:46:18That is Harry.
00:46:19What we're going to do is we're going to give these guys a drench.
00:46:21That doesn't mean we're going to put a shower over the top of them and make them wringing
00:46:24wet.
00:46:24No.
00:46:25Drenching is dosing them with something.
00:46:27And this is a drenching gun and we're going to drench them for worms.
00:46:31We can drench them for lots of other things, give them vitamins, minerals, all that sort
00:46:34of stuff.
00:46:34So away you go.
00:46:35Okay.
00:46:36I'll stand back.
00:46:37Okay.
00:46:37We got it, we got it, we got it.
00:46:39Okay.
00:46:41So in the mouth, down to one side and down the throat.
00:46:44The top jaw is just a really hard pad.
00:46:47It's called the dental pad.
00:46:48The back teeth, fairly normal.
00:46:50They have three stomachs and if you look at their feet, they've got two soft pads on each
00:46:55foot with a toe at the front of each one.
00:46:58That's what makes them different.
00:47:06People want to know what the difference is between a llama and an alpaca.
00:47:10Well, the simple answer is that a llama is so much bigger and an alpaca is a lot smaller.
00:47:16So this guy is a really proud llama.
00:47:18But a regal looking animal, big ears, long neck, very proud head.
00:47:22The Incas domesticated both of these.
00:47:24They domesticated the llama as a beast of burden.
00:47:28So these are very strong physical animal capable of carrying what are a set of saddle packs,
00:47:32means of transportation from one point to another.
00:47:35On the other hand, the little alpacas were bred almost entirely for their fleece,
00:47:40but also for milk and meat.
00:47:42So two entirely different animals, only half the size of the llama.
00:47:46Are they as smart as a llama?
00:47:47No, I don't think they are.
00:47:49Are they more cute and cuddly?
00:47:50Yes, definitely.
00:47:52Coming up, see how Sean and Sharon are sharing their love of these cute and cuddly alpacas.
00:48:01For Adam and Charlie, their patience is paying off as they finish the entertaining area.
00:48:07I'm loving these layers, just the curve.
00:48:10Yeah, it looks good, doesn't it?
00:48:11The whole thing looks fantastic.
00:48:12Right.
00:48:13And Dr Harry's got something for us to chew on.
00:48:17When I heard that there were 300 plus individual animals on this property over here,
00:48:21I wonder, how do you feed them all?
00:48:30They say patience is a virtue.
00:48:32And last week, Adam and I constructed a rammed earth bench for Scott and Missy.
00:48:36It's almost time for the big reveal, so let's wake up the big fella.
00:48:40Oh!
00:48:41Hey, mate.
00:48:42What are you...
00:48:43How's the bench?
00:48:44Oh, gosh.
00:48:45Oh, my gosh.
00:48:46What a horrible week.
00:48:48It's been great inside.
00:48:49Nah, it rained last night.
00:48:50There's been weird noises.
00:48:51Do you get bears around here?
00:48:52You'll get the occasional grizzly.
00:48:54Yeah, and the drop bears.
00:48:55I haven't had much sleep.
00:48:56Have you?
00:48:57Nah, I'm not going to lie.
00:48:58Well, shall we get on to the big reveal?
00:48:59Alright.
00:49:00Let's do it.
00:49:01Let me just have a stretch first.
00:49:02Oh!
00:49:05I'm ready.
00:49:05I'm ready.
00:49:06Alright.
00:49:07Let me pack up the bed.
00:49:10There you go.
00:49:12Oh, looking good, Ads.
00:49:13It is.
00:49:14At least there isn't an outline of my body in there.
00:49:15Yeah, that's true.
00:49:16No.
00:49:17You whacked it good, yeah?
00:49:18Alright.
00:49:19Let's take it off.
00:49:19Let's get this apart.
00:49:25Oh, it's getting exciting.
00:49:30Oh, look.
00:49:31Oh.
00:49:33Looks amazing.
00:49:34Yo, beauty.
00:49:36Look at that.
00:49:38That's gorgeous, mate.
00:49:40You happy with it?
00:49:41I am.
00:49:43And it's set.
00:49:44Yeah, but it hasn't.
00:49:45Whoa.
00:49:46No.
00:49:47It's good.
00:49:47Awesome.
00:49:48Hey, good start.
00:49:49Cool.
00:49:49Right.
00:49:52Well, I tell you what, mate.
00:49:53I reckon I'll leave you to finish the landscaping and stripping the formwork.
00:49:57Yep.
00:49:58And I'm going to start making the timber return, yeah?
00:50:00Yeah, nice.
00:50:00Awesome.
00:50:01That looks fantastic.
00:50:05And for that, I'm going to utilise some of the leftover formwork.
00:50:08So I'm going to be using this 100 by 100 treated pine, and basically this seat is going
00:50:12to be three posts wide.
00:50:14I'm going to finish it off on the outside with these treated pine half rounds.
00:50:18Now, the idea is it's going to come off our rammed earth seat and then waterfall down
00:50:23to the ground.
00:50:24The first thing I need to do, mate, is cut all these to size.
00:50:41Now, with everything cut, I'm just going to go across and chamfer the edges.
00:50:50Bench obviously works.
00:50:51It's holding my weight quite well.
00:50:53Yeah.
00:50:53I'm just using a bit of sandpaper just to take all the real crisp edges off.
00:50:56I think, one, it looks better, but two, it's going to be more comfortable when you're
00:51:00sitting down.
00:51:00So we've got the timber bench going out that way, and the next step is to put in some stepping
00:51:04stones before we get on to planting.
00:51:05Okay.
00:51:06Do you want to get on to mixing some mud?
00:51:07I'll finish this, and then we'll get going.
00:51:09No problem, let's go.
00:51:16Aha, thank you.
00:51:22So it's got to take in just some diamond sawn sandstone slabs, chop them up a bit.
00:51:27Use a scutch hammer to rough up the edges, and I'm just using some off cuts just to smooth
00:51:31them off.
00:51:32That way it all ties in with our bench nicely.
00:51:34Great.
00:51:35This is the layout, so we've got a bit of a pathway to get to the seat.
00:51:38So I'll lift this if you could get some mud under there.
00:51:43Scott, have you ever done any paving, bricklaying, concrete?
00:51:46I have, yes.
00:51:46You have?
00:51:47Yeah, I've done a few little paving jobs around the home.
00:51:49Yes, I can tell.
00:51:50It's a good mix.
00:51:51Yeah, great mix.
00:51:51Do you mind passing me the sponge?
00:51:52No problem.
00:51:53So I'm going to wet down the back of these pavers.
00:51:56Then that way, the stone, because it's so porous, it would normally suck all the moisture
00:52:00out of this.
00:52:00So if you wet up the back of the stone, it's going to make sure this lasts for a lot
00:52:03longer.
00:52:04Not a good idea.
00:52:14With all the timber dress, we can look at how I'm going to hold all this together.
00:52:17And for that, I'm using some 16mm threaded rod.
00:52:20The top piece, we'll have three of them going through.
00:52:22And then on return, I'll have one.
00:52:30For the waterfall then, we're creating basically a dovetail join.
00:52:33So it's going to look really smart.
00:52:41The same colour we've gone with is Jarrah.
00:52:43I'm just using some Aqua Deck.
00:52:45I'll give it two coats, and then I'm done.
00:52:55So Scott, with the garden bed, what I was wanting to do is create a bit of a buffer between
00:52:59the
00:53:00two houses, but so it still feels accessible.
00:53:02And the colours I've gone for, because we've got a really muted, rustic-feeling bench,
00:53:06I've gone for the natives.
00:53:08We've got Westringer at the back, which I think would be nice, kept quite clipped, if you could.
00:53:11Yep.
00:53:11But then some softer stuff like the grasses and the Brachycomb that are really going to spill
00:53:15out into this area.
00:53:16So I don't want a straight-line garden bed when it's all said and done.
00:53:19Once it's grown in a bit, I want it to come over and sort of make it feel quite natural.
00:53:22Yep.
00:53:36How are we looking?
00:53:37We are looking very good.
00:53:39Good as that.
00:53:45What do you think, Charlie?
00:53:46I like it a lot.
00:53:48Yes.
00:53:53Charlie, please compliment me.
00:53:55It's nice.
00:53:56I like the way it's snug.
00:53:56Yeah.
00:53:57It is a perfect fit.
00:53:59But I tell you what, because I'm such a gentleman, I'll help you put down this deco-granate, yeah?
00:54:03Aw, you're too kind.
00:54:08Thank you, Adam.
00:54:09No worries.
00:54:10Wonderfully transported.
00:54:11We'll try and keep this towards this side, because this has got cement in it, and the stuff
00:54:14through there won't have cement, so it'll be able to drain through quicker for the plants.
00:54:27I don't want to interrupt, guys.
00:54:28I know we're all professionals around here, but I think we've forgotten to put mulch in
00:54:31the garden.
00:54:32Is there something happening?
00:54:33We're using the deco as a mulch.
00:54:35Ah, there you go.
00:54:36But all you want to do is keep it away from the base of the plant, because it could rot
00:54:39that plant out.
00:54:40Ah, okay.
00:54:41Good tip.
00:54:42Make your grass look like a troll.
00:54:43That does look like poppy.
00:54:44It's just not pink.
00:55:06It's beautiful, isn't it?
00:55:07It is.
00:55:08Your bench is wonderful.
00:55:09I was talking about the rammed earth.
00:55:11I love it.
00:55:12Just the flow.
00:55:12Yeah, it is a good little spotless, isn't it?
00:55:15That's awesome.
00:55:15Ah, Scott Missy, how are you?
00:55:17Well, well.
00:55:17Yeah, what do you think it's all done and dusted?
00:55:20Fantastic.
00:55:20Love it.
00:55:21Great result, great result.
00:55:22Great addition to the deck area.
00:55:24It is.
00:55:24Absolutely.
00:55:25And obviously from inside the house, you can look out at this beautiful new view.
00:55:29You can come out and enjoy it, but the best part, you've obviously got the family
00:55:32so close, you can invite them over.
00:55:33Exactly, yep.
00:55:34We've got family here, we've got family up the road.
00:55:36Yeah.
00:55:36It's great.
00:55:37Ah, here they are now.
00:55:39Hey, kids.
00:55:39What do we think?
00:55:40Looks great.
00:55:41A little bit different?
00:55:42Yes.
00:55:43Yes.
00:55:43Yeah?
00:55:44Can you imagine yourself using this space with Nan and Pop?
00:55:47Yeah.
00:55:47The thing I like about it though, boys, is there's still plenty of room to kick a footy
00:55:50around.
00:55:50Agree?
00:55:51Yes.
00:55:51Nice.
00:55:52They're already off into it.
00:56:02You want to meet cows?
00:56:03Want to meet horses?
00:56:04Want to meet alpacas?
00:56:05Want to meet lars?
00:56:06This is the place to come.
00:56:10This issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine is all about celebrating the power of colour.
00:56:15Check out vibrant florals that can bring joy to your garden, no matter its size.
00:56:20And plants that can brighten up even the darkest, shadiest corners.
00:56:24Plus, it's absolutely the season of home grown tomatoes.
00:56:27Find my tips to making them thrive and when it comes to harvest, ensure they're full of flavour.
00:56:32Find delicious recipes to put your fresh pick to good use.
00:56:36This month's magazine features a bonus 36 page booklet full of quick and easy recipes
00:56:41for simple and light summer cooking.
00:56:51I've been visiting Iris Lodge Farm on the New South Wales Central Coast, where Sean and
00:56:55his wife Sharon are outnumbered by their family of 120 alpacas and a host of other animals as
00:57:02well.
00:57:04When I heard that there were 300 plus individual animals on this property, I began to wonder,
00:57:10how do you feed them all?
00:57:12You must continually put your hand in your pocket.
00:57:14You'd be wondering the same thing, right?
00:57:16And Sean has a good business background.
00:57:18So what they decided to do was this, why not invite the public in to the property?
00:57:24Make this a business enterprise and share their love of animals with people who have
00:57:30the same sort of affinity.
00:57:32And of course, what's the number one choice for everybody?
00:57:35You got it, alpacas.
00:57:52I said earlier when we were talking, right, that to hand feed all these animals must cost
00:57:57a lot of money.
00:57:58Where does the money come from?
00:57:59Where did you get the idea of tours?
00:58:01Look, as you're saying, it's costing me a fortune to do this.
00:58:04So we thought we'd open up the farm to visitors and guests and show them what alpacas and
00:58:09llamas are like.
00:58:09But also show them what you'll get if you're kind and friendly with animals and show them
00:58:13respect and you get it back in spades.
00:58:16How long will they spend on the tour, mate?
00:58:18I'll spend doing this one as an hour, just for our meet and greet.
00:58:21Yep.
00:58:21Or if you do our breakfast experience, you get up close and personal with our llamas where
00:58:25you get to feed them carrots.
00:58:27Yeah.
00:58:27You'll meet our wilty pole sheep.
00:58:29Yeah.
00:58:29Hand feed them.
00:58:30Right.
00:58:30You'll meet our Angus cows.
00:58:31Right.
00:58:32And once again, you'll hand feed them.
00:58:33Then you'll come and spend time with this.
00:58:34Then we'll feed you.
00:58:35So, who comes?
00:58:38Local people from Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast.
00:58:41Yeah.
00:58:41We get a lot of people from Southeast Asia.
00:58:44Really?
00:58:44Yep.
00:58:45Singapore.
00:58:45Yeah.
00:58:46Malaysia, Indonesia, and now we've got a lot of people from China.
00:58:48Right.
00:58:49And Hong Kong.
00:58:50Okay.
00:58:51We get lots of disability groups everywhere from Camden and up the Cessna.
00:59:02So, what's the big appeal about an alpaca for you?
00:59:05What do you like about it so much?
00:59:06It's not your everyday animal that you get to see every time.
00:59:10They're friendly.
00:59:12They're just beautiful.
00:59:14Beautiful animals.
00:59:15They are a lovely animal, aren't they?
00:59:16They are.
00:59:22Can I ask you what tribe support means?
00:59:24So, we're a tribe disability support company.
00:59:26So, we are support workers who support the disabled on the Central Coast.
00:59:29Isn't that fantastic?
00:59:30Yeah, it is.
00:59:31So, what was the big appeal in coming here?
00:59:33What did you want to do?
00:59:35Well, we find that disabled people, often, it's not accessible for them to interact with
00:59:39animals safely and they love animals.
00:59:41Animals are such a great form of therapy for them.
00:59:44So, as soon as I found this place, it's accessible, it's safe, signed right up and we came straight away.
00:59:49And we've loved it.
00:59:50We've had a few visits now and it's one of our favourite activities.
00:59:52You've been back a few times.
00:59:53Yeah.
00:59:54Absolutely.
00:59:55How could you not?
00:59:56So, what's your favourite?
00:59:57I mean, do you really like the alpacas or do you like the cattle or do you like the sheep
00:59:59or what do you like?
01:00:00It's been the alpacas, I think.
01:00:02Yeah, absolutely.
01:00:03The little spits seem to be a favourite memory for everyone.
01:00:06Okay.
01:00:06Yeah, and I think they've got a special place for everybody because they're cute and they're
01:00:09cuddly.
01:00:13I came here and I'm blown away by the way in which you keep this place so neat and tidy.
01:00:19It looks lovely.
01:00:20It's a credit to you.
01:00:22It's a tremendous amount of work but you see a reward yourself, not financially, but internally
01:00:30when you see people coming and enjoying your animals.
01:00:34And the smiles they live with.
01:00:35Exactly right.
01:00:36And the feedback we get is just so nice.
01:00:38And for me, that's the big plus in having something like this where you can share what
01:00:43you love with other people.
01:00:45And that's why we really enjoy it.
01:00:46That's why we do it too.
01:00:47And hats off to you and your wife.
01:00:50Thanks.
01:00:51Great work.
01:00:51Well done and well worth a visit.
01:01:03Ah, the old floating shelf.
01:01:04It should be called the wobbly shelf.
01:01:06I mean, most of them are hanging halfway off the wall like this one.
01:01:09I wouldn't feel safe sleeping in this bed.
01:01:11You'd think you'd wake up with a book on your head.
01:01:12So let's take all this off and see what the problem is.
01:01:31So we can see here what the problem is, is they've used these wall mates.
01:01:35This one's hanging halfway out the wall.
01:01:37It's not even grabbed onto anything.
01:01:38So we should be using hollow walls in here, which they have got a couple of them, but
01:01:42not enough, but also they didn't have a screw in the stud.
01:01:46If we knock, we definitely have a stud around here.
01:01:49So we need to try and get a fixing into that too.
01:01:51Now, because there's so many different kinds of fixings in here, I could drill these existing
01:01:56hollow walls out, but instead I'm just going to shift the bracket over a bit.
01:02:00So I know my stud's here.
01:02:02I'm going to mark that and we'll definitely pick up on the stud.
01:02:05And then because I've got so many other holes to choose from, I'll just use them to get
01:02:10the hollow wall anchors in.
01:02:28Let's go!
01:02:35Let's go!
01:02:36Woo!
01:02:36I tell you what, I reckon I could hang off that, it's not going anywhere.
01:02:40Let's put it back together.
01:02:57Oh, that is so much better.
01:02:59That shelf is not going anywhere.
01:03:02Well, that's it for tonight.
01:03:03Not long to go now until we are actually back with our 33rd season,
01:03:07our 32nd year on air,
01:03:09something that we are so incredibly proud of.
01:03:11Until then, I hope you can join me next Friday
01:03:13for more of a Better Homes and Gardens summer series.
01:03:19Next time, getting your work-life balance right can be difficult,
01:03:24but this place has got it right.
01:03:26You could say that this is an ongoing experiment
01:03:29for flexible living and working.
01:03:32Dr Harry helps a bird who looks cute but isn't quite so cuddly.
01:03:37He is enormous.
01:03:39And he has a reputation for not being all that happy.
01:03:43Side passages are often the forgotten spot in our gardens.
01:03:47Adam and Charlie will show you how to make it memorable.
01:03:50Why not introduce some plants and a bench seat,
01:03:52a lovely spot to sit and unwind.
01:03:55Who doesn't love succulents?
01:03:57They're hard-wearing and very low-maintenance.
01:04:00So let's go shopping.
01:04:02It's like being a kid in a candy store.
01:04:06Plus, how about a beef stir-fry so good
01:04:09you might forget your manners?
01:04:11It should be more ladylike, but I can't help it.
01:04:15Juliet heads to the coast
01:04:17to see how nature and art are being stitched together.
01:04:21Embroidery has been around for tens of thousands of years,
01:04:24but I am about to meet an artist
01:04:25who's giving it a very modern twist.
01:04:29And Colin's turning up the heat on your summer menu.
01:04:33It's so hot, I need to cool down.
01:04:36That's next time
01:04:37on Better Homes and Gardens.
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