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00:05One of the wonderful things about the beautiful country that we live in is we really do get to
00:10enjoy the great outdoors and fabulous produce like this incredible bounty that surrounds me.
00:15This is the Henley Community Garden. I love this place. I hope you've been able to love
00:20your weekend so far as well and you can now sit back, relax and enjoy this freshly squeezed
00:24episode of Better Homes and Gardens. Tonight Adam's visiting a home built on love and quality
00:32workmanship. And there's no better cause than doing it for the kids. Don't let your leftovers
00:39feel left out. I am doing a chicken and vegetable pasty. Are you looking to upgrade your indoor
00:47plant display? I've got a really unique way of growing them. Just add water. There are times
00:54when going down the rabbit hole is a good thing. Like when you're making cute Easter crafts.
00:59And I don't know what you think but I reckon that would be the perfect spot for the Easter
01:03bunny to hide an egg. And with two dogs, a cat, fish, a water dragon and Charlie and Juliet
01:11in the mix, this home is a real zoo. I'd have a herd of giraffes if I could.
01:20As a builder, I always feel extra pride when I get to show you around a home that a lot
01:25of hard yakka and love has built. That's right. This year's Good Friday Appeal home is here
01:31in Tarnit, Victoria. And the results from the volunteer tradies and suppliers is absolutely
01:38mind-blowing. And there's no better cause than doing it for the kids.
01:51Darcy, how are you, mate? Good, Adam. How are you? Very good. You must be getting excited
01:55because, what, the auction's around two weeks away and you have done it again.
01:59That's right. This is Henley's 34th year in donating a house to the Good Friday Appeal.
02:05Villa Wood's 17 years for donating the land as well. Yep.
02:08And it's nearly up to $21.5 million of money raised.
02:12Absolutely remarkable. And all that money is going straight to the Royal Children's Hospital
02:17here in Melbourne. Such a great cause. Now, you're the site supervisor, is that correct?
02:22Yes, that's right. Talk to me about this beautiful facade. It looks remarkable.
02:26It's very, very great. It's the Munro facade. It's a new line we have with the curves and
02:31the timber battens as well. And for the prospective buyers out there, what can they get?
02:35So, it's a double-storey, five-bedroom home, three-bathroom, double-car garage,
02:41seven-star energy rating, and just great open-plan living.
02:44It's got everything covered. Let's go check it out. Let's go.
02:58Darcy, what a space this is. It's open. It's bright. It's light. It's everything you want.
03:04Absolutely. It's a great area. It's the hub of the home.
03:08Yeah, you've absolutely nailed it. And what about this void? I mean, it just keeps going up and up
03:12over this beautiful dining table. Absolutely. It brings in some great natural light.
03:17It opens the space up. And with the dining room table, everything else is included,
03:21all the furniture and everything, so it's move-in ready. Just move in. You can't go wrong.
03:26I'll tell you what, I want to have a closer look at this kitchen. Perfect.
03:30I'm already starting to sense the theme in this house. I mean, we saw it out the front,
03:33and now in this kitchen, there are beautiful curves that just go right through.
03:38With the overhead cabinets, the tiles, the furniture, the mirrors,
03:42everything really hones in on that front facade and the curves that's come through.
03:47Yeah, it just flows so well. And what about the design of this kitchen?
03:50I mean, it is so high-end. You've got these beautiful stone benchtops,
03:54great appliances. You've got the butler's pantry, heaps of storage.
03:57But that is not all that is on this ground floor.
03:59That's right. We've got a private guest suite with its private ensuite, private walk-in robe,
04:05mud room, large laundry. It's really great.
04:07But that is not all. I mean, if you want to have movie night on a Friday night,
04:11well, you've got that covered too, don't you?
04:12That's right.
04:12You've got a home theatre out the front. That's perfect.
04:15I want to keep looking. This is amazing.
04:27And look at this. Another living area. I mean, this house just keeps going and going, doesn't it?
04:32Yes. Yes, Adam, it does. Beautiful leisure room up here.
04:35Three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a beautiful main bedroom.
04:39Wow, that is perfect. Let's check out the main.
04:52Absolutely gorgeous. You know what I love?
04:54That brightness that continues from downstairs to up in this main bedroom as well.
04:58It's absolutely massive. You've got the walk-in robe.
05:01But I've got to say, this has to be the biggest ensuite I think I've ever seen.
05:05It is huge.
05:06It is. It's got a great free-standing bath, a very large walk-in shower,
05:10and a double vanity as well.
05:12Now, talk to me more about this build.
05:14Obviously, it's not your standard build.
05:16There's a lot of love that goes into this.
05:18How did it go for you with the, you know, the tradies and the suppliers?
05:21Oh, it was really great. Everybody's on board with it every year.
05:25They come in, they donate everything for free, their time, materials,
05:29absolutely everything. It's just so special.
05:32And is this the first Good Friday appeal home that you've been a part of?
05:36Yeah, it was. This is the first year I've been a part of it,
05:38and it's just really special.
05:39Whenever I came to site, everybody's, you know, got smiles on their faces,
05:43really happy and really, really excited about the build.
05:46Well, well done, mate. I tell you what, this build is absolutely spectacular.
05:49You've done a great job.
06:01Oh, hello, Kate, Colin.
06:03Hi, how are you?
06:04Thank you for coming out.
06:05Looks like there's a party going on out here.
06:07You've got your hands full. Who do we have here?
06:09So we've got Jack, Tilly and Zoe.
06:12Oh, hello, guys.
06:13You having fun down there, Jack?
06:15Hey, that's looking good.
06:17Now, I've got to say, families like yours,
06:19I mean, it's what the Good Friday appeal is all about,
06:22because unfortunately Jack did have a hard start to life.
06:25Yeah, so when I was 29 weeks pregnant, we went off for an ultrasound
06:29and they found a tumour on Jack's arm.
06:31They weren't really sure what it was,
06:33so they engaged the help of the Royal Children's Specialists there
06:37to inform the obstetricians as to how to deliver this baby safely,
06:41what the possible diagnosis were and how to manage it going on from there.
06:45So we sort of thought that was the end of it all
06:48and when he was two days old, a paediatrician came to us and said,
06:52we think he's got a condition called craniosynostosis,
06:55which meant he underwent surgery when he was four months old.
06:58So the craniofacial team at the Royal Children's were engaged,
07:02took him in for surgery,
07:04and he then spent the next 12 months in a helmet.
07:06And with the craniosynostosis, it's not a very common thing either.
07:10Yeah.
07:10But you have full trust in them and they give you the confidence
07:13that they can get the job done and the support.
07:16It's an amazing place.
07:17We can't thank them enough for what they've done for Jack and for our family.
07:20You are my heart and my soul.
07:25And you keep on getting the best of me.
07:29And what an amazing story.
07:31And it's so great to see Jack doing well.
07:34Now the No Reserve Auction will be right here in Tahnee
07:38on Good Friday the 3rd of April.
07:40So make sure you come on down.
07:42Melissa and I will be here.
07:44Come say hi and let's raise some money for the kids.
07:53A lot of us have got a utility area in their garden that looks just like this.
07:56Nothing fancy, but sure it does the job.
07:58Well, I have a super quick project that will make a big difference to your garden.
08:02And it starts by digging out a garden bed.
08:08I'm making this garden bed 500mm off the fence line,
08:11so it's substantial enough to make an impact,
08:13but not so big that it will get in your way when you're hanging up your washing.
08:43We've created a garden bed and improved the soil.
08:45So it's time to get on to the planting now.
08:47Washing lines are hot and exposed.
08:49That's why you put them where they are.
08:50With the planting, you've got to think about that.
08:52You also want stuff that's not going to get too big
08:54because you don't want it to get in the way.
08:56And that's why I'm going for a combination of geraniums and pelargoniums.
08:59These ones all have lovely fragrant foliage to them.
09:02This one's called mozibuster.
09:04It's got a real citronella smell.
09:05This one's peppermint.
09:07And this one has a lovely lemon burst to it.
09:09Now, I've gone for fragrant foliage, so when your socks fall into it,
09:13they're still going to smell nice.
09:29Instead of mulch, I'm using white pebbles for this flower bed.
09:32So if any of your washing falls off the line, it won't get dirty.
09:38To complement our pelargoniums and geraniums,
09:41I've gone for lavender and other fragrant favourites
09:44like sage, basil, thyme and lemongrass.
09:48So your utility area can not only be practical, but pretty and fragrant too.
09:52You've got a lot to tell me, but I'd rather not know.
10:06And I was dead.
10:09Oh!
10:12Look at that.
10:13Crisp, golden.
10:16Beautiful.
10:18When it comes to cats, they all have a certain amount of dignity,
10:22particularly when their name is Lord Harold.
10:32OK, it's that time of year.
10:33It's starting to get a little bit of grey.
10:35There's a bit of chill in the air.
10:36Well, I've got something to warm you up.
10:39I am doing a chicken and vegetable pasty stroke turnover.
10:44And the beauty of it is we're going to use an already cooked chicken.
10:51So how can I incorporate a dish that's maybe a bit more stuffing than chicken
10:56so you get the best of both worlds?
10:58So let's go.
10:59I'm making my own stuffing.
11:01Celery, carrot, onion, garlic.
11:03So just a nice little dice.
11:22Alright, a bit of garlic.
11:24Two garlic.
11:24Two garlic.
11:30That goes into our pan.
11:32Going to add a good knob of butter then.
11:37Vege in about 150 grams of butter.
11:40While my vegetables are sweating, we're just going to spice it up a little bit.
11:44A little bit of onion powder.
11:45About a tablespoon.
11:48About a tablespoon.
11:50And a half in the wind.
11:54A little bit of smoked paprika.
11:58Same white pepper.
11:59Give it a little bit of spice.
12:02A little bit of garlic powder.
12:06While it's hot, we're going to add a good whack of thyme.
12:11About a third of a bunch.
12:12Just roughly chop it in the wind.
12:19Get your thyme in there.
12:20Straight away, you're starting to get the smell of the fresh thyme.
12:25Some sage.
12:31And a little bit of marjoram.
12:33It's great if you can find it when it's fresh.
12:37Alright.
12:38Give that a mix.
12:43So now I've got the base.
12:45So what I'm going to do now is.
12:47I'm going to add a little bit of water.
12:49Which is going to lift all the flavours off the pan.
12:52And it's going to moisten everything up.
12:54Which is going to soak into the breadcrumbs.
12:56So about 125, 200.
12:57Enough to moisten because it's going to evaporate a little bit.
13:00Alright, your water is in there.
13:02Everything's a bit moist.
13:03A little splash of olive oil just to enrich it a little bit.
13:06Just a glug.
13:08It's all going to soak into your stuffing.
13:11For stuffing, you need breadcrumbs.
13:12Make your own or use a packet.
13:14So about 125.
13:20Here we go.
13:21And now just incorporate everything together.
13:31And now what I'm going to do is let it sit for about five minutes.
13:33And the bread is going to soak up all that flavour that's in the pan.
13:37So while I'm doing that, I'll break down the chicken.
13:45You basically just flake it onto your stuffing.
13:48All you're going to do is pick off the bones.
13:50Skin and all.
13:51You want that chicken flavour.
13:53As chunky or as fine as you like.
13:56The breast, which is sometimes a little bit dry when you buy a cooked chicken.
14:00But for this dish, it's going to be ideal.
14:02Also a great way of using up leftovers.
14:09Alright, I'm done with my chicken bones.
14:16Here we go.
14:18So now basically all you're going to do is incorporate your chicken and your stuffing mix.
14:24If it's a little bit dry, add another splash of water.
14:27My hands are clean.
14:28I'm going to get in there and I'm going to massage all the flavours and the chicken into that bread.
14:32So what you want is, it starts to come together in your hands.
14:36So you can make a nice little ball.
14:38Like that.
14:41I don't play golf, but that would be like a large golf ball.
14:44Something like that.
14:45Very large golf ball size.
14:47And that's going to be a portion.
15:00So there we go.
15:01Out of one chicken, we've got six large balls obviously bulked out with the vegetables and the bread.
15:07Ready to go into our pastry.
15:10Use any pastry you want.
15:11I like a good puff pastry.
15:14Just make sure it's nice and cold.
15:16Work with it when it's cold.
15:17So one sheet I reckon is going to get you two portions.
15:21So basically cut it in half.
15:23And then what you do is, you've got your ball of mix.
15:27Place it in the middle of your sheet.
15:29And then what I do is sort of squeeze it a little bit so it sort of matches the pastry.
15:35And then, very simply, you're going to fold your pastry over.
15:39So that's what I've got.
15:40And then, with the inside of my finger, I just follow around the mix that I made.
15:48What I like to do is just cut off any excess pastry.
15:51You can keep that in the freezer.
15:58To add a little bit of shine, a little bit of crunch to the pastry.
16:01A little bit of egg wash.
16:02So what I do is, I just use the egg yolk.
16:09So your egg yolk goes in.
16:13Pastry brush.
16:14Because when the egg hardens, it gives it a nice glassy texture.
16:20So, egg wash onto our pastry.
16:25So a little bit of picked thyme on there.
16:29A little bit of marjoram there as well we can use.
16:33Into the oven, 200 degrees, for about 30-35 minutes, till golden brown and puffy.
16:40Now we're back in the deep end.
16:45Making something with somebody else.
16:48Oh!
16:50Look at that.
16:52Crisp, golden.
16:56Beautiful.
16:56Beautiful.
17:02One for the plate, one for the chef.
17:05Give us a little...
17:07Want to hear that crunch?
17:09And then you want that softness.
17:11Look at that.
17:14It smells like stuffing.
17:17But it smells like chicken stuffing.
17:19Basically, the stuffing's the hero and the chicken has flavoured it.
17:23It's moist.
17:25I'm gonna burn my mouth on that one.
17:31It's got all the essence of stuffing, but with the chunks of chicken.
17:35So it's actually turned it on its head.
17:38What a great recipe.
17:39How do you want?
17:45I just want you.
17:53Grass trees make a great addition to your garden.
17:56They're drought tolerant and will grow in almost any climate.
18:00But have you ever seen one this big?
18:02It's 500 years old.
18:05This is Xantheria malachophila.
18:07Now, there are 30 species right throughout Australia.
18:10This one tends to be mainly found in New South Wales.
18:14Although there are other species for Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
18:18Right throughout the dry, arid regions of the country.
18:22Now, for home gardeners, I think a great tip that I should share with you that I've been using for
18:27decades now is when you buy one from the nursery, don't remove it from the pot.
18:33So I suggest that you cut the bottom of the pot out, leave it in the pot and plant it,
18:38pot and all.
18:39I know it's unusual, but with grass trees, it really works.
18:42Just make sure you cut the bottom of the pot out and water it as normal.
18:46Interestingly, there's a bit of gum showing on this one here.
18:49And that gum has been used by First Nations people for thousands and thousands of years for all sorts of
18:55gluing and adhering sort of properties.
18:59Here's a plant that's been part of the Australian culture for millennia.
19:03And it's now part of the Australian landscape in the 21st century.
19:09This might look a little bit brutal, but no, I'm not hurting the plants.
19:13I'm making a dramatic statement with indoor plants.
19:16If you're wondering what happened to Lord Harrell's tale, you'd better watch the story.
19:21Because I tell you what, it's got a funny end to it.
19:30You know, I really enjoy visiting old friends, particularly those with a love of animals.
19:36Now, these friends have moved.
19:38It's a new place.
19:40Kids are going to school.
19:41There are more animals around.
19:42And you know what?
19:43They're friends of yours as well.
19:45Have a look at the garden.
19:46That'll give you a clue.
19:58Oh, the dogs are here.
20:00Good to see you.
20:02I recognise this dog.
20:03Yes, come on.
20:04Hello.
20:05A few friendly licks of introduction.
20:07I like that.
20:08Mate, the place looks great.
20:10Thank you, come on in.
20:18Hello.
20:18Now you've brought me here to seduce me, haven't you, with a cat?
20:23We have.
20:24Look at this face.
20:25How could you not be seduced?
20:26He's gorgeous.
20:27This is Lord Harrell Buttercream III.
20:29British long hair.
20:30So that black staining is actually natural hair colour.
20:33It is.
20:34Which is apparently quite a special thing.
20:35He's like a blue-tipped golden.
20:37Whose idea was it to get Lord Harrell?
20:40Charlie, for years, had wanted a cat.
20:42And the children as well had wanted a cat.
20:44And I just thought it was going to add way too much chaos.
20:47To the household.
20:48Because we already had quite a few pets here.
20:51But I saw him and just fell in love with him.
20:53And I'm so glad that we got him.
20:55Because he's the best little cat.
20:57He's so calm.
20:59There's no animosity between the dogs and the cat?
21:01They all get on well?
21:02Not really.
21:03I came down this morning and they were all on the couch.
21:05But I believe you had a bit of a...
21:07No, you didn't have the accident, but the cat did.
21:09Well, yeah.
21:10I came down on the weekend, Saturday morning,
21:14to find a punami.
21:16And the dogs found it quite interesting
21:18because they chased the cat around the house.
21:20So down here, it was just horrendous.
21:23Like, on every surface.
21:24I spent two hours cleaning it up.
21:26And then I shaved the cat's tail.
21:28Why didn't you shave it?
21:29Why didn't you wash it?
21:31I'd already done enough cleaning up.
21:33I'd had enough of it.
21:33I wanted rid of it.
21:34And I didn't want it to happen again.
21:35I wonder if it was when he ate the dog's biscuits.
21:38Possible.
21:38You know, when they get diarrhoea,
21:40it's usually black and tarry like it's thrown a road.
21:43Yeah.
21:44And then if you put it in a tail, you don't want to wash it off.
21:46You want to shave it off.
21:47It's highly odiferous.
21:48I learnt my lesson.
21:50Yes.
21:50A cat's been up to it.
21:51He missed you for anything like that.
21:53He has ruined the dog's bed,
21:55which fortunately has a cover a couple of times.
21:57He has decided that his litter tray might be the dog's bed.
22:01I need to investigate the situation.
22:10So Harry, this is the litter tray in the bathroom.
22:14Mm-hmm.
22:15And then his food bowls are over there.
22:18Okay.
22:19When a cat urinates and defecates
22:22in an area where it wouldn't normally do it,
22:25there's something wrong.
22:27This only happened the once?
22:29It was twice.
22:30Twice.
22:30Twice.
22:30It's defecated.
22:31Right.
22:31Okay.
22:32In the dog's bed, yeah.
22:33The cat can be stressed.
22:34That's the simplest explanation.
22:36Okay.
22:36The cat's stressed, okay?
22:37But the cat doesn't look stressed, does it?
22:40No.
22:40So I'm looking for some other angle.
22:43And the most common angle is the fact
22:44that they don't like their litter tray.
22:50Okay.
22:52Pretty gross.
22:53So you've got crystals.
22:54And you've got a liner.
22:55Yes.
22:56Yeah.
22:56So I've grabbed some crystals from the corner.
22:59Now I'd like you to rub them in your palms as well.
23:05Tell me, do they feel smooth or sharp?
23:07It's very sharp.
23:09Now, what are we going to use?
23:11Something that I think you can dispose of in the garden,
23:14recycle, very little breakdown,
23:16and my great favourite is recycled paper.
23:19Okay.
23:23So that's a new tray.
23:25Mm-hmm.
23:25And we've put about a good couple of inches
23:28of recycled paper in there.
23:30Let's put the other tray there.
23:32Sure.
23:32Clean it thoroughly.
23:33Mm-hmm.
23:33Replace it with my recycled paper,
23:36but add to it a few crystals.
23:38Oh.
23:38Sprinkle over the top.
23:39Okay?
23:39So we make that transition happen from one to the other.
23:42Sure.
23:43There's a few other animals in this place
23:45I've yet to encounter, aren't there?
23:46Yes.
23:46We have quite a few fish,
23:48if you'd like to go and come with those.
23:49And chips?
23:51Not the chips.
23:52Oh.
23:52Lots of fish, though.
23:59Gentlemen, what's going on here?
24:01Well...
24:01Oh, God.
24:02Fish.
24:02More.
24:03Lots of fish.
24:03Fish.
24:04Lots of fish.
24:05This is Heart and Mind Obsession.
24:07Heart, say hello to Dr Harry.
24:08Hello, Heart.
24:09How are you, mate?
24:09Good to meet you.
24:11What is there about fish that you like so much?
24:14Um, just how they can breed through their gills,
24:18unlike lots of different animals, like dogs.
24:22So what have you got in these tanks?
24:23I think these are little guppies, aren't they, Danny?
24:25This one.
24:25So they're antlers,
24:26and then the one back there is a Corydora,
24:29and that eats all of the waste that goes down to the sand.
24:33There's also some Siamese algae eaters that eat all of the algae.
24:39So we feed the blood worms to the puffer fish.
24:43They can see they're already coming up,
24:44because they know what they're in for.
24:47If we just shake that around.
24:49You watch the sun come over the hill with good meat.
24:53I wonder what's in here.
24:56That is a big one.
24:58What a ripper!
24:59Brian, leather jacket.
25:01Harry, it's absolutely amazing.
25:02He changes colour all the time.
25:04So some mornings I'll come in here,
25:06and he's almost like a bright green, like a lime green,
25:09and then other days he's yellow.
25:11Today he looks quite orange to me.
25:12So how long have you had him?
25:14About a year now.
25:16About a year?
25:16Yeah.
25:17Has he grown a lot in the 12 months you've had him?
25:19A lot.
25:19He was tiny when we first got him.
25:21How big was he when you first got him?
25:22Oh, we have photos of him on Leo's shoulder,
25:24and he was about that big.
25:25So, Tommy, what do you feed?
25:27We feed him live crickets and this calcium powder.
25:32All right, go for it, mate.
25:33That's a big mouth.
25:38Wow!
25:40That was so quick, you know?
25:42And amazing.
25:50Hello.
25:51Hello.
25:52How was Brian? Was he hungry?
25:53Yes.
25:54He was.
25:54He had quite a few of his crickets.
25:57Very good.
25:57Hello.
25:59You're going to say hello and goodbye, eh?
26:01Because it is time to go goodbye.
26:03Absolutely fantastic.
26:04So many animals and so well looked after.
26:06And your little cat, I love the cat's temper,
26:08but I think it's a gorgeous little cat.
26:10I'm just interested in one thing.
26:11If I were to supply you with a return air ticket to Port Macquarie,
26:17could you come up and fix the problem I've got in my lawn
26:20with yellow migrating oxalis?
26:24I'm sure I could, but I think I'd come home with one of your ponies.
26:27So that'd be a great idea.
26:29We're on.
26:30Thanks, Harry.
26:31Cheers.
26:33Coming up, if you're looking for the latest trends in indoor gardening,
26:37I've got some fresh ideas that are really going to make you wet your plants.
26:44And you can't pull a rabbit out of a hat,
26:46but you might find one in your recycling bin.
26:49I love the fact that all of these ideas all came from the humble egg carton.
27:07You all know that I love my garden,
27:09but I also love filling my home with lots of greenery.
27:12You know, it's no wonder that indoor plants have become so popular.
27:14It's because they purify the air inside your home.
27:17They bring a lush quality to the room.
27:19And of course, they just make you feel good.
27:21And if you're looking for something different,
27:23then I've got a really unique way of growing them.
27:25Just add water.
27:26Come on, Joss.
27:27You don't stop talking
27:31And I'm just sleepwalking
27:35Now, of course, plants love a regular drink,
27:38but it always surprises me just how adaptable plants are.
27:41So this is my green room and I'm experimenting in here
27:45with the types of plants that I can propagate and grow in water alone.
27:48Now, even when it comes to propagating,
27:50let me show you some of the successes I've had.
27:53So I think the easiest plants to start with are the trailing philodendrons
27:57or even devil's ivy or monstera work really well.
28:01And you quite simply take a cutting like this just below the node
28:04and pop it into water.
28:06Just make sure there's no leaves below the water.
28:08Then you just wait and wait for those roots to form.
28:12But be really, really patient because I've found that quite often
28:16I'll look at a plant and I think, oh, roots are never going to form.
28:18And then sure enough, out they come.
28:20So it can take weeks or even months for that cutting to form roots.
28:24Here's one I've done previously about maybe three or four weeks ago.
28:27It's already forming these long roots.
28:30You can also have a little bit of fun with the containers that you use.
28:34So I'm mixing and matching here.
28:36I've got some beautiful decorative ones, some clear ones.
28:38I quite like the clear ones because you can really see what's going on with the roots.
28:43Isn't that just a gorgeous way to propagate and display your indoor plants?
28:55It's amazing how connected you can become to your indoor plants.
28:59I'm really fond of this one right here.
29:01It's a bit of a joke in our family.
29:03It's a lucky bamboo.
29:04And when I gave it to my husband 15 years ago, it was about this big.
29:07And now it's taking over the ceiling.
29:09So way too big for the room.
29:11So I'm going to propagate our luck.
29:12And I'm going to show you just how simple it is to do that.
29:16So lucky bamboo is one of those amazing plants that can grow in both soil and water.
29:20So the easiest way to do it is to take a cutting from a shoot off the main stem.
29:25So just below a node like that is perfect.
29:29Then it's just a matter of removing some of these lower leaves
29:33because you don't want them sitting in water.
29:35And get your hands on some kind of vase or jar.
29:39I'm just using a clear one because it's nice to see what's going on.
29:41And we're going to pop our cutting in there.
29:44I think it's a nice idea to add some decorative beads.
29:47These are just glass beads or pebbles.
29:50Helps to stabilise the plants.
29:53And they also just look pretty.
30:03Then you just need to add some water.
30:05I'm just using some purified water.
30:17And that's it.
30:19Now just remember once again have patience because it could take months for that cutting to form roots.
30:24But the beauty of lucky bamboo is that because you can grow it in water,
30:28you can just leave it like that permanently.
30:40Now if you want to take growing indoor plants in water to the next level,
30:44then this is a great way to make a real statement.
30:47Now don't worry, I'm not hurting the plant, but I am taking all the soil off the roots.
30:55So once you've got most of it off, the hose comes into play.
30:59Now this is going to look brutal, but I promise you in the end it'll all turn out.
31:04Watch out.
31:09I'm getting a bit of help from Toppy.
31:16So once I've desoiled this plant, I'm going to grow it in water alone.
31:20But it's not every indoor plant that you can do this with.
31:23I've had success with peace lilies like this and also anthuriums.
31:35So once that's done, get your hands on a decorative vase or jar like this.
31:39This is just a terrarium jar.
31:41You want something that will nicely display those roots.
31:44Now what we don't want is for the crown of the plant to sit in water and perhaps rot.
31:48So what I want to do is create some kind of platform for it.
31:51Now if you go down the aisle at your garden centre,
31:54you can find these little plastic trays or saucers.
31:58So what I want to do is get a saucer that fits into the top like that.
32:03Now sometimes you're lucky and you can do it and cut a hole in it like this
32:08that you can simply place the plant through.
32:10But other times the saucer just won't fit perfectly.
32:15So I've come up with a really great technique that I think works really well.
32:18I've got my hands on a clear grower's plastic pot like this and I've quite simply cut some chunks out
32:25of it
32:25so that the roots can grow through.
32:28And then I've cut another hole in the top that allows me to feed the plant through
32:32and it will provide the perfect little platform for my indoor plant.
32:37Then it's just a matter of feeding the roots through the top of that clear plastic pot.
32:43Now this is where you really have to think about the size of the hole that you're cutting
32:47because you don't want the plant to fall through.
32:49You want it to prop neatly on the top of that pot.
33:01So as you can see, the pot helps to stabilise the plant but still allows those roots to grow through
33:06and keeps the crown above water.
33:15So you just want to fill it just below the crown of the plant.
33:20And when you are growing plants in water like this, the key is to change the water over regularly.
33:25So every five to seven days is ideal, although I have to admit I'm a little bit slack
33:29and they don't seem to mind that too much.
33:30It's also important to fertilise to give them a source of nutrients.
33:34And so you can feed plants that are growing in water.
33:37Just look out for a water-specific fertiliser that you can quite easily pump into the water.
33:42So I apply the fertiliser with every second water change.
33:52Just take a look at those roots.
33:54What a dramatic way to display your plants.
33:56It's almost like a 3D sculpture.
33:58And I'll tell you what I've learnt, and that is that plants are incredibly versatile.
34:03And when you grow with this approach, not only does it look amazing,
34:06but it also takes the mystery out of watering.
34:08So there's no more wondering if you've over-watered or under-watered,
34:12because there's no soil required.
34:14There ain't no place for me to hide without you.
34:18There's no way I could sleep tonight.
34:21It is time to raid your recycling bin and get crafty.
34:26To catch up on any stories you've missed,
34:29or to watch exclusive Better Homes and Gardens content,
34:32plus loads of how-to videos, recipes and more,
34:36check us out on 7 Plus.
34:44If you're looking for a new travel camera,
34:47and you're not scared of something a little bit techy,
34:51then I can definitely recommend this right here.
34:54This is the Insta360 X5.
35:03The unique thing about this camera is that it has two cameras.
35:08Essentially, the camera on the side can kind of see around the corner a little bit,
35:13and the one on this side can see around the corner a little bit as well,
35:17making it possible to shoot in 360 degrees in every direction.
35:23It doesn't just shoot what you're pointing at,
35:26but kind of everything around you.
35:29Shoot first, and then reframe later.
35:33So you can sort of go from a classic selfie-style video like this
35:39to something that's a little bit more out there.
35:42What ends up happening is you start to kind of rethink the way that you see the world around you.
35:49You don't just see things as cool things,
35:52but you also kind of see cool ways of capturing them.
35:56You could be on a bike ride and be hands-free off the camera,
36:01capturing yourself and where you're riding and everything around you.
36:05So if you are looking for something to level up your content-capturing game,
36:09definitely one to check out.
36:13Easter has to be one of my favourite times of the year for crafting
36:16because visually there are so many cute motifs to play with.
36:19This year I've got some great budget-friendly ideas that are also good for the environment.
36:24And it all starts with an egg carton that I've rescued from the recycling bin.
36:28There is nothing nicer than giving someone a handmade carton.
36:31This one is super simple.
36:32All you want to do is take a Stanley knife.
36:34I'm just going to cut out the peaks that sit inside the egg carton to support the eggs.
36:39I'm going to turn them into a vase on the front of the card,
36:41but also they'll make the perfect shape for a bunny nose.
36:52For the vase, I'm just going to trim up the edges and then I'm cutting out just one side
36:58so I can use some hot glue on those edges to attach it to the card.
37:12To decorate your card, you can use whatever you like.
37:15I'm writing Happy Easter and I'm going to draw some love hearts in as well.
37:20I'm using a pencil first just to make sure that I'm happy with it.
37:23And then I'm going to go in with a felt tip marker.
37:36And that is the vase done. So sweet.
37:40Now for the bunny, I'm going to create some ears out of this flap on the egg carton.
37:51Okay, now for the bunny nose, I want it to angle down a little bit on the card.
37:55So I'm just going to trim it up and then use the hot glue to place it on the card
38:01again.
38:01Then you can decorate it however you like.
38:21Now I'm going to use some orange paint to turn these peaks into carrots.
38:26And I'm also putting a little hole in them, which means that I can hang them up.
38:30But here's a tip. If you roll up some excess of the card from the egg carton,
38:37it will give it much more stability for when you put the hole through.
38:40And it also means you won't hurt your fingers.
39:00For the carrot top, I'm using some origami paper and folding it into quarters.
39:05Then at the top point, you want to take some scissors and make a cut and then cut all the
39:11way to either side, fanning it out.
39:13What you'll end up with is something like this that you can put in the top of the carrot and
39:18that will be the fringe.
39:30To assemble the carrots, you just take the base and then you want to take the green part and fan
39:36it out.
39:37Pop your finger in the centre and then you can either hang them using some florist wire individually,
39:42maybe on a branch from the garden or you can create bunting or a garland on some string just like
39:49this.
39:49And I don't know what you think, but I reckon that would be the perfect spot for the Easter bunny
39:53to hide an egg.
39:58This egg carton might look like there's nothing more you can do with it,
40:01but I'm going to use the cups to create some gorgeous flowers.
40:05You could decorate an Easter hat for a hat parade or you could even decorate a wreath for your front
40:10door.
40:10All you need to do is start by cutting down one side of the corner and then down the other
40:17side.
40:26It might look nothing like a flower right now, but I'm about to create four petals
40:31and actually there are some ridges which will help you create that shape.
40:35So you just want to cut down in between each ridge and you'll see some petal shapes emerge.
40:50I've created a second flower that I'm going to layer inside the first one and then I've got an edge
40:56that I'm rolling up
40:57and that is going to be the centre of my rose. How gorgeous is that?
41:02But of course you can cut any shape you like to create lots of different varieties of flowers.
41:07You can paint them, you can embellish them, pop them on a wreath at your front door or even on
41:12your Easter bonnet.
41:13I love the fact that all of these ideas all came from the humble egg carton and all look absolutely
41:20gorgeous.
41:39Well as the weather continues to get cooler, I guess a lot of those indoor activities are a great way
41:44for you to spend your weekend.
41:46I hope you enjoyed this Saturday night show. I'll see you again soon with more Better Homes and Gardens.
41:50Bye-bye.
41:55Next time, get your gloves on and your spades ready.
41:59We're back at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, bringing you the very best in blooms, design and inspiration.
42:08It's that time of the year when we all come together to celebrate the world of gardening.
42:16Joanna and Pete are stepping inside an extraordinary home where choosing where to unwind is the hardest part.
42:23Lake side, beach side.
42:25Pool side here, the choice is entirely yours.
42:29When a meal's this good, it's just cook, eat and repeat.
42:34Breakfast, lunch and dinner, this is what you're going to hear.
42:39Silence. And that's a good dish.
42:43Plus, isn't it about time you got a little naughty?
42:46Oh, it's not what you think. I'm making my noughts for the board game.
42:52This tiny makeover is big on charm.
42:56It's the cutest home reno I have ever done and you don't need any power tools.
43:02And it's not easy training your cat not to destroy the furniture.
43:06Why do cats do it? Well, it's all about their claws.
43:10That's next time on Better Homes and Gardens.
43:13That's next time on Better Homes and Gardens.
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