- 5 hours ago
Better Homes and Gardens (1996) Season 32 Episode 16
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Short filmTranscript
00:07If you're looking for some peace and tranquility,
00:09you've come to the right place, and clearly so have I.
00:12It's hard to beat a sunny day on the sunny coast.
00:16But if you're looking for some great ideas or projects
00:18to kickstart your weekend, we've got that in spades.
00:21From pets to produce, pooches to parmigiana.
00:26Tonight, your dog is a member of the family,
00:28so they deserve a spa day, too.
00:31We'll make a Hyderabad.
00:33Hyderabad?
00:34Like a pampers spot for the dog, isn't it?
00:36Juliet's realised that high-quality art can come as a flat pack, too.
00:41I use old things.
00:43I put them all together, and they become sculptures,
00:47my semi-sculptures.
00:49Good Friday might have been two weeks ago,
00:52but it's a Good Friday when you can enjoy
00:54this incredible meat-free parmig.
00:57Oh, it's a sweet baby Jesus.
01:00So much better.
01:03This segment is brought to you by Purina Pet Care.
01:07Helping pets live longer, healthier, happier lives.
01:10Available at Bunnings Warehouse.
01:13You know, just occasionally, I need a bit of a hand.
01:16I've got a project on at the moment,
01:17and I thought I'd call in real mate, the big guns.
01:20Can you help me?
01:21Must be talking about these guns, Hage.
01:22Mate, I've got none of those left of my age.
01:25Tell you what it is, tell you what it is.
01:26Yeah.
01:26Right?
01:27We're going to build a doggy spa.
01:30Ooh.
01:31Can you imagine that?
01:32Somewhere to wash a dog.
01:33Are you into that?
01:34Oh, definitely into it.
01:35I mean, I've built enough dog houses,
01:36but I've never built a dog spa.
01:38Well, I've been trained to live in the dog house,
01:39I'm near that often.
01:40So, can we get on with it?
01:41Let's get into it.
01:42Bring your saw and your hammer,
01:43and what else do we need, and let's do it.
01:47Matt, Harry.
01:48Nice to meet you.
01:49How are you, pal?
01:49How are you, mate?
01:50Adam.
01:51Adam.
01:51And the dog.
01:52This is Poppy.
01:53Poppy.
01:54Now, what's your problem, mate?
01:54I'm here to solve problems.
01:56She's just not too fond of having a bath
01:59or getting washed with the hose.
02:01She's fine in pools and stuff,
02:03but, yeah, not too keen on the hose and running water.
02:06Why don't we try and make something
02:08that would be a lot easier for you to wash the dog?
02:11We'll make a hydrabath.
02:13Hydrabath?
02:13Like a pampus spot for the dog, isn't it?
02:16Exactly.
02:16Yeah, I like it.
02:17I think that wall there
02:18is going to be the perfect spot for this bath, H.
02:20How big is it?
02:21Well, we'll find that at Bunnings, mate.
02:23Well, it's got to be big enough,
02:24because how old is she?
02:25She's 10 months.
02:2610 months.
02:27So she's probably still going to grow a little bit, mate.
02:29Well, can you make a mental sort of picture here
02:31of what we're going to need?
02:31I'm relying on you to take the measurements, mate.
02:34You got the size, H?
02:35I've got it.
02:36I'm sure we're going to find what we're on.
02:37Now, you just keep your arms like that,
02:39and we're going to walk to Bunnings now, OK?
02:40Matt, we're going to be back.
02:42H has the size.
02:43We're right to go.
02:43You ready?
02:44I just do everything he says.
02:45Let's do it.
02:50Your arm's getting heavy, H?
02:51Hey.
02:52He's dazed and confused.
02:54You're dazed and confused.
02:55I'm just concentrating.
02:56OK, now, are you sure your arms haven't moved?
02:58They haven't moved.
02:58Oh, it's been a long trip.
03:00It's been a long trip.
03:01All right, let me just check the measurements.
03:02What's that thing?
03:02So, it's a tape measure, 900.
03:04Where'd you get that from?
03:05Oh, it was in me pocket.
03:06Then I've got it in your pocket.
03:07Look, the whole time, H, I just want to...
03:09You've had it all day, in your pocket,
03:11and I've been walking around like this.
03:12You've done well.
03:14You've done well.
03:14But look, you look after the dog stuff,
03:16and I'm going to get the construction stuff.
03:18Yeah, I'll take this with you.
03:19Now I complain.
03:19Yes, we don't need it anymore.
03:21I've got the measurements.
03:26Oh, look at that.
03:28Lit on a mirror.
03:30It'll be great.
03:42I've got a lot of great stuff in here.
03:43Look at it.
03:44Oh, this will do me.
03:46There's collars and lids and toys and everything under the sun.
03:49That's enough for you?
03:50Oh, well, enough for the dog.
03:51I don't know about me.
03:51I think it'll do just fine.
03:53Now, we want to raise this dog bath off the ground,
03:55so we need access.
03:56And the easiest way to do that
03:58is just to get these pre-made stringers here.
04:02So I'm going to get two of them.
04:03They're hidden stringers.
04:04And simply, all you do is have one at each side,
04:07and then you pick up your treads,
04:09and you can cut them to as wide as you want.
04:12It's the easiest stairs you'll ever build.
04:16And to give it a bit of class,
04:18I'm going to be cladding the top with some spotted gum timber.
04:27And finally, these little feet here,
04:30they're going to help me level everything up.
04:33Absolutely perfect.
04:37To make our doggy day spa,
04:39it all starts with making a couple of frames.
04:41Now, the first one will be out of this 90 by 35,
04:44and that's going to allow us to recess our tub into this frame
04:48and have our decking boards that will be attached on top.
04:51Now, the second frame will be out of 70 by 35,
04:54and that will be to support the tub from underneath.
04:57The first thing I need to do is start cutting everything to size.
05:13My frame cut up.
05:14I'm now going to start pre-drilling some holes
05:16and we can put it all together.
05:29All right, now, before I continue on and get my last two joists on,
05:33I'm going to be putting some 90 by 90 posts on the four corners.
05:37And I actually want to attach these before we put them in that way.
05:40You're not trying to create a pocket and slide it in there.
05:42It's either going to be too tight or too loose.
05:45Now, you'll notice that I have cut these to size.
05:47I've put the stain on that way.
05:48I'm not trying to cut around this frame.
05:50And also, I've added these adjustable feet
05:53because a lot of the time when you are going up against a house,
05:56the land is falling away.
05:57So this will keep the frame nice and level.
06:10All right, with our 90mm frame complete,
06:13I'm now going to use this to attach our 70mm frame.
06:16So I've got everything cut to size
06:18and, again, I have stained it.
06:20And the way it's going to work
06:21is I'm going to utilise our posts
06:23and attach the 70mm to that
06:25and then we can put our main frame in between.
06:37How good is this looking?
06:39And now we are ready for the top,
06:40which is the beautiful decking boards
06:43that I was talking about.
06:44Now, we are using some spotted gum.
06:46I'm going to start by wrapping the perimeter first
06:49and then we can get our top boards on.
07:00All right, now we are at our opening.
07:02So we can get our tub
07:04and you can see exactly how this is going to work.
07:06It's going to sit in there like so.
07:08It looks fantastic.
07:09But we obviously need to cut our decking board
07:12so it follows this tub around.
07:14So the easiest way to do it
07:16is I'm lucky enough that a 1-litre tin
07:19is actually the perfect radius for this.
07:23So what I'll do is get my decking board
07:26and I'm going to sit it in place
07:27and I'll trace it from underneath.
07:30Now, that's going to give me a square.
07:32Then I can take this, I'll flip it over,
07:34I'll put my 1-litre tin there,
07:36trace that radius and simply just cut it out.
07:54Nice. Let's go attach it.
07:55Round and around and around we go
07:57Got a dead end and a secret baby nobody knows
08:00I'm going to talk, but I didn't have a joke,
08:03oh, I'm going to touch and I already know
08:08Mate, this is a very decorative little arrangement.
08:11I'll be a gentleman.
08:15Look at this, H.
08:16And it opens up.
08:18There you go.
08:19Hey?
08:20And the best part is...
08:21It can't hold any water.
08:22It's got a hole in the end.
08:22No, it does have a hole at the moment.
08:24I'm putting a plug.
08:25I'm putting a plug in there.
08:26So, that will hold our water.
08:28And the best part is, but,
08:29once you've finished washing,
08:30you can actually store your stuff in here.
08:32This is a waterproof container.
08:33Well, I tell you, when I look at this
08:34and I was a bit surprised.
08:36I thought it was a barbecue set-up,
08:38to tell you the truth.
08:38Yeah, well, I can see how you could go down that path.
08:41Yeah.
08:41But it definitely isn't,
08:42but stick around because the proof is in the pudding
08:44to see if Poppy will actually hop in.
08:48I'll introduce you to Karen Roberts
08:49who sees endless possibilities in everyday items.
08:54Well, hold on.
08:55We're not done.
08:56Hit it with the Parmesan again.
08:57I told you I like cheese.
09:00The May issue of Bitter Homes and Gardens magazine
09:02is celebrating gorgeous Australian plants and backyards.
09:06Check out dwarf varieties of gum trees,
09:08perfect for smaller gardens.
09:10And round up native alternatives to garden classics,
09:13from frangipani and fuchsia to hydrangea.
09:16I'll also give you tips on growing figs.
09:18And Charlie troubleshoots problems with lemon trees.
09:22Get in quick to buy your tickets
09:24to the Creator Awards announcement in May.
09:27Pick up the May issue of Bitter Homes and Gardens magazine
09:30from your local newsagent
09:31and get a bonus pair of gorgeous gardening gloves.
09:41Life in a pot can be difficult.
09:43Not to mention, it can cost you a bit of money as well.
09:45By the time you've bought the pot,
09:46the potting mix and the plants,
09:48it's a pretty big investment.
09:49So you want to make sure you get it right first time around.
09:51Now, the first thing you can do is raise your pot up.
09:54That way, the water can get out of it
09:56and it will drain properly.
09:56And you can do anything.
09:57You can use window packers, broken tile,
09:59whatever you've got hanging around.
10:00The next thing you need
10:01is the best quality potting mix you can afford.
10:03What I like to do is chuck in a couple of scoops
10:06of these water crystals
10:08because these will help save water
10:10when it dries out in summer.
10:20The next thing you need to consider
10:22when you're planting up a pot
10:23is the actual plants you're putting in there.
10:26You don't want something that's really water hungry
10:29because it's always going to suffer.
10:31So drought tolerant plants work the best.
10:33Salvias work really well if you want flowers
10:34and I'm also using convolvulus to spill over the edge.
10:37But when you're planting, this is my number one trick.
10:40Take your plant, pop it into a bucket of water
10:44and make sure it really fills up that root ball.
10:49Wait until all the air bubbles stop
10:51so you know the root ball is really soaked
10:52and then you can plant it in the pot
10:54and I can guarantee success.
11:07See how nice and wet that is?
11:08That's perfect.
11:27The last of our plants in the pot
11:29are nicely backfilled.
11:30You can use the water that you've used for dunking
11:33to settle everything in.
11:35Oh, and one thing you should do
11:36before you start any of this
11:38is do it in the location the pot's going in
11:40because by the time it's watered in
11:42it gets quite heavy
11:44and I'm not quite sure
11:45who's going to help me move this.
11:48People?
11:50People?
11:50People?
11:51People?
11:52People?
11:56People?
11:57People?
11:58People?
11:58People?
11:58People?
11:59People?
11:59People?
12:02People?
12:08People?
12:28People?
12:28People?
12:29People?
12:30People?
12:30I mean, they even bronze off
12:31and the seed heads can hang on the plant
12:33all through winter
12:34to provide some more structure and form.
12:36And if you look closely
12:37these flowers are just dotted in bees
12:39and butterflies
12:40so they're really good pollinator plants.
12:42On top of that
12:43the leaves are nice and fleshy
12:45so they're remarkably dry tolerant.
12:47And if you're a gardener
12:48that's looking to save a little bit of money
12:50when you're expanding your plant collection
12:51then this is a great one
12:52because it's easy to propagate.
12:54So to give you an idea
12:55the owners here started this entire avenue of sedum from just five plants.
13:01So they took cuttings, 15 centimetres long-ish,
13:04took the lower leaves off and plonked those cuttings into the ground,
13:07and this whole thing just took off.
13:09So over the years, it's established into this massive colour.
13:22A great parmigiana starts with a great tomato sauce, and I've got the recipe.
13:28If you dread wash day as much as your dog does, then this is the job for you.
13:33Oh, it's for the dog.
13:34It's for the dog, Martin, as a clothes washer.
13:37The May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine is as Aussie as Vegemite.
13:42The legendary Jimmy Barnes and his wife Jane share their favourite autumn recipes.
13:47Make these bakery classics, including vanilla slice and nostalgic finger buns.
13:52There are sausage rolls to cook in the air fryer too.
13:55Get in quick to buy your tickets to the Creator Awards announcement in faith.
14:00Pick up your May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine from your local newsagent,
14:05and you can collect yourself a pair of bonus gorgeous gardening gloves.
14:15This segment is brought to you by Purina Pet Care.
14:19Helping pets live longer, healthier, happier lives.
14:23Available at Bunnings Warehouse.
14:25Now, Dr Harry and I, we have built a lot of things together over the years,
14:29but I've got to say, H, this is the first time I've ever built a doggy day spa.
14:33Well, I've got a dog, right?
14:35So that's a start.
14:36The dog is that big.
14:38Yep.
14:38So let me just see.
14:39Yep.
14:42Perfect fit, okay?
14:43We can put the dog in here as long as this is on level ground.
14:46Yep.
14:47I know where the dog is.
14:48Okay.
14:48I can get the dog.
14:49All right.
14:50If you can get this to some level ground.
14:51I can definitely do that.
14:52Can you do that?
14:53I can do that.
14:53Put it there.
14:54And we will bath a dog.
14:57To finish off our dog bath, I want somewhere to put our bits and pieces.
15:02So I'm going to make a storage cabinet.
15:03I'm using some form ply.
15:05Now, this is standard size off the shelf.
15:07It's 1,200 by 600.
15:09I'll be using three pieces.
15:11The first thing I'm going to do is make some 150 rips
15:14because that is going to be the depth of our unit.
15:37With everything cut, we're now ready to screw it together.
15:40So I'm just using screws.
15:41And remember, always glue.
16:07Nice.
16:07And you can see how much extra storage this has created.
16:11Now, I'm going to be putting some door fronts on
16:13because we want to hide everything that's in there.
16:25And look at that.
16:26I think H is going to absolutely love this.
16:29Now, it's time for me to put these guns to use
16:31and get this out of the back.
16:40Oh, look at that.
16:43A few screws from underneath.
16:44We'll hold it in place.
17:05So on each step, we'll put a little food reward
17:09and we'll end up with one at the top.
17:11And then we'll chuck a couple in the bath.
17:13Now, we should use a word.
17:15We'll use the word bath.
17:16Poppy, bath.
17:18Good girl.
17:20Good girl.
17:22And happily steps quite in.
17:23Climbing up the stairs,
17:25she's doing it of her own free will.
17:28And she's rewarding herself
17:29by getting some food along the way.
17:31And retrievers love food.
17:34Boys, I think we've done fairly well so far.
17:36I'll be honest with the pair of you.
17:38I didn't expect her to come up the stairs
17:39and jump into the damn bath, right?
17:41Well done, obviously.
17:43Obviously, she's pretty good.
17:45You know, got a few brains this one, right?
17:46But I don't want to rush things
17:48because the moment you try and do something,
17:50you undo them, which you've already done.
17:52All the good work you've done.
17:53Now, in our conversation,
17:54you said she doesn't like the hose.
17:56Doesn't like the hose.
17:57Doesn't like the hose.
17:58So we're going to stop here for the moment
18:00and we're going to get her used to the hose.
18:11Well, she's it.
18:12She'll sit.
18:13Good girl.
18:13So she's now put her derriere in the water,
18:17which is terrific.
18:20Good girl.
18:21Poppy.
18:23She's drinking the water out of the hose?
18:24Good.
18:25Now, just run the water up.
18:27Just slide it up her shoulder blade
18:28and onto her back.
18:29Boy, that was the quickest slide I've ever seen, mate.
18:32He'd be an Olympic champion
18:33if that was sliding, wouldn't he?
18:35Just run it down her back, Matt.
18:37You're going well.
18:38We've started with a little dribble.
18:40We don't want to blast the dog out of the bath.
18:43We just want to wet the dog
18:44so we can put some shampoo on, mate,
18:46and lather it up.
18:47That's right.
18:48That's not too bad.
18:48At the moment,
18:49I just wanted to get used to the fact
18:50that she's going to get a bit wet.
18:52To this, we will eventually add some shampoo
18:54so we can wash the dog all over.
18:56But I've pushed this dog
18:57as far as I would like to push her today.
18:59Matt can continue on.
19:00We've established a pattern of behaviour.
19:03Dog knows that the word bath
19:04means to come up the steps and get in here.
19:07Knows down means to exit the bath
19:08at the end of it all over.
19:10I don't want to spoil a great track record.
19:12That's it.
19:12We've done well.
19:13You're a clever dog, Poppy.
19:14You're very clever.
19:15Good dog.
19:16It looks like you're going to have this one, Matty.
19:18Somebody once said, mate,
19:19quit when you're ahead.
19:20Yeah, that's right.
19:21That's right.
19:22The question is,
19:23once this is filled up with water,
19:24but how wet will you be getting?
19:26Just as the word I imagined.
19:28Always use a good quality dog shampoo.
19:31Not a human one.
19:33Human ones are no good
19:34because we're dealing with a very different skin.
19:37I think we'll call it quits then.
19:38I'll catch you again.
19:39Next time it's half time.
19:45Coming up,
19:46meet the incredible woman
19:48who's got recycling old things down to a fine art.
19:51Each one is renewed into something else.
19:57And are you in the search for a meat-free masterpiece?
20:00Today, I have one for you.
20:02Eggplant Parmigiana.
20:10Autumn is well and truly upon us.
20:13Now, I am not opposed to a great vegetarian dish.
20:16And today, I have one for you.
20:18Eggplant Parmigiana.
20:24All starts with a great tomato sauce.
20:26Very simple to make.
20:29I like a good glug of olive oil
20:31because you sort of get it moistens up the whole sauce.
20:34So get a good amount of oil in the bottom of the pan.
20:37Two onions.
20:40I like them not too fine
20:42because they're going to be the end result in your sauce as well.
20:48Sweat them down in our olive oil.
20:52Good amount of garlic.
20:55About four or five cloves chopped.
21:04Onions, garlic, sweating down.
21:07Tinned tomatoes, chopped, tinned tomatoes.
21:15Don't forget to rinse your tins.
21:23All right.
21:24A little top tip while we're starting to cook.
21:26Your Parmesan.
21:30So you've got that bit of rind on the end.
21:32I always cook the rind.
21:34I always put it in one of my sauces.
21:36It sort of melts into the sauce.
21:38You can pick it out later on,
21:39but it infuses that little bit of Parmesan flavor.
21:42So that goes into your pot.
21:46A little bit of salt and pepper.
21:47A good amount of black pepper.
21:53Pinch of salt.
21:58Going to get a few basil leaves in there now,
22:01just to start them cooking.
22:08So we're going to cut our eggplant not too thin
22:10because it will break down a little bit in the oven,
22:12so you want a little bit of height in it.
22:24Just lay them out a little bit.
22:28I like to just give them a little score.
22:31Just helps with the seasoning.
22:35Salt and pepper.
22:43A little bit of olive oil on the bottom.
22:49And I'm going to season the tray
22:51so your eggplant sits on the seasoning.
22:59And then you just fill them in your tray.
23:04All right.
23:04Splash of olive oil.
23:08You can hear that sauce bubbling away.
23:10It's all mingling, coming together.
23:11Without reducing and intensifying in flavor.
23:16All right.
23:17Into the oven.
23:17About 200 degrees.
23:19For about 15 minutes or until soft.
23:26Give me a look.
23:27Beautiful.
23:29Oh, yeah.
23:30So what you've got is
23:32beautiful little char on the eggplant.
23:34It's nice and soft.
23:35It's soaked up all that olive oil.
23:37It's got the seasoning on it
23:38and it's ready to go.
23:45The sauce is beautiful and reduced.
23:48Now all you've got to do is build it.
23:50Very simple.
23:51We're going to go sauce,
23:52eggplant,
23:53cheese.
23:54And we're going to do that twice.
24:02Eggplant.
24:09I've got a little bit of burrata,
24:11a little bit of mozzarella.
24:12Just break it open.
24:19Now I add a layer of basil.
24:30Extra bit of cheese.
24:31Parmesan.
24:40All right.
24:41Next layer of eggplant.
24:51Now another layer of tomato sauce.
24:56So I like to leave a little bit of it poking out.
25:00So just fill in the gaps.
25:09And hit it with the cheese.
25:20A little bit more basil.
25:24Parmesan.
25:29A little splash of olive oil.
25:35And that goes in the oven.
25:37200 for about 30 to 40 minutes.
25:39So you want a bubbling oozing.
25:50Oh yeah.
25:53Don't drop the baby.
25:56Oh yeah.
26:00Well hold on.
26:02We're not done.
26:03Let's hit it with the Parmesan again.
26:05I told you I like cheese.
26:08Make it rain.
26:14A little bit of fresh basil on top.
26:20So what you want to do is just
26:23eggplant, cheese,
26:26sauce.
26:32No meat.
26:33No worries.
26:34But lots of flavor.
26:37Lots of cheese.
26:40That's a sweet baby Jesus.
26:49Eric.
26:50Yeah.
26:50G'day great.
26:51Into it.
26:51Into it.
26:52Into it already.
26:53Very well.
26:54All right.
26:55Now you're the 18 day compost king.
26:59Tell me, tell me.
27:00How do you do it in 18 days?
27:02It's quite amazing, isn't it?
27:03So that we turn these ingredients into ready-made compost ready for the garden in 18 days.
27:10So what we do.
27:11Yes.
27:12We need a lot of ingredients of brown, of green and of manure.
27:16Brown is anything that has lived a long time ago but is now dead and dry.
27:20Full of carbon.
27:21Okay.
27:22And then the greens?
27:22The green is anything that's recently died.
27:26Recently been cut full of nitrogen.
27:28Right.
27:28Okay.
27:29No oxalis seeds and bulbs and stuff like that?
27:33Actually, it really doesn't matter too much.
27:35Right.
27:35Because with this method, it's a hot compost.
27:37And so all the nasties, or most of the nasties, get burnt off.
27:41The pathogens as well as the seeds.
27:43That's really good.
27:44Now, you've got to have a kickstarter.
27:46What's your kickstarter?
27:47So our kickstarter's just over here.
27:52We've got two ingredients that are the activators.
27:55Comfrey.
27:56Yes.
27:56Or borage.
27:57Right.
27:57Or both.
27:58Yeah.
27:58They're kind of like a fire lighter in a big bonfire.
28:01Right.
28:02Now, you've got manure.
28:03What sort of manures are you looking for and out hunting for all the time?
28:07Whatever you can get.
28:08Right.
28:09Manure's a hard one to kind of source.
28:11But we're fortunate that, believe it or not, I'm going to put my hands on it.
28:14Yep.
28:14But this is llama poo.
28:16We've got a friend that's got a llama farm, and the llama poo is terrific.
28:20It's nice and granule.
28:22So all of that process, what happens with it then?
28:25So we make a big pile, kind of like a lasagna.
28:29Right.
28:30A layer of brown, a layer of green, a layer of manure.
28:33Gotcha.
28:34A layer of brown, green, manure, and we hose it the whole time.
28:37We put in our little activator right in the middle.
28:40Yes.
28:40Kind of like a fire starter.
28:41Yes.
28:42And then when you've got a cubic metre of volume, you need a big volume so that you can
28:46really get the heat up.
28:47We cover it.
28:48We leave it for four days.
28:50Right.
28:51After four days, and every two days until you're 18 days, we turn it, simply moving it from
28:56here to there.
28:57From there, back to here.
28:59Okay.
28:59Keeping it well-watered the whole time.
29:02Right.
29:02It's quite amazing.
29:03I'll show you the finished product.
29:04We've got some that we prepared before.
29:07Oh, that's good.
29:10Isn't that beautiful?
29:11And so this is the beautiful compost.
29:16Oh, smells good too.
29:18Ready to use on the garden.
29:19Oh.
29:25How old is this one?
29:26So this one's about a week and a half old.
29:28Right.
29:29And you'll see, so it's gone from the raw ingredients behind you.
29:32Yep.
29:33To what it is today.
29:35Let's have a look.
29:36Oh, wow.
29:37Can we dig this over?
29:38We can.
29:39You'll see, just like a volcano, we'll get a big reaction coming out from the middle.
29:4518 days.
29:46Okay, let's just see how good it is underneath.
29:49Okay.
29:50After you.
29:54Oh, look at that.
29:56So it's an oxidised method.
29:58So it's aerobic, so it's getting all the oxygen to help break it down, as well as the moisture
30:03and all the microbes, the worms, everyone working together to break it down.
30:08The thing I love about this is in the 21st century, you know, it's always been there.
30:13You know, we've been doing this, what, 6,000 years.
30:15But now we know what's happening, and the science that comes into gardening backs us
30:19all up, and we know really that this is a great system.
30:23Yep.
30:24Congratulations.
30:25Good on you.
30:25I'll leave that with you.
30:26Yeah, sure.
30:27And I'll be back later when you moved it.
30:28I'll get to work.
30:29Good on you, Eric.
30:30Thanks, mate.
30:30That's a great idea.
30:33Karen, you've been recycling and reusing for 40 years.
30:36Mm-hmm.
30:37I just see beauty in everything.
30:40For the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, it's all about the best of Australia.
30:45There are instructions from our nifty chopping board made of dense Australian hardwood.
30:50And Geneva van der Zijl takes board games to the great outdoors with her giant DIY checkers
30:55set.
30:56Getting quick to buy your tickets to the Creator Awards announcement in May.
31:01Pick up the May issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine at your local newsagents, and get
31:07a bonus pair of durable gardening gloves.
31:24We've all heard that saying, don't judge a book by its cover.
31:27But in the case of this house, you can probably work out that someone very vibrant and creative
31:32lives behind that bright blue facade.
31:35And there's another saying, that everything old is new again.
31:39And that is definitely the case for the work of artist Karen Roberts.
31:52Oh, hello, Juliet.
31:54Hi, Karen.
31:56Pleasure.
32:05Wow, Karen.
32:06Thank you so much for having me into your beautiful home.
32:09Looking around, it feels so much like a gallery.
32:11So much colour already.
32:12I just love it.
32:14Oh, it's a pleasure.
32:14You've had an incredible creative journey over the past 40 years or so.
32:18And I absolutely love that you work across so many different mediums.
32:21How would you describe your artworks?
32:23There's no one description of what I do on multimedia, really.
32:29I paint bright paintings and I make things out of ceramic clay and I use old things.
32:36I put them all together and they become sculptures, my assembly sculptures.
32:42Well, that's become really popular now, reusing or repurposing things.
32:46But I love that you've just been doing it forever.
32:47Yeah, yeah, I've just always done it.
32:50Yeah.
32:50I would love to have a look around the rest of the house.
32:52Let's go out this way.
32:53Stay for a minute, stay for the pain.
32:58Dance in the fire, drowning in the rain.
33:03This is my version of Frida Kahlo and I made her out of a little table that had spindle legs.
33:10I pulled it apart and that's the bottom and the top because it made a perfect shape to put hands
33:17in.
33:17The flowers I actually made out of clay and the little face, an old cork coaster,
33:24and that's glued on and then I've gone over it with tissue.
33:27How clever. I absolutely love that. And you've saved all those things from landfill and it's just such a beautiful
33:33piece of art.
33:34Yeah, thank you.
33:35Very clever.
33:43Well, this is quite the collection. It looks like we've arrived at the circus here.
33:48Yes, well, it's part of an exhibition that I'm in with other artists and it's called The Carnival of Oddities.
33:55I just think it's so beautiful and you are so creative. Where do you find all of the bits and
34:00pieces that bring together your art?
34:03Well, family members, they'll give me little bits and pieces and as well as friends, as well as I source
34:09them, I might find them on the roadside or in an op shop.
34:15And it looks like you've got little pieces of jewellery that you've disassembled and there's upholstery trim and fabrics and
34:23all sorts of things.
34:24Yeah. These, that's actually when I was over in Thailand a few years ago. I love the fabrics over there,
34:30the embroidery, so I bought that.
34:31And the other thing that's really noticeable about your work are the faces. They all have so much character and
34:36personality. Where do you find the different faces?
34:38Well, I make a lot of the faces, so I'll make them from clay and then some of the faces.
34:44Like this face, for example, I went to a garage sale and there was a doll collection from a woman
34:53who'd passed away and she had all these doll components and she'd painted that.
34:57What I love about using the old stuff is that they have a previous story and so each one is
35:07renewed into something else.
35:11OK, let's go have a look at the workshop.
35:21Karen, this looks far too tidy for someone who collects things.
35:25Oh, thank you. I did have a clean up.
35:28This is the treasure trove of all sorts of things in here that I've collected over the years.
35:36Lots of metals.
35:37Lots of metal. I love working with the metal.
35:40And figurines. Lots of them.
35:43Yes, there's a lot. And if you notice, a lot of them have got heads that have been taken off
35:48and put onto other things and I do that on purpose.
35:52This little one was once a unicorn and then that's a really, really old Kewpie doll.
35:59Oh, Kewpie doll.
36:01Yeah.
36:01Gorgeous.
36:02Love that.
36:03And these are all the things you'd find in second-hand stores, salvos, that sort of thing.
36:09Yeah, op shops.
36:09And a lot of people would look at that and go, well, there's nothing I can do with that.
36:12But actually, what you do with it, it's really beautiful.
36:16Yeah, thank you.
36:25These ball plaques, you just use ply, but you've got this beautiful gold leaf on there with a texture to
36:31it.
36:31How do you create the texture?
36:32So what I do for the texture, I use this texture medium, impasto medium, or you can use PVA glue
36:40mix with a little bit of plaster or something to bulk it up.
36:43After that, the gold leaf, it's just a matter of putting a bit of glue.
36:49So I just grab a little sheet of gold leaf and, very, very delicate, this stuff, you see the texture
37:00coming through.
37:01So it's not plain wood.
37:03It's actually got a texture.
37:05Instantly, you can see that texture.
37:06It gives it so much life.
37:08Yeah.
37:08Well, Karen, you are so clever.
37:10Your artwork is fascinating and I have really enjoyed spending the day with you today.
37:14You've made me look at all these objects in a completely different light.
37:17And when I go home, my husband has a tool shed full of things he doesn't use anymore.
37:22I'm going to go home and have a look and see if I can be inspired to get creative with
37:26them.
37:26Yeah.
37:27Oh, I hope you do.
37:28Yeah.
37:28And thank you very much for coming.
37:30Oh, you're welcome.
37:42There are a few plants that wherever and whenever I'm gardening, I always seem to come back to.
37:46I keep them in my back pocket because they're versatile, they're hardy, and they're good looking.
37:51A little bit like myself, I think.
37:52Anyway, as I've been traveling around, I've compiled my favorite list of designer plants that just won't let you down.
37:59Oh, I'm feeling like I do, but everyone is fake.
38:03I know that you don't.
38:04The variety of Raphaelepsis indica, known as Oriental Pearl, has got to be one of my favorite shrubs.
38:09As long as you give it full sun and free draining soil, it will grow absolutely anywhere and it's perfect
38:14for coastal gardens as well.
38:16It forms a great bun shape to it and you don't have to prune it.
38:19It will get around a meter by a meter, but it also gets covered in spring in white to pink
38:25flowers.
38:33Agave Atenuata is a designer succulent that you will see everywhere.
38:36This variety is known as Clara Stripe with its variegation in the leaf.
38:40Now, this will grow in full sun and in a bit of shade as well.
38:43Incredibly versatile, does exactly what it's doing now.
38:45You grow it for the foliage and it looks fantastic. Once it's flowered though, the plant will die.
38:50But by that time, it has all these pups around the base.
38:52Now, you can either cut these off, put them in a glass of water and they'll grow roots,
38:55or you can just simply pop them in the ground and you will have a brand new plant.
39:09Westringa is a native plant that is incredibly versatile and can be used in lots of different designer ways around
39:14your garden.
39:14The standard bush, it can be clipped like this to give you a nice tight ball,
39:17and the more you clip it, the denser it gets.
39:19You can leave it to grow a little bit looser where it will flower more as well,
39:23and you can even use the gray variety known as smoky to add a little bit of light.
39:27There's ground covers called low horizon, so there really is a westringa for every designer landscape.
39:42And I came across a few more of my favorite natives whilst working on a garden last year.
39:47And first cab off the rank is this. It's Brachycomb.
39:50Now, I love this plant because it's a low-growing plant, but it's not actually a ground cover.
39:53It'll spread to about 30 centimeters wide, about 15 high, so it fills in those pockets at the front of
39:59a garden bed.
40:00It's incredibly versatile. It's a native, so it goes well in native gardens,
40:03but also looks at home in a cottage garden.
40:06It can take most type of soils, as long as it's free-draining, and give it plenty of sun.
40:17If you're after a designer plant that won't let you down, you really can't go past Cajurina Cousin It.
40:23It's such a cool-looking plant, and it forms these lovely mounds of foliage.
40:27Now, it likes semi-shade. It can take full sun, but the trick to this plant when you're setting it
40:32up
40:32and establishing it is give it lots and lots of water.
40:35So it's perfect at the bottom of a mound or perhaps spilling over a wall.
40:39As it matures, the head just gets bigger and bigger, and the foliage can droop down,
40:44looking like some pretty funky hair.
40:56These hardy, reliable plants could be just what you're after for your next garden project.
41:02Well, that's all we have time for.
41:03I'm off to go check out some of the creatives and artisans here in Montville on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
41:08I promise I'll come back with something that you can look forward to not too far away.
41:12But until then, I'll see you tomorrow night with more Better Homes and Gardens.
41:15Bye-bye.
41:20Next time, meet the chef bringing the land of the rising sun down under.
41:25I'm going to introduce you to Yoko soon, and you'll understand why she looks so gorgeous.
41:30It's a little bit retro and a whole lot of fun.
41:33This coastal beach house garden celebrates all the good things in life.
41:37When it comes to furniture trends, we're way ahead of the curve.
41:41Have you heard of tubby furniture?
41:43It's fun, it's curvy, and it's totally retro.
41:46Plus, why not serve your guests a dinner and a show in one?
41:50And there you go.
41:51The most impressive dish in the middle of your table.
41:56And we've got the key to a designer-look door.
42:00Why pay big bucks for a fancy new door when you can buy a plain one and style it yourself?
42:05That's next time on Better Homes and Gardens.
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