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Better Homes and Gardens - Season 32 Episode 23 - Episode 23
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00:00Tomorrow is the day you get to spoil that special someone in your life.
00:04I am of course talking about Mother's Day, so if you've forgotten, here's your warning.
00:09Avoid disaster and race out and buy some flowers.
00:11But not until you watch this episode of Better Homes and Gardens, because we have a cracking
00:15bunch of stories coming your way.
00:18Coming up, four wheels, four legs and one giant problem.
00:23I'm trying to see if Max is suffering from any physical disability that stops him from
00:28jumping into the back of a car.
00:30From ugly duckling to an absolute swan.
00:34So let's find out why this garden won Adelaide's Garden of the Year in 2023.
00:38Who needs Bob the Builder when these women are in town?
00:42It's the Fix-It Sisters shed.
00:45Stop plastering your walls and plaster this instead.
00:49What you'll end up with is a fresh, new, one-of-a-kind artwork.
00:54And give your delivery driver the night off.
00:57Well, Singapore noodles, it's a takeaway favourite.
01:01And tonight, I'm going to teach you how to recreate this dish.
01:17You know, most dogs love going for a ride in the car, don't they?
01:20You've only got to pick up the carcous, head in that general direction and the dog's right there.
01:25But for my patient here, Max, things aren't all that easy, are they?
01:28You can say that again, Harry.
01:30Well, let's see what goes on and let's see if we can fix it.
01:38All righty, we're going to try and set up what happens.
01:43In other words, let's see what the problem is.
01:45I've got a little bit of encouragement in my hand too, some cooked chicken.
01:48But basically, near it is going to open the tailgate of the car.
01:53Now, I've measured from the floor to the ground and that's a height of 800 mil.
02:01That's quite high.
02:04Tell me what used to happen when he was a pup, would he jump up there, no trouble at all?
02:08Yeah, he could jump up easily into the boot.
02:10And what happens now?
02:12Now, we have to lift him up, front legs first, and then hoist him up and into the boot.
02:17Can you try and encourage him in there to see if he will?
02:19Yeah, sure.
02:19I want to see what his reaction is.
02:21Max, Max.
02:22Maxie, come.
02:22Come on.
02:25Max.
02:26Come on.
02:27Up, up.
02:30So, the refusal to get up, did that happen sort of instantly?
02:34Did it happen sort of overnight, you know?
02:36One day he did it and the next day he didn't?
02:38Yeah, pretty much.
02:39So, we're not quite sure what led to that.
02:41And it was this particular vehicle?
02:43Mm-hmm.
02:44So, you tried some chicken?
02:45We've tried everything for him.
02:46You've tried everything.
02:47Okay.
02:49Max, you're going to be a good dog.
02:50Sit.
02:51Good.
02:52Oh, he's gentle, isn't he?
02:54Yeah.
02:55Try a little furby ward, just left there.
03:00So, he loves chicken.
03:02He does.
03:02So, we're off to a head start, right?
03:03What about we put it just there?
03:05Good boy.
03:06Good.
03:08Good.
03:09Good.
03:09Only problem is how do we get the rear end up?
03:11Lifting your rear end up off the ground and getting it in there requires quite a strong
03:17propulsive effort, not only from your low back, but also from your hind legs.
03:23There you go.
03:24Good boy.
03:25Good boy.
03:27Yeah.
03:28Good.
03:29Good.
03:29Go on.
03:29Good.
03:30Good boy.
03:31Okay.
03:32There we go.
03:33Good boy.
03:33Good boy.
03:34This dog's trying.
03:36Trying with everything he's got to get in the pack of this car, but his body won't allow
03:43him to do it.
03:43So, I think that's what's actually going on here.
03:46There's some pain.
03:46We've got to try and discover where that is and what's going on and how we can rectify
03:50the situation.
03:51And that way we will overcome, I believe, the fear.
03:53And if we can overcome it well enough, then we should be able to allow him to jump back
03:57into the car again.
04:02This, I take it as the alternative.
04:04Mm-hmm.
04:04Okay?
04:05So, if you can't get him into the back of the Audi, we go with the little Merc.
04:10Yep.
04:10Is that the story?
04:10You're asking him to get in.
04:11Maxie.
04:12Up in.
04:13Good boy.
04:14So, the height from there to there is a lot less than the height from the floor
04:19to the floor of the Audi.
04:22Mm-hmm.
04:22You can only take two passengers though, can't you?
04:23That's right.
04:24Okay.
04:25But at the moment, that's the way you're coping?
04:27Yes.
04:27You've got a proper back seat harness and all that sort of thing?
04:30Mm-hmm.
04:30Yep.
04:30But he can make that jump with ease.
04:33It's the height.
04:34It's having to get up that extra height.
04:36Come on.
04:37Let's go and have a look at him.
04:41Ready, set, go.
04:45Good boy.
04:46Yeah.
04:46Okay.
04:47I'm coming round the front.
04:47Okay.
04:48Start with the toes.
04:50Feel up into the metacarpals.
04:52Most of the pain you encounter is around joints.
04:55Reflection.
04:57Not a murmur.
04:59You're a good boy.
05:00You are a good boy, aren't you?
05:01I'm looking for a pain response.
05:04Part of the fact that he might go, ouch, or he might pull away, or he might tense up.
05:09You can look around there, can you?
05:10No pain.
05:11All right.
05:12We're going to swap in.
05:13And I'm coming down the back.
05:17Ooh.
05:18Done like that.
05:19I don't aim to hurt the dog, but I aim to get the dog to show me where there is
05:23pain.
05:24Mm-hmm.
05:24So that's all up around sort of the mid to low thoracic area.
05:31He's really sore up there.
05:33He doesn't like that at all.
05:34Okay.
05:35Muscle tone in his hind end is nowhere near as strong as it is in the front end.
05:40So I think he's dependent a lot on his front legs to pull himself along.
05:44Mm-hmm.
05:45Okay.
05:46I think he's got early hip dysplasia.
05:48Yeah.
05:48Right?
05:49I do not think he's got a major low back problem, but I think he has got a little bit
05:52of a low back problem.
05:53Yeah.
05:53And at this age, I would expect it.
05:54Right?
05:55Where do we go from here?
05:56Okay.
05:57The ideal thing to do is to have some x-rays done.
05:59Okay.
06:00See what we're up against.
06:01Yep.
06:01And I'll write a note to your local vet.
06:02I'll give you a shot of some dexamethasone, which will make him feel a little bit better,
06:05and might just improve the situation.
06:07And it doesn't hurt.
06:08Good boy.
06:08Good boy.
06:09One, two, three.
06:10Hey!
06:10What a good boy.
06:11And he is a good boy.
06:12He's been a great dog.
06:13All right, we need to lift him down carefully.
06:15How do I get rid of that needle?
06:17Okay.
06:18You take the front end, the pair of you.
06:20Okay.
06:21One, two, three.
06:25And he's down.
06:29All right.
06:31We've given him some treatment.
06:32Mm-hmm.
06:33I've diagnosed what I think the problem is.
06:35We need to have some x-rays, see how bad things are.
06:37And then, of course, we need to assess how much that's going to help him.
06:41What if it doesn't work anyhow?
06:42What if our treatment isn't enough to give him the strength to jump up in there,
06:47and the pain relief sufficient to conquer his fear of jumping up in there?
06:51Here's the alternative.
06:52I want him to climb in behind the seat and then climb up.
06:56Okay.
06:57Can we do that?
06:58Sure.
06:58Okay.
07:01Here you go.
07:02Look.
07:02Up, up.
07:03Good boy.
07:04Good boy.
07:05Come on.
07:06Up, up.
07:07Max, come on.
07:08Max, look.
07:09Up, up, up.
07:10You want some chicken?
07:11Find it.
07:12Find it.
07:13Oh, now you're talking.
07:16Good boy.
07:18Got him, we got him, we got him.
07:19We just weren't giving him enough chicken.
07:21We needed more.
07:22He wanted a chunk, not a little teaser.
07:24Good boy.
07:25Well done, Max.
07:27Well done, Max.
07:27We can show dogs what to do.
07:29That's all we can do.
07:31Simply show them the way.
07:32This is the new route in.
07:35And it's taken us maybe 20 minutes.
07:38This is one really smart dog and two very smart owners.
07:42Good dog trainers.
07:43And it's great to work with good people and a great dog.
07:52The energy that you give off is absolutely infectious, Lee.
07:57So can you please share what your secret is with all of us?
08:01Looking for some design inspiration?
08:02Well, Brendan's garden has it in space.
08:09So much better.
08:12Take me home.
08:19Take me home.
08:27There's always a beautiful transformation that happens in a garden.
08:31It's always so inspiring to watch a bare patch of land gradually evolve into a stunning plant paradise.
08:37And it's often a journey, not just of time, but also creativity and passion.
08:42And here in the Adelaide Hills is a great example of that.
08:45A garden and home that's been described as going from fixer-upper to best in town.
08:50I'm talking two hectares of beautiful design and meticulous landscaping.
08:55So let's find out why it won Adelaide's Garden of the Year in 2023 and meet the incredible mind behind
09:01it.
09:14So, Brenton, I believe the garden looked a lot different when you got here.
09:17Yeah, it was completely overgrown when we first got here.
09:20There was bushland that came right up to the side of the driveway.
09:24And it was also a significant slope when we got here.
09:26If you have a look at the paddock, that was the slope of the block.
09:29So I was pretty keen to get some terraces in place where you can actually stop and relax and enjoy
09:34the space.
09:35So working with an historical cottage, did you find that that dictated a bit of what you wanted for the
09:40place?
09:40Because it's a symmetrical cottage, that sort of meant that I would try and have a garden that was symmetrical
09:46as well.
09:47So you can see the corkscrews on both sides of the house.
09:49We've got two either side.
09:50And then, you know, the espaliers obviously work well to break up the stone.
09:55So I wanted to soften it a little bit and have, you know, foliage, stone, foliage, stone, as opposed to
10:00putting a creeping fig on it and just covering it all up.
10:03And I love the way, I mean, you really have used that beautiful balance of, you know, symmetry, but also,
10:09you know, formality with the box balls and the clipped and trimmed shrubs, as well as, you know, some of
10:15those beautiful wavy perennials and grasses.
10:17It's just, it's a beautiful balance.
10:19Then in amongst it, there's all the seasonal interest, you know, the seed of autumn joy and the salvias and
10:24those things that you chop back at the end of winter.
10:27I would love to explore a little bit more, can we?
10:29Yeah, shall we?
10:29Okay, sounds great.
10:39Gosh, those mentoring pairs, they really have an impact on mass up the driveway like that.
10:43They do. When you're driving up and you've got the foliage all around you, it's kind of like a green
10:48tunnel. Looks quite special.
10:49It does look really special, but they're a slightly different shape than I would normally see.
10:53Manchurian pairs are prone to splitting because of their lateral growth.
10:57The weight of the branches puts too much pressure on them and they end up snapping like this one.
11:02So what I decided to do was to pollard them, which was to sort of cut them back by two
11:06thirds.
11:07So it took a lot of the weight out of the branches and it meant that the tree was more
11:11strong.
11:12And then the new foliage, if that got knocked off, then that was okay because the main structure was in
11:18place.
11:18You made a good choice.
11:26I love all these little recycled touches. That gate's fantastic.
11:30It's lovely, isn't it?
11:31Yeah.
11:38Gosh, from this lower terrace, you can really get a view of the cottage.
11:42It's just beautiful.
11:43Yeah, it's fantastic.
11:44I wanted a space here where you could actually sit and be enclosed in foliage
11:49and you get some massive winds down the Mount Lofty Ranges
11:52and so sort of have the hedge about six feet high and then the plain trees above.
11:57And gosh, you've really shown, I think, in this garden and in this space in particular, the power of pruning.
12:04Yes. Yeah, the hedge obviously is good fun.
12:07But these plain trees are pollard and each year they then grow two to three metres beyond that.
12:13So I'm this year just training them across the wires with the festoon lights.
12:17Oh, I love that.
12:18To create a bit of a ceiling on top.
12:21I love it. A green ceiling.
12:22And I just love the way that rosemary hugs the landscape. It's fantastic.
12:26Yeah, it's a prostrate rosemary, which means it obviously grows like a carpet, but you can trim it regularly.
12:32And if you do, it has that really tidy look.
12:34And I've gone for a sort of wavy look into the English box balls.
12:49I love all the little recycled touches in the garden and you've showcased it here in the veggie patch. It's
12:54beautiful.
12:54Yeah, we were able to repurpose the gate from the paddock. My wife found the bed heads on the side
13:01of the road and so we decided to make a veggie bed.
13:04It's quite literally a bed of tomatoes.
13:06Exactly, exactly. And then we've reused an old rusted bath and that's the worm farm.
13:13It's got a lot of rustic charm about it.
13:15Yeah, I think the stick fence helps with that. I think it's a great frame for the veggie patch.
13:19Look, I would really love to just, you know, take a wander on my own so I might catch up
13:23with you later.
13:23Do it. Yeah, enjoy.
13:24Alright, thank you. I'll tell you what I think.
13:30I love this area of the garden because I think it really showcases Brenton's design vibe.
13:38So he's used lots of chukram balls and English box balls to bring evergreen structure to the area.
13:44And then he softened it with grasses like Calamogrostis and even some beautiful perennials like sedums.
13:50And then at a ground level, you've got things like the Chinese star jasmine, which is being trained to grow
13:55along the ground.
13:56There's a little bit of prostrate rosemary there, which hugs the ground and has beautiful scent.
14:01And then look at those agave. They just punctuate the whole landscape. They're really impressive.
14:06And in the backdrop here, we've got bronze fennel, which is beautiful when it first emerges because that's when you
14:11get that real bronze colour.
14:13But later in the season, it has really attractive flowers and seed heads, which really carry that interest through the
14:19garden.
14:19And just bear in mind that once you've got this baby, you'll always have it because it self seeds pretty
14:24readily.
14:32Well, Brenton, you would never know that 13 years ago, this was a run down neglected property.
14:37It's just you've done magical things with it.
14:39Thank you. Yeah, it's been such a fantastic creative outlet for me.
14:42Well, I'm impressed and I'm so glad I've been wanting to visit this garden for so many years.
14:47And it's just, yeah, incredible. So thank you for taking us on your journey.
14:51Thanks so much for coming. I've loved it.
15:00It's a bit like frosting a cake. Welcome to the wonderful world of textured art.
15:08And that's it. That is it. How good's that? Yeah.
15:17In the heart of Bayside, there's a place where creativity, community and a whole lot of girl power come together.
15:24It's the Fix It Sisters show.
15:35It's all happening in here.
15:37Hello, Linda. How are you?
15:39Good, Adam. How are you?
15:40Great. What a great shed this is.
15:42Oh, thank you.
15:43Yeah, there's a lot going on.
15:44I know. There is. A lot.
15:46Fantastic. Now tell me about the Fix It Sisters shed.
15:50Well, we empower women with practical and creative skills. So they can come here and learn or try to find
15:58all sorts of other activities. We teach how to repair things at the home. Like quite often, they've been waiting
16:07for someone to repair a kitchen cupboard or the top of a saucepan.
16:12Yep.
16:12All you've got to do is we can teach you how to use those drills that you've probably got in
16:18the garage.
16:19Fantastic. Now, it's not just a hands-on approach here for the women, is it?
16:23No.
16:23There's actually more that they get out of, isn't there?
16:25Yeah. Well, they come for a cup of tea and a chat or it's just to have other people. We
16:31all sit down at lunch together.
16:33Yes.
16:33Every day.
16:34That's that connection, isn't it?
16:35Yeah.
16:35Now, looking around, there is fantastic projects that I can see everywhere. Could we possibly have a look at them
16:41closer?
16:42Yeah. Sure.
16:42All right. Let's do it.
16:52Linda, what do we have here? Where are we?
16:55This is bike inner tubes.
16:57You're joking. I've never seen anything like it. So all of this is made from the same?
17:00Yeah. Yeah. It's all bike inner tubes.
17:03I absolutely love that. What a great idea.
17:06We do a lot of repurpose reuse.
17:08With all the builds that you do here, that's what it's about. And where are you getting the inner tubes
17:12from?
17:13The bike shops. They look after us and put it away for us.
17:17Fantastic.
17:17Otherwise, it'd go to landfill.
17:19What a great idea. Now, is there any other things that you're upcycling?
17:22Well, as a matter of fact...
17:24Yes.
17:24...over here...
17:25Here we go.
17:26Mm-hmm.
17:28What have we got here?
17:29We have some jigsaw puzzle boards. This is a way of using old election posters.
17:38That's a great idea.
17:39Political posters.
17:40Yeah.
17:40And we use old Venetian blinds and some leftover wood. And that stops your...
17:46Bored from bending.
17:47Yeah.
17:47Yeah. And also from losing your bits.
17:50Yeah.
17:51You definitely don't want to lose your bits, let me tell you.
17:53Yeah.
17:53Jeepers. Freepers.
17:54And then we...
17:55Yeah. So you can sort them into the different sizes and bits.
17:59That's so good. I absolutely love it.
18:01What's going on here? What's this for?
18:03Well, this is specially for...
18:05Yep.
18:07...the lid.
18:08So that you can have the lid set up.
18:11Look at that, eh?
18:12So... Now, one of the girls came up with that.
18:14How nifty is that?
18:15Yeah.
18:16Eh?
18:16Yeah.
18:17We'll be coming to Better Homes and Gardens in a make in 2026.
18:20Don't worry about that. I'm going to steal that idea.
18:22That is a great idea.
18:34Hello, Lee. How are you?
18:36Very nice to meet you.
18:38Nice to meet you too, Adam.
18:38Look at you working her way out here. What a nice little spot you've set up.
18:42What's going on?
18:43I've bought nests of tables at auction shops or Salvation Army.
18:48Yes?
18:48Cut the legs down to make bonsai stands.
18:51How cool is that?
18:51And because the high gloss isn't good for bonsai, I strip them back.
18:57So your job here is a stripper, a varnish stripper? Is that right?
19:01Whoa!
19:01Jeepers!
19:02A varnish stripper, is that correct?
19:04Yeah.
19:04Well, I strip paint off of it. This had varnish on it, obviously.
19:08Yep.
19:08But if it has paint on it, you do the same thing.
19:10And how long have you been coming to the shed for?
19:13Two and a half lovely years. It's a great place.
19:16It is a beautiful place, isn't it?
19:18Yes.
19:18And is hands on, is that something that you've only just started two and a half years ago?
19:21Or that's been part of your life?
19:22Decades ago, I took a course in restoring furniture and restored two antique bookcases.
19:28Yeah, good.
19:28And I just love working with wood.
19:30I'm not a carpenter.
19:31Yes.
19:31But I can restore furniture back to looking very nice from when it was really in bad condition.
19:38Yeah.
19:39It's so rewarding, isn't it?
19:40Yeah.
19:40And every bit of timber is different.
19:43Yes.
19:44And then, you know, it's therapeutic in a way, even when you're working on it.
19:47Do you find that?
19:48I find it's wonderful when you get a horrible piece of wood and you start taking all the
19:54dirt and scunge off and you suddenly get sunshine coming through.
19:57Yes, that's a beautiful way to look at it.
19:58It's bringing glory back to the wood and giving it dignity again.
20:01But making these tables, that's not all you do.
20:04Am I correct in saying that these necklaces, you've also made them?
20:07I've started beading.
20:09I took a beading course a few months ago and people keep donating things.
20:13And I look at them when they come in and I'm thinking, I know what beads we have.
20:17I can do something with this.
20:18So I make mobiles and jewellery.
20:20Beautiful.
20:21And it's just great using recycled materials.
20:23Well, I tell you what, you do some remarkable work and it's fantastic to see.
20:28It's the inspiration this place gives you.
20:30It's just a lovely place to spark enthusiasm.
20:33And the people are so generous with appreciation and support.
20:38Yeah, I've just got to say you're an amazing woman.
20:40No, no, they're all amazing here.
20:42And what gets me is you sit at the lunch table and there can be 20 women there
20:45and they're all smiling because they're all enjoying themselves.
20:49And if you need help, there's somebody who's bound to know what to do.
20:53And lend a hand.
20:54It just, it's a marvelous place.
20:55And that's what it's about.
20:56Now, if you don't mind me asking, Lee, how old are you?
20:59I'm 84.
21:00No.
21:01Can you please share what your secret is with all of us?
21:04Plenty of wine and Devon Rexcats.
21:07There it is, folks.
21:13What do you love most about woodwork, Kim?
21:17Just construction, making projects.
21:20Many members come here with a project in mind.
21:23Yeah.
21:24Lots of repair work.
21:25Yeah.
21:25And we all pitch in and help and work out how to get that project done.
21:30Great.
21:30And so what are some of the other things that you've built here?
21:32This one.
21:33So this is our habitat boxes that we do with the council.
21:38We make them here.
21:40We manufacture them here to a flat pack.
21:43Yep.
21:43Then we take that to a sustainability fair that they run.
21:46And we run workshops with the general public.
21:48And is that just for habitat for, what's this one for?
21:51So this one's a wood duck.
21:53Yep.
21:53And an owl.
21:54They can both use this box.
21:56But we also do possum, kookaburra, and padelow.
21:59Oh, how cool is that?
22:01And it's how we do.
22:01I'd love to get our heads on and have a go at making one of these.
22:04Can we do that?
22:04Yeah, sure.
22:31And that's it.
22:32That is it.
22:32How good's that?
22:33Yeah.
22:34You get in there and everything.
22:35They're nifty as.
22:37Been blown away by what everyone brings to the table at this shed.
22:41It is fantastic.
22:42It's beautiful to see the women getting involved and creating such a good community.
22:57Well, there's no need for me around here.
22:59Because these ladies, they're fixing it for themselves.
23:05Coming up, it's noodle night and this recipe's a keeper.
23:10It's going to be one of those dishes that will be on repeat on your menu.
23:14And have you ever tried making your own textured art?
23:18Process could not be more simple or rewarding.
23:27Have you ever tried your hand at textured art?
23:30It's a very organic look and it's perfect for a contemporary space.
23:35I recently made a DIY organic artwork as part of a living room makeover I completed and the
23:40process could not be more simple or rewarding.
23:47First up, you need to get your hands on a canvas like this.
23:50You might have one at home.
23:51If not, you can pick these up almost anywhere.
23:53And the great thing about them is that they're pre-primed.
23:55So you won't need an undercoat.
23:57You can go straight in with a top coat.
23:58And this is the perfect project to use some leftover paint.
24:02You can even use sample pots.
24:19For the background colour, I'm using this lovely beige tone called Hog Bristle.
24:23And that is going to give us some contrast against the texture paint that we put on top.
24:33Once the paint's dry, you want to use some masking tape to create a border all the way around the
24:37edge.
24:52Often the visual interest in an artwork comes from the colour, but as the name suggests with
24:56this one, it comes from the texture.
24:58And to create that texture, I'm using a combination of joint compound mixed with texture paste in a ratio of
25:04one to one.
25:05I've also added in some whisper white paint.
25:07And I'm just going to do a very thin base layer over the whole canvas.
25:36Now for the fun part where you get to play and add some pattern onto the canvas.
25:41It's always a good idea to have a bit of a plan before you start.
25:44So I'm using the end of a spoon to divide up my canvas.
25:47And the look that I'm going for is an aerial view of a river system.
25:50So I'm just going to start drawing in some lines and that will help to define the layout.
26:11There are so many different techniques you can use to create contours and shapes on the canvas.
26:15For the first one, I'm using this notch spreader which is going to create perfect waves.
26:33To create the sandy shores of the river, I'm using this wet sponge and I'm just going to place it
26:40onto the canvas like that.
26:43Now you might find to get a little bit more lift, you'll need some more of the mixture.
26:48You can just pop it onto your sponge and then place it onto the canvas.
26:54And that gives you just a little bit more structure.
27:04This is actually so much fun.
27:07So next up I'm going to create some little pebbles and rocks along the riverbank's edge.
27:12But before I do that, I'm going to use a thin scraper just to remove some of that paint.
27:16And that way the pebbles will be really prominent.
27:40The humble soup spoon is also very handy to create circles or craters.
27:46You can use different sizes, you could use a teaspoon as well.
27:49But the beauty of this is you can just have some fun.
27:52There are no rules, so just go for it.
27:55And if you don't like what you've created, it takes a little while to dry,
27:58so all you need to do is scrape it off and start again.
28:15Before the medium dries, you'll want to remove the masking tape and look at that beautiful defined line.
28:21I also love the way the light plays on the contours of this landscape.
28:25So beautiful.
28:26You'll need to wait about two to three days before it's completely dry
28:30and then you can frame your masterpiece.
28:33And what you'll end up with is a fresh, new, one-of-a-kind artwork.
28:38Because it's neutral, it will sit gently in any interior space.
28:42It's fun, it's therapeutic.
28:43What a result.
28:52Gardens are very rarely set and forget.
28:55Take this one, for example.
28:56Believe it or not, this used to be in blazing sun.
28:59But with recent renovations and these magnolia teddy bears maturing,
29:02well, everything underneath has died.
29:04But I don't see this as a failure.
29:06I see it as an opportunity.
29:07It's time to replant and refresh.
29:20Now this is a pitosporum or pitosporum, however you say it, known as golf ball.
29:24And it was mass-planted underneath these magnolias.
29:27But as it's got more and more shady, they've just slowly dwindled and died.
29:30So this is the last one to come out.
29:32I'm going to see if I can save it.
29:34Yeah, I probably can save that one.
29:35I'll go put that in a sunny spot and then we can get on to replanting.
29:56Because we're dealing with shade, it can be quite tricky to get lots of different plants in.
30:00So I'm just going for three and it's going to give us a mass impact.
30:03This is one of my favorites.
30:04It's arthropodium or the New Zealand rock lily.
30:06It can take a lot of shade.
30:08It can take a fair bit of sun as well.
30:09But the one thing it can't take is water around its roots.
30:12So it needs really good drainage.
30:13It will get quite high and fill in behind the magnolias nicely.
30:16And as the garden steps down towards the front, we've got some lyriope.
30:19Which gives us a little bit of height, but not as big as the arthropodium.
30:22Going down to a ground cover with this adjuga.
30:24Now this gets a really nice flower on it that stands above these supercharged lettuce leaves.
30:29It's going to cover the ground and complete the mold.
30:58So as your garden changes and evolves,
31:00don't leave those bare patches to become an eyesore.
31:03Get some new plants, give it a refresh and a new lease of life.
31:17It's the most popular takeaway dish and now you can make it at home.
31:23To catch up on any stories you've missed, or to watch exclusive Better Homes and Gardens content,
31:29plus loads of how-to videos, recipes and more, check us out on 7 Plus.
31:42Singapore noodles.
31:44It's a takeaway favourite and tonight I'm going to teach you how to recreate this dish.
31:54I'm using pork fillet today, but sometimes I do use pork neck.
31:59The reason being is that pork neck has a little bit more fat and we all know the flavour usually
32:06comes from the fat.
32:07I'm cutting about 250 grams.
32:12Into a bowl it goes.
32:15Into the pork I'm going to put some soya sauce, about two tablespoons.
32:23One tablespoon of oyster sauce.
32:26A bit of sugar, about one teaspoon.
32:28Here I've got some sesame oil and I've got corn flour.
32:34Now the reason why I put corn flour, number one, it tenderises the pork just slightly and it also gives
32:41a nice silky texture to it.
32:43And last but not least, white pepper.
32:47Give it a mix.
32:49Make sure you coat the pork thoroughly.
32:52Now that that's done, onto the egg omelette or egg pancake.
32:58Now this part of the recipe is really quite a mum thing.
33:03This is my mum's version of the Singapore noodles.
33:08So into the bowl five eggs.
33:12Tiny bit of seasonings.
33:15Salt.
33:15And just a pinch of white pepper.
33:20Just whisk it till it combines and till it mixes.
33:25And then I'm going to get the heat on.
33:28The pan feels that it's got a bit of heat on it.
33:32I don't put a lot of oil on this.
33:35Basically just a little drop so it doesn't stick to the pan.
33:38But if you've got a non-stick pan, you probably don't even have to put any oil on it.
33:44Now the key to this pancake is that you want the pancake to be as thin as possible.
33:52So pour a couple in and then you start swirling it around your pan.
34:04And leave it there.
34:07So what happens here is that you want to have a little peak to see whether the bottom is cooked.
34:15And how you know this is when you can slide your spatula underneath it.
34:22Just like so.
34:23You have to be a little patient with this.
34:26That's ready.
34:27Don't have to turn it.
34:29Just put it on a flat tray.
34:34Now we're going to do the stir fry.
34:37Here I have some shiitake mushrooms.
34:41They were dried and what I did was soak them in hot water for about half an hour.
34:46And then I'm going to slice them.
34:49Take off the stem because they're kind of woody.
34:53Another great tip when I rehydrate the mushrooms is that I actually keep the water.
34:59It actually is very flavoursome and it acts like a stock.
35:06About six to eight mushrooms here.
35:12Alright, let's get on to our stir fry.
35:16Make sure you turn up the heat.
35:18Put some oil.
35:20About two or three tablespoons here.
35:25And wait for the oil to heat up.
35:28Wok is slightly smoking so it's ready.
35:32One large onion.
35:37Just give it a quick stir.
35:4030 seconds.
35:42Okay, once you start to see the onions slightly sort of browning around the edges.
35:49You can put in your garlic.
35:52That's two to three cloves of garlic.
35:54One carrot.
35:56So that's why you have your wok smoking before you put all the ingredients in.
36:02Because once you start putting all your cold ingredients in, the heat starts to dissipate.
36:07And you don't want it to go too low.
36:10We're going to put in the pork.
36:11Try and spread the pork around your wok.
36:15So it cooks evenly.
36:18And to that I'm going to add the mushrooms as well.
36:27I'll just let that sit there for a minute.
36:29And here I've got 250 grams of vermicelli noodles.
36:35Which I've soaked for 30 minutes in cold water.
36:39I'm going to just give it a few cuts in the middle.
36:44When you stir fry it and when you mix it around, it's not going to be in a lump.
36:49Here I've got 12 green prawns.
36:52Once the pork is almost cooked, that's when you want to put the prawns in.
36:56You don't want to put it in too early because you don't want to overcook them.
37:00Otherwise they become quite chewy.
37:05So the prawns are half cooked and this is when I'm going to add my noodles.
37:15So you know where we kept the water where we soaked the mushrooms.
37:18Here is where we add it in for some moisture.
37:27A little bit of soy sauce for seasoning.
37:31Some white pepper again.
37:35We're going to add the bean sprouts.
37:37You want to add these bean sprouts at the end of your stir fry because you only want to wilt
37:43them.
37:44Here I've got some garlic chives.
37:47Garlic chives are the same as the bean sprout shoot.
37:52They only take a few minutes to wilt.
37:59I am ready to dig in.
38:01Let's get a bit of everything in here.
38:04Some prawns, pork, mushroom.
38:09And here's where we grab one of these omelettes.
38:14You know, if you're entertaining, it's a really beautiful dish to put in the middle of the table.
38:26Some ribbons.
38:28We cannot forget the chilli.
38:29For this dish I use some medium chilli.
38:33A squeeze of lime or lemon.
38:36And some soy sauce.
38:39Trust me, the combination with this dish is magical.
38:44I'm sorry I am salivating while I'm doing this.
38:47It's going to be one of those dishes that will be on repeat on your menu.
38:58Mmm.
38:59Just so maurish.
39:07Today I'm testing out a new portable coffee maker called the Pixapresso.
39:18It's a battery operated coffee maker that can brew using coffee capsules or ground coffee.
39:28Now the idea behind coffee machines like this is to be able to take high quality coffee with you wherever
39:34you go.
39:35Whether that be camping or on a four wheel driving trip, that sort of thing.
39:39It packs up quite neatly into a little carry bag.
39:43And then all you need to do is charge it with a USB-C cable.
39:47Let's pop it on here.
39:48Now we're going to add our water into the top.
39:54Now this is actually going to heat my water and build up the pressure as well.
39:59We can turn it on.
40:01Have a little smiley face.
40:05I'm going to select.
40:06That's the espresso option.
40:08Press and hold.
40:11And now what it's going to do is it's going to take around about three minutes to heat up the
40:17water.
40:17And then it's going to start pushing that hot water through.
40:20And I should get some espresso in the bottom.
40:23Now with the time that I've been testing this little machine,
40:25I've been able to get around about three to four cups of coffee per charge.
40:30And depending on your outlet, sometimes it can take a while to charge.
40:33So that is something to keep in mind.
40:36What's happening?
40:39We're making coffee.
40:40Okay, let's see how we went.
40:42Take that off there.
40:47I mean, it looks like espresso to me.
40:50Smells like espresso.
40:51Now I will say, it isn't the lightest portable coffee maker.
40:56It does have a battery and a pump and all that sort of stuff in there.
40:59So if you are going to chuck it in your backpack, something to consider.
41:02But I will say, being able to have a nice espresso in the middle of the park is pretty fantastic.
41:12I hope you enjoyed the show.
41:14And if you're celebrating Mother's Day tomorrow, have a wonderful day.
41:17And for those that are missing their mums, we're thinking of you too.
41:19We'll see you next week with more Better Homes and Gardens.
41:21Bye-bye.
41:25Next time, have you ever tasted food so good it's changed your life?
41:30Pure perfection and some brilliance from Bray.
41:33We've got the duck dish you'll want to tuck straight into.
41:36Thanks for coming.
41:38Has Juliet discovered the ultimate sea change?
41:41Come with me as we explore Brisbane's coastal playground.
41:44And Dr Harry loves all creatures great and small.
41:48But there's one perfect pet he won't budge on.
41:51Have you ever thought about getting a pet bird for the family?
41:55That's next time on Better Homes and Gardens.
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