Better Homes And Gardens S2025 E02
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00:00Building in the inner city comes with a myriad of challenges that can be quite daunting.
00:00:10But for one master craftsman with a big and bold vision, those challenges were there to
00:00:15be conquered.
00:00:16The home he built in the end would be his greatest and final masterpiece in a career
00:00:21that spanned 30 years.
00:00:23Five levels of the most exquisite joinery and everything you could imagine under one
00:00:28roof and on top of it.
00:00:29We'll be exploring it shortly on Better Homes and Gardens.
00:00:33Tonight it's a sausage fest as this waggle of tiny wieners get ready for their big day
00:00:39out.
00:00:40Then a whole tribe of daxies just you wait and see.
00:00:44From carpentry to Canadian bear country, Adam's adding some very special experiences to his
00:00:50growing resume.
00:00:51When I was doing my carpentry apprenticeship, never in my wildest dreams did I think that
00:00:56work would take me deep into the Canadian wilderness, literally metres from some bears.
00:01:04If you've got a sweet tooth but don't fancy cooking, make this dessert and you don't have
00:01:09to.
00:01:10It's late summer, it's hot outside.
00:01:11The best dessert for me is a summer pudding.
00:01:14Cut through the chaos and add some style and storage to your entryway.
00:01:18And the best part is you only need a couple of tools to do it.
00:01:22Let the good times roll with a tasty update to school lunches.
00:01:26They're fresh, they're delicious and they're so healthy for kids as well.
00:01:33Plus this soaping suburban block has been transformed into a tropical oasis.
00:01:39This is a real masterclass in garden design.
00:01:42I'm taking a little trip to a city called Maitland in New South Wales and I'm here for
00:01:51the Dashtober Long Dog Festival.
00:01:54You know what that's all about?
00:01:55Obviously long dogs.
00:01:56So what are long dogs?
00:01:57Well, they're dashing dachshunds, call them what you like, four short legs and a big long
00:02:02back and plenty of get up and go.
00:02:04They're here in every colour and every coat type under the sun.
00:02:08They're great little dogs.
00:02:09Everybody loves a dachshund.
00:02:10That's why there are 2,000 of them here today.
00:02:12They're the whole tribe of dachshunds.
00:02:15Just you wait and see.
00:02:16Now I had a bit of trouble finding these two ladies.
00:02:27This is Lisa and this is Nilsa and the two of you got this whole thing going, didn't
00:02:31you?
00:02:32We did.
00:02:33Tell me about what happens here on Long Dog Day.
00:02:36So we get a whole group of dachshund lovers and their long dogs together.
00:02:42But it's more just about fun.
00:02:45Dachshund owners are their own unique kind of person, just like our dogs.
00:02:49The whole purpose of today is for all our owners to come out, have a great day whilst
00:02:53advocating for our breed itself.
00:02:55These little guys are just fantastic.
00:02:57They are addictive.
00:02:58I've got six of my own.
00:03:00Lisa's got four.
00:03:01Hence why we now have a festival to celebrate all of the puppies.
00:03:04But the main object obviously is to have fun for people to get together with their dogs.
00:03:08Yeah.
00:03:09You know, like minds and like breeds.
00:03:10That's right.
00:03:11You know, you've got so many great competitions going on.
00:03:14You've got your races.
00:03:15Yeah.
00:03:16You've got your fancy dress.
00:03:17All that sort of stuff.
00:03:18You know, dog owner lookalike.
00:03:19It's just good fun.
00:03:20And the smile.
00:03:21Look at you two.
00:03:22You're smiling.
00:03:23They're smiling.
00:03:24They never stop smiling.
00:03:33It's the race that stopped the nation in the long dog handicap.
00:03:36The competitors are on the start line.
00:03:37This is heat five, I think.
00:03:38Start your wiener.
00:03:39On your marks.
00:03:40Get set.
00:03:41Go!
00:03:43Go!
00:03:53Well, look what we've got here.
00:03:55We've got a couple of wieners.
00:03:56And one of these is the winner.
00:03:57This is the winning wiener long dog wiener.
00:03:59I think I got all that right or half right.
00:04:02Anyhow, so have you been training these dogs for years to do this sort of stuff?
00:04:06Yeah.
00:04:07This one.
00:04:08This one.
00:04:09That one.
00:04:10This one.
00:04:11But this is the winner.
00:04:12Well, listen, I'm from the stewards, right?
00:04:13And we're about to conduct a swab against this particular dog over here, right?
00:04:18One by a country mile, and I'm just wondering what this dog's been given before the race.
00:04:22Anything special before the race?
00:04:24Special kibble.
00:04:25Special kibble? That'll pass.
00:04:30I should introduce to you Chrissie now. Chrissie, what's your position here?
00:04:34I'm actually the chairman of Dachshund IVDD Support Australia.
00:04:37In layman's terms, what does IVDD stand for?
00:04:41It's a disease of the spine which affects the vertebrae with the discs in between.
00:04:46So basically, it's a back disease.
00:04:48So tell me how your charity works and how you support IVDD.
00:04:52We actually provide awareness, education and support to owners.
00:04:56We have a support group, a closed support group, where they can actually talk to other owners.
00:05:00And we actually also have a phone support where people can kind of ring up and
00:05:04talk to volunteers that are actually familiar with the disease, a bit like a doggy lifeline.
00:05:08But this has always been a problem with dachshunds. It's always been around.
00:05:12Hats off to you for giving it some publicity.
00:05:23I found Hayley and her dog. And her dog is how old?
00:05:2816.
00:05:2916 years old. For a dachshund, that is amazing.
00:05:33Look at the old graying around the face. Was that tan once?
00:05:36Yeah.
00:05:36It was, wasn't it?
00:05:37Yeah.
00:05:3916 years. What have you done right that's got this dog to 16 years?
00:05:43I don't know. He's not much of a walker. He prefers to sleep.
00:05:47I think just lots of love, good diet. His back's been really good. We've never had any issues.
00:05:53What a lovely old dog.
00:06:03Sandra.
00:06:04Sandra.
00:06:04Hayley.
00:06:05Sandra and Hayley. And the two dogs are?
00:06:07This is Milo and Teddy.
00:06:08Teddy.
00:06:08Now you went to buy one dog and you came home with two. Tell me what happened.
00:06:11We did. We went and bought one dog and they were two little brothers
00:06:16and we couldn't separate them. So we ended up with two.
00:06:19So they get on well together, the pair of them.
00:06:21Yes.
00:06:22No fights or arguments or anything like that.
00:06:23Only brotherly, you know.
00:06:25Yeah, just a brotherly tussle occasionally.
00:06:26Yeah, yeah, yeah. The house is a bit turned upside down than it used to be, but you know,
00:06:30we get a lot of joy from them.
00:06:37Congratulations. Well done.
00:06:51Thank you so much.
00:06:52Great effort. Very inventive little trapping. Well done, Biggles. Well done. Great job, son.
00:06:58What a great creative outfit that is. Not just that one, but have a look at where the tacos go.
00:07:03The tacos stand over here too. Absolutely fantastic.
00:07:07We've got a dog with a drone outfit on somewhere too and a snail.
00:07:11I mean, they're some of the best outfits I've ever seen.
00:07:13They're amazing. A lot of effort's gone into this.
00:07:15And what a great day it's been to come here to Maitland, to a lovely old historic homestead
00:07:21and to see so many dogs and so many people and a lot of fun.
00:07:25Did I love it? You betcha.
00:07:27There's only one person loved it more than me.
00:07:30I'm sorry. Two thousand people that loved it more than me, and that was the dogs.
00:07:38If you want to know what summer looks like,
00:07:42if you want to know what summer tastes like, tune in for my summer pudding.
00:07:48Animal encounters are amazing, but bears in the wild, you know, that's something special.
00:08:00It's late summer, it's hot outside. The best dessert for me is a summer pudding.
00:08:04It involves berries, gelatin, bread, fridge, done, knockout. Let's go.
00:08:15We have an abundance of berries at the minute. I've got raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.
00:08:21The gelatin, six leaves of titanium gelatin.
00:08:25Titanium just means the strongest gelatin you can get. Goes into a liter.
00:08:31Put it in cold water, not hot water, because you just want it to soften.
00:08:35Get our pot on. Low heat to start.
00:08:43I'll use three cinnamon quills.
00:08:47So what you want to do is no oil, no nothing.
00:08:50Get it in there, get the heat moving until you start to smell the cinnamon.
00:08:54All right, the berries, strawberries, always a fan favorite. Take the green off, cut in half.
00:09:01So there is a lot of berries in this. It's three by 250 strawberries,
00:09:06and then it's three by 125 blackberries and raspberries.
00:09:11So summer is the ideal time to make it because they're in season and they're cheaper.
00:09:16Strawberries, finally, done.
00:09:20We've got the cinnamon in there. You add the berries to the hot pot.
00:09:34Last of the berries in.
00:09:37Lemon verbena. I've cooked with this many times.
00:09:40This is one of my favorite herbs. That goes in.
00:09:43And that's going to add a beautiful lemon back note to this pudding.
00:09:48Now we need a little bit of liquid in there. We're going to add a stock syrup.
00:09:51A stock syrup is half sugar to half water, the exact same amount, whatever amount you make.
00:09:56For this recipe, we need two cups.
00:10:05And a cup of water.
00:10:07And a cup of water.
00:10:13Now, what we do is we just let that gently simmer.
00:10:17And what happens is all the juice of the berries, all the flavors
00:10:20is going to flavor that liquid. And that's what's going to give us our sauce.
00:10:24All right, just give that a little mix.
00:10:27A big part of summer pudding is to use up all bread.
00:10:31But in most houses, like my house, there's no all bread.
00:10:34So we're using white sliced bread.
00:10:36For appearances, I remove the crusts.
00:10:43So that's what you're left with. There's a little bit of crust on there.
00:10:45Don't worry about it.
00:10:48Serving bowl.
00:10:49So I line it with some cling film.
00:10:52So what happens is it's easy to get it out of the actual bowl
00:10:56once we've made it because you can get the air in there.
00:11:00OK, I'm just going to pull out a little bit of liquid.
00:11:02I'll add it back in just to dip my bread, which helps stick it to the bowl.
00:11:12So you're basically
00:11:15dipping your bread.
00:11:16And then we sort of press that in.
00:11:18And with your larger pieces, now we start to build.
00:11:23The bread goes in.
00:11:24But basically, you just cover the entire bowl.
00:11:27So it looks like that.
00:11:28You've made a little outside casing of bread.
00:11:33We're starting to simmer now.
00:11:35You can just see it's starting to simmer.
00:11:36You don't want it to boil because we still want some of the integrity of the fruit.
00:11:40What I like to do is add a tablespoon of citric acid.
00:11:43It's like lemon juice on steroids.
00:11:46It just lifts the entire dish or sauce.
00:11:50I don't want it to cook anymore.
00:11:51I'm going to take it off.
00:11:53Now, this is where you add your gelatin.
00:11:57So have a look at this.
00:11:57The gelatin was really crisp at the start.
00:12:00And this is what happens.
00:12:01It absorbs the water.
00:12:04And you add it to your hot liquid and it will dissolve.
00:12:08That's how you make jelly.
00:12:23We've sat for half an hour just to cool down a little bit.
00:12:26Oh, beautiful.
00:12:29Going to add a little bit of lemon zest.
00:12:31This is singing now.
00:12:33We're going to add a little bit of lemon juice for another bit of acidity.
00:12:36Also, what I will do is pull out any of that leftover lemon verbena.
00:12:42It's done its job.
00:12:43If I come across any cinnamon, that can come out as well.
00:12:47And now, this is the good bit.
00:12:50You start to fill your little bread holder.
00:12:53So what I do first is I try and scoop as much through and add the juice later.
00:12:59As you spoon in that beautiful red liquid,
00:13:02what happens is that bread on the side is like a sponge.
00:13:05It's sucking in all that beautiful color, that redness.
00:13:09And that's what makes this dessert so stunning.
00:13:12So I would overfill this.
00:13:15You sort of get a little bit of a dome.
00:13:19And now what you do is you add a little bit of water.
00:13:21And now what you do is you put the last of the remaining bread on the bottom.
00:13:26Bottom doesn't have to be too perfect.
00:13:29All I do now is I wrap it in cling film.
00:13:34You put a plate on top,
00:13:37which is giving you a base, which is forming the bottom.
00:13:40And what I do is a can, something heavy, goes on top.
00:13:46And now that goes in the fridge overnight.
00:13:49And tomorrow we're going to have a perfectly set dome.
00:13:53And here we go.
00:13:56I haven't got all night to wait.
00:13:58It's too good.
00:13:59Plate goes on top.
00:14:01You turn it over.
00:14:08The reveal.
00:14:14What I like to do is just drizzle that over the top.
00:14:20As they say, the proof is in the pudding.
00:14:22And this is 100%.
00:14:24So when I slice into this, it should hold together,
00:14:26because the gelatine and the berries.
00:14:28It's feeling good.
00:14:36A drizzle.
00:14:37You could serve it with creme fraiche, cream.
00:14:41That is summer, summer on a plate.
00:14:45You can't do better than that.
00:14:47You're welcome.
00:14:50No.
00:14:52Are you ready for this?
00:14:53Here comes the big design statement.
00:14:57I'm taking you to Canada's British Columbia
00:14:59to find out what a bear really does in the woods.
00:15:04In the March issue of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine,
00:15:06we are celebrating the plant color of the year, teal.
00:15:09And we're showing you how to incorporate it into your garden.
00:15:12Plus, we explore Gather Flower Farm in the Yarra Valley,
00:15:15which is home to a huge range of vibrant blooms
00:15:18like dahlias, roses, proteas, and peonies.
00:15:21And in 2025, Better Homes and Gardens magazine
00:15:24is searching for Australia's most passionate and dedicated tradies.
00:15:28That's all in the March issue of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
00:15:31Out now.
00:15:38This segment is brought to you by Air Canada.
00:15:40Fly non-stop from Sydney and Brisbane to Vancouver
00:15:43and connect to more than 100 destinations across North America.
00:15:46Book now at aircanada.com.
00:16:04When I was doing my carpentry apprenticeship,
00:16:06never in my wildest dreams did I think that work
00:16:09would take me deep into the Canadian wilderness,
00:16:12literally meters from some bears.
00:16:14But here I am on the trip of a lifetime to British Columbia.
00:16:18Now, this is going to be an incredible two weeks
00:16:20and I can't wait to share this adventure with you.
00:16:33Tom, this is remarkable.
00:16:36What are we watching here?
00:16:37Oh, it's amazing.
00:16:38The salmon come, we're laying right there asleep.
00:16:43They've probably been sleeping for an hour or two
00:16:46because they've been eating all morning.
00:16:47And then slowly, the mom was good to go, cub not really.
00:16:52Absolutely beautiful.
00:16:53And so do we do tend to find mother and cub always together?
00:16:57Is that the groups that they go on?
00:16:59Yeah, that's the family unit
00:17:00and they will stay together for two and a half years approximately.
00:17:05Okay.
00:17:06This is towards the tail end of the salmon run,
00:17:08but it's right when the bears start to get real lethargic.
00:17:12They're out flat, right?
00:17:13They're sleeping.
00:17:21So what's going on here?
00:17:23Finally, mom said, okay, we're going to fish.
00:17:25And she just walked out there and just nailed it.
00:17:29Almost like it was an afterthought, you know?
00:17:31She didn't even chase very far.
00:17:33She just pounced, boom.
00:17:35She's got herself quite a large chunk of salmon.
00:17:37And now she's eating it.
00:17:39You can see how she's peeling the skin off
00:17:40because that's the layer of fat or anything.
00:17:43She is after the fat.
00:17:44Yep.
00:17:44And she'll eat the brains.
00:17:46And if it was a female's egg, she'd eat the eggs.
00:17:48Wow.
00:17:48And then she'll often leave, you know, as she's doing now,
00:17:52she's just meat left, but she doesn't need that.
00:17:55Well, I can see all the birds hovering as well.
00:17:57So it's like they know that they're eating.
00:17:59Oh yeah, they're waiting.
00:18:01There's so much going on and so much interconnection.
00:18:04It's really quite amazing.
00:18:05This is absolutely spectacular.
00:18:11The bear sightings keep coming.
00:18:20On the way back to the lodge, we come across another bear
00:18:23feasting in an inland waterway.
00:18:25Wow.
00:18:27I'll tell you what, Tom, seeing the mother and that cub
00:18:30and then this bear just behind us, it is absolutely incredible.
00:18:34Now I'm not very good with the geographics of exactly where we are.
00:18:38So can you explain?
00:18:40Yeah, so we are on the central coast of British Columbia
00:18:43at the end of Smith Inlet, where Great Bear Lodge is located.
00:18:46And we're just a few kilometers from the lodge.
00:18:50It is so remote out here, isn't it?
00:18:52Oh, absolutely.
00:18:53Yeah.
00:18:54And so why do the bears love it?
00:18:55They have a lot of space.
00:18:56They have a lot of space.
00:18:57They have a lot of food.
00:18:58There's the salmon.
00:18:59There's also abundant berries and various other herbaceous
00:19:02vegetation, which they eat.
00:19:05All of these food resources are available.
00:19:07And this is excellent habitat for them.
00:19:10So this bear here, Tom, is it male or female?
00:19:20That's a female.
00:19:21Female.
00:19:22And why would she be here instead of out in the rapids?
00:19:24Well, largely because this time of the year,
00:19:27at the end of the salmon season, there's more fish here.
00:19:30And these are all very old and tired.
00:19:32And so it's easy fishing.
00:19:33And also it's kind of a private place.
00:19:35And she's got plenty of dead and dying fish to eat.
00:19:39She's literally just picking them up
00:19:40and throwing them into her mouth.
00:19:42It's unbelievable.
00:19:43This is not particularly deep.
00:19:44In some areas, the water might be five feet deep.
00:19:47And they will walk on their back legs
00:19:49and kick it up until they can get a hold of it
00:19:52with their front legs.
00:19:52And then they take it ashore.
00:19:55It's just crazy.
00:20:06Wow, Tom, this is absolutely remarkable.
00:20:10How long have you been here for?
00:20:11I've been operating here for 20 years now.
00:20:14And over those years, you must have
00:20:15gotten to know the bears well, too.
00:20:17Oh, yeah.
00:20:18Yeah.
00:20:18We've watched generations grow up, mother, daughters,
00:20:22granddaughters, and their relationship.
00:20:26Have you seen much of a change over the years?
00:20:28Certainly their behavior towards us has changed dramatically.
00:20:32Initially, all the bears were just like,
00:20:34oh, we're going to move over here
00:20:36when we approach.
00:20:37And then a few would say, no, we're
00:20:38going to move over by the humans because all the bears
00:20:40are over there.
00:20:40And we're afraid of bears.
00:20:42And so that has changed a lot.
00:20:44And as you've seen, some of the bears
00:20:46are totally indifferent to our presence.
00:20:48And can you tell me a bit about the area that we're in?
00:20:51Right here, as you see, there is the trail we came down
00:20:55comes here, goes off that way.
00:20:56Another branch goes that way.
00:20:58This is a bear trail.
00:20:59The marked trees are almost exclusively used by males.
00:21:02And before they mark it, they will carefully sniff.
00:21:06And they will just rub all over it and leave their scent.
00:21:10And you can see, if you look closely,
00:21:11there's tufts of hair that are pulled out of the bears
00:21:13and stuff like that.
00:21:14Yeah.
00:21:15I might have to rub on there.
00:21:16What do you reckon?
00:21:17Well, you could.
00:21:18I mean, I don't know what you're going to do.
00:21:20Leave my scent?
00:21:21Yeah, sure.
00:21:22It might work.
00:21:23Show me how dominant I am.
00:21:24Yeah, yeah, good luck.
00:21:27I think I'd hate it.
00:21:35If you thought that experience was incredible,
00:21:41just wait till you see how we got here
00:21:43and our home for the next two weeks.
00:21:46Great bear lodge.
00:21:47It's epic.
00:21:48I'll show you all that a little later on.
00:21:52So is this a familiar problem every time you get home?
00:21:56A disorganised mess at your entryway
00:21:58with nowhere to plonk all of your things.
00:22:01But with a few simple tweaks to the style
00:22:03and by adding in some storage,
00:22:04you can make much better use of the space.
00:22:06And the best part is,
00:22:07you only need a couple of tools to do it.
00:22:26Finding extra real estate in a room can be a challenge,
00:22:29especially if you're living in a small home or a unit.
00:22:32But we often neglect the space
00:22:33that is right in front of us on the walls.
00:22:37So I've designed a beautiful streamlined entryway organiser
00:22:41using some timber slats
00:22:43like the existing ones in the dining room here
00:22:45and also some flat pack kitchen cabinets
00:22:48that'll be wall mounted.
00:22:49It's going to modernise the whole space
00:22:51and provide a functional solution.
00:22:57But before I get building,
00:22:58I have a TV to consider
00:23:00and the position of this is really important
00:23:01for two reasons.
00:23:02The first is that everything else I'm building around it
00:23:05is going to be referenced off where the TV is
00:23:07because I'm wall mounting it.
00:23:08But also, when you're sitting on the couch,
00:23:10you want the television,
00:23:11the centre of it to be at your eye level.
00:23:13So for this particular television,
00:23:15it's about 142 centimetres off the ground.
00:23:17So I'm just marking that out
00:23:18and I've also had the electrician in
00:23:20to wire it all up for me.
00:23:33We put together these two 800 millimetre flat pack cabinets
00:23:37and we're going to mount them just like this
00:23:39so that they're floating
00:23:40and having this space below and above
00:23:42means that it gives the illusion
00:23:44of so much more space in the room.
00:23:47Plus, there's all of this storage to use.
00:23:49Brilliant.
00:24:03I'm using this stunning Tassie oak as the top.
00:24:06I've given it a clear coat
00:24:07and look at that beautiful grain.
00:24:09It is gorgeous.
00:24:11Then for the sides and the doors,
00:24:13I'm cladding those in this pre-cut marine ply.
00:24:16I've stained it in black to give it a contemporary look
00:24:18and you can see that beautiful grain there too.
00:24:21And by doing all of this,
00:24:22it takes simple flat pack furniture
00:24:24and gives it a much more bespoke, elevated feel.
00:24:33Are you ready for this?
00:24:34Here comes the big design statement.
00:24:37I'm adding these acoustic timber slat panels
00:24:40that you can buy off the shelf from Bunnings
00:24:42for less than $100.
00:24:45Can you imagine if you tried to build these yourself,
00:24:47how much time it would take and how expensive it would be?
00:24:50And to attach these to the wall,
00:24:51it's just a matter of gluing and screwing them in place.
00:25:03They come in various timber veneers
00:25:05and you can even get them on white backing
00:25:06if that suits your decor better.
00:25:08But the thing I love the most
00:25:10is the fact that these vertical lines draw your eye out,
00:25:13making this room seem much taller.
00:25:15Just like these cabinets make it feel wider.
00:25:17It is all about employing those smart design tricks.
00:25:23I'm going to be using these
00:25:24to create a little bit of a space
00:25:25between the walls and the ceiling.
00:25:27I'm going to be using these
00:25:28to create a little bit of a space
00:25:29between the walls and the ceiling.
00:25:32And by adding these extra pieces underneath the cabinet,
00:25:39it gives the impression that the panel runs all the way
00:25:42from the floor to the ceiling.
00:25:50Time to hang the TV
00:25:51and we're using a swiveling wall-mounted bracket,
00:25:54which means that you can position the television
00:25:57however you like it.
00:26:00It's pretty good.
00:26:00Thanks, Greg.
00:26:02Starting to look the part now.
00:26:19A mirror by the front door is always a good idea
00:26:22because you can check your lippy as you're walking out.
00:26:24And I chose this rounded shape
00:26:26because it balances out the strong presence
00:26:28of these lines so beautifully.
00:26:30And I've chosen these semicircular brass handles
00:26:32for the same reason.
00:26:34And now for the finishing touches
00:26:36to put this space to work.
00:26:46Wow, isn't it amazing what can be achieved
00:26:48with a well-thought-out design plan?
00:26:50This space has gone from disheveled and disorganized
00:26:54to contemporary, curated, and contained.
00:26:58And it just goes to show that with a few prefab elements
00:27:01like this flat-packed cabinet and the off-the-shelf panel,
00:27:05it takes all the hard work out of it.
00:27:08I love the fact that all the timbers
00:27:09work beautifully together
00:27:11and you too can have a foil like this to be proud of.
00:27:22Coming up, this home may have a tiny footprint,
00:27:26but it still delivers some big and bold features.
00:27:29The owners were told when they first were talking about ideas,
00:27:32there's no way they'd be able to have a pool
00:27:34or a barbecue space.
00:27:36Well, they proved them wrong.
00:27:37Yeah.
00:27:39Time to upgrade your kids' lunches to first class.
00:27:42We're going to mix it up a little bit.
00:27:44I'm going to show you how to make
00:27:46teriyaki chicken rice paper rolls.
00:27:50And from the sky to the seas,
00:27:52Adam's working up an appetite in British Columbia.
00:27:55It doesn't get fresher than this.
00:27:56Dinner is served at Great Bear Lodge.
00:28:08So if you wander around the streets of Paddington,
00:28:09it's very easy to see why this is one of Sydney's
00:28:12most sought after suburbs.
00:28:13But for you, this is like a stone's throw
00:28:15from where you work and live.
00:28:17It is.
00:28:17I know these streets quite well.
00:28:18I think I've delivered puppies
00:28:20in the attic of an apartment just up here.
00:28:22No way.
00:28:23Yeah, I just think there's so much character.
00:28:25And there's a story, whether it's the dog or the cat
00:28:28that's sitting on the street there or on the balcony.
00:28:30So I just love all those different characters.
00:28:33Absolutely.
00:28:33The architecture quite often has a great story to tell.
00:28:36And this home behind us has five stories
00:28:38of handcrafted magnificence
00:28:40that has to be seen to be believed.
00:28:42I reckon you might be my ticket in there too.
00:28:44I reckon the door's our ticket.
00:28:45Let's go.
00:28:46Speaking of the door, how cool is that?
00:28:50Oh, wow.
00:28:51Hello.
00:28:52Welcome to my home.
00:28:53Hi, guys.
00:28:54Thank you for coming.
00:28:56It's amazing.
00:28:57Yes.
00:28:57It's pretty incredible.
00:28:59Wow.
00:28:59I'm going to go and explore.
00:29:00OK.
00:29:01See, you'll find an animal wherever we are.
00:29:04So this beautiful home is such a legacy of love, isn't it?
00:29:08It is.
00:29:08My husband, Boris, built this.
00:29:10It was a hat factory built in the early 1900s.
00:29:13And yeah, we just discovered it probably eight years ago.
00:29:18And then it's just been a process of doing it up.
00:29:20I want to show you the garage.
00:29:22I think it's one of the most beautiful rooms in the house.
00:29:26It's a feature garage, which I don't think
00:29:27I have ever seen before in my life.
00:29:29It's pretty amazing.
00:29:30With its art on the wall, all of these
00:29:32are cupboards that open up as well.
00:29:35Wow.
00:29:36And a stacker?
00:29:37A car stacker, yeah.
00:29:38So this raises up.
00:29:40We can have two cars in here.
00:29:41Because it's actually quite a small footprint, isn't it?
00:29:44Yeah.
00:29:44It's six metres wide, but it's about probably 12 metres long.
00:29:48And it's hidden away.
00:29:50You wouldn't almost expect from the front just how big it is.
00:29:53Which is amazing, because there's
00:29:55a lot going on in this home.
00:29:56I mean, I'm looking around.
00:29:57The attention to detail is quite extraordinary.
00:29:59Yeah, it's really beautiful.
00:30:00I mean, who would think to put walnut on the ceiling, right?
00:30:04Your husband, Boris, I want to hear more about him.
00:30:06Because you said he's a builder.
00:30:08He was a master joiner.
00:30:09This was his vision.
00:30:11And he's no longer with us.
00:30:12I'm sorry.
00:30:13He passed away two years ago.
00:30:16And this is a space for us where we
00:30:18can feel really connected to him.
00:30:20And for me, with his motor neurone disease,
00:30:23I got to care for him in the last three years.
00:30:26And that is something I'm incredibly proud of.
00:30:29And yeah, I guess that's what remains,
00:30:32the love, obviously, the sadness.
00:30:34But I get to see the product of everything
00:30:37that he's done, my children, the house,
00:30:39all of the incredible businesses that he's created.
00:30:42Amazing.
00:30:42Well, I mean, there's five levels for us to discover.
00:30:45Will you find Chris?
00:30:45Could you send him down?
00:30:46I do.
00:30:48Can you help me?
00:30:50There you are.
00:30:51We've been expecting you.
00:30:52This is where the family all sleeps.
00:30:54So on a five-level house, all the family's on one level.
00:30:58I kind of like that, though.
00:30:59I mean, very much got their own spaces and very distinct style.
00:31:02But a real feature in the boys' room
00:31:04is that incredible textured silk inlay
00:31:06that's on all the joinery.
00:31:07Yeah, yeah.
00:31:08But even again, despite all the artwork,
00:31:10it feels like you're in an artwork
00:31:12in itself in the house.
00:31:13Absolutely.
00:31:14And I think because you've got that walnut that connects
00:31:16every single level here, it's not on the ceiling.
00:31:18Instead, it's in a herringbone pattern on the floor.
00:31:20Oh, the bath.
00:31:21That is enormous.
00:31:23I actually think that's actually big enough for you, even.
00:31:25I'm doing the sums, and yes, I think it adds up.
00:31:28Well, if you think that this one's impressive,
00:31:30wait to see what's next.
00:31:31Oh, you had my attention.
00:31:33Oh.
00:31:35What do you think?
00:31:36Oh.
00:31:38Wow.
00:31:39Isn't that amazing?
00:31:41What is that shape?
00:31:42I don't think I've ever seen a bath that shape before.
00:31:44It's a bit kidney-ish, isn't it?
00:31:45It is, yeah.
00:31:46One of the things I really like in here,
00:31:47you've obviously got the open bath
00:31:49in the privacy of the master bedroom.
00:31:51But you also have the most magnificent
00:31:53his and hers walk-in wardrobes,
00:31:56where they're just beautiful and with darkened glass,
00:31:58which again is used here really effectively.
00:32:01You think it's a wall at first glance,
00:32:02but in actual fact, this is the shower.
00:32:05And then behind that in the joinery
00:32:07is the separate toilet.
00:32:09Wow.
00:32:14Should we take the lift?
00:32:15Why not?
00:32:19Thank you very much.
00:32:21Level two, underwear, haberdashery.
00:32:27Oh, wow.
00:32:27This has a totally different feel to downstairs, doesn't it?
00:32:32I think it's that sudden flood of light
00:32:34that you get from all these windows.
00:32:35And it brings that greenery from outside in.
00:32:38So compared to downstairs,
00:32:40where it's a bit darker and moodier,
00:32:43here you're sort of on top of the city in a way.
00:32:46The other thing that you notice,
00:32:46obviously you've got all these amazing artworks on the walls,
00:32:49which you want to focus on.
00:32:50But if you actually want to sit back
00:32:52and watch some television,
00:32:53it's not obvious where the TV is at first.
00:32:58Actually, TV and a projector.
00:33:04How about this black marble dining room table?
00:33:07What a statement that is.
00:33:09That is heavy and solid.
00:33:11It's definitely not moving anywhere.
00:33:13Oh, but that is special.
00:33:15I am drawn to the light.
00:33:18Think like a moth, Chris.
00:33:20Think like a moth.
00:33:21Isn't that incredible?
00:33:22That's the bottom of the pool upstairs.
00:33:24You're not skinny dipping here, that's for sure.
00:33:26No, I love how they've got the angle as well.
00:33:29So from that side of the house,
00:33:30you sort of get drawn to look up there
00:33:32if you weren't drawn by the light in itself.
00:33:35So the trick, usually, with any warehouse conversion
00:33:37is how you actually find the space for outdoor living.
00:33:41The owners were told when they first were talking about ideas,
00:33:44there's no way they'd be able to have a pool or a barbecue space.
00:33:47Well, they proved them wrong.
00:33:49Yeah, and how too, because this is almost completely private.
00:33:52You cannot see another window, another person.
00:33:54And it's helped by this garden that sort of rings
00:33:57and sort of holds everything together.
00:33:59So it's a little bit of a mystery to me.
00:34:01And it's helped by this garden that sort of rings the top courtyard here.
00:34:06Some very clever placement of the grasses.
00:34:08Grasses and olive trees.
00:34:09And it is an oasis.
00:34:11And then the pool.
00:34:12You know, we talk about the narrative of architecture,
00:34:14and we haven't even really actually touched on the story
00:34:17of this particular site.
00:34:18And it is quite a yarn too.
00:34:21It's an old hat factory, this building.
00:34:23And originally, they had to test the soil underneath for mercury,
00:34:27because that's used in hat manufacturing.
00:34:29That saying, mad as a hatter.
00:34:31Mad as a hatter, yeah.
00:34:31And once that was clear, they could dig it out
00:34:34and thought, well, why not create a basement there?
00:34:36Brilliant.
00:34:37But then in so many ways, then this is sort of the crowning hat on top
00:34:41to have this open outdoor space like this.
00:34:43I like what you did there.
00:34:45See that?
00:34:45It was subtle, but it was there.
00:34:46It wasn't subtle, but it was good.
00:34:53Chicken teriyaki rice paper rolls.
00:34:56Perfect for your lunchbox.
00:34:58To catch up on any stories you've missed,
00:35:01or to watch exclusive Better Homes and Gardens content,
00:35:04plus loads of how-to videos, recipes and more,
00:35:08check us out on 7 Plus.
00:35:16There's nothing wrong with a good old sandwich in your kid's lunchbox.
00:35:20But tonight, we're going to mix it up a little bit.
00:35:22I'm going to show you how to make teriyaki chicken rice paper rolls.
00:35:28First things first, the teriyaki sauce.
00:35:35I've only got about three, maybe four ingredients in this.
00:35:40I'm going to start off with the one cup of soy sauce into a saucepan.
00:35:46Half a cup of mirin, which is sweet rice wine.
00:35:53Half a cup of sake, which is Japanese rice wine.
00:35:58And half a cup of caster sugar.
00:36:02Onto the stove.
00:36:06Just on a low heat because the sauce has quite a high sugar content.
00:36:13Leave this on for about 10 to 12 minutes,
00:36:16just until it starts to boil and thicken slightly.
00:36:21This sauce makes more than you need for one serve.
00:36:25You can either keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks,
00:36:28or you can freeze it too.
00:36:31Make sure you keep an eye on this.
00:36:34Give it a stir every once in a while.
00:36:37So this is the consistency we're looking for.
00:36:41I've got one here that has been cooled down already.
00:36:44So now we're going to start marinating the chicken.
00:36:49I've got four chicken thighs, skin on.
00:36:52You can use chicken thighs without the skin as well.
00:36:57I love chicken with skin on because I feel that that's where all the flavour lies.
00:37:03Half a cup of the teriyaki sauce.
00:37:09If you have time, 24 hours in the fridge is best for this.
00:37:16But if you don't, half an hour will do.
00:37:19To the pan, I'm just going to add a trickle of oil,
00:37:24and I'm going to place the chicken skin down.
00:37:42Cover it.
00:37:43Make sure that your heat is turned down low.
00:37:46And you want to keep it there for about four minutes, and then flip it over.
00:37:55Looking good.
00:37:58All right, I think it's ready to be turned over.
00:38:03Skin's nice and crispy.
00:38:08I'm going to cover it for another three to four minutes.
00:38:11So I use chicken thighs for this recipe because it retains its juiciness.
00:38:16If you prefer chicken breasts, you're welcome to use it,
00:38:20but just make sure that you don't overcook your chicken breasts.
00:38:25That's browning beautifully.
00:38:29And now what I'm going to do is I'm going to add the leftover marinade that we had earlier on.
00:38:35And I'm going to cook it off for about three or four minutes.
00:38:40Keep an eye on your heat.
00:38:42Because of the high sugar content, it can quickly burn.
00:38:47With the chicken cooled down,
00:38:49we're going to start slicing them to assemble them in the rice paper.
00:38:54We don't want it too thick.
00:38:56They are still soft, so we don't want to overcook them.
00:39:00Go back to my rice paper.
00:39:02We don't want it too thick.
00:39:05They are still so juicy as you can see.
00:39:16Put them aside.
00:39:21And now for the fun part.
00:39:25Get your children involved in this.
00:39:27They'll love it.
00:39:28give them an opportunity to know what they're eating.
00:39:33So this is the rice paper.
00:39:34It comes dry like this,
00:39:37and what you have to do is rehydrate them
00:39:40in room temperature water.
00:39:42A little tip is that you wet your board
00:39:45with a little bit of water,
00:39:47and then you'll be able to pick it up quite easily
00:39:49and it won't stick to the board.
00:39:52Lay it flat.
00:39:54I'm gonna start off with some lettuce leaves.
00:39:59Just one of them here.
00:40:00And here I've got cooked vermicelli.
00:40:05That just bulks it up a little bit.
00:40:08For veggies, I've got carrots,
00:40:12some red capsicum,
00:40:15and cucumber.
00:40:17Make sure not to fill it too much.
00:40:20And for the herbs,
00:40:23I love coriander.
00:40:26And I've got mint as well.
00:40:31Chicken.
00:40:34And you know the sauce that was left over
00:40:36from cooking off your chicken?
00:40:38Do not throw it away,
00:40:40because what we'll do is we'll use some of that in here.
00:40:45Now, folding it is one fold on top,
00:40:50another fold on the side.
00:40:55It is a little bit fiddly,
00:40:57but the taste will remain the same.
00:41:00Delicious.
00:41:05There you go, my teriyaki rice paper roll.
00:41:09They are fresh, they're delicious,
00:41:12and they're so healthy for kids as well.
00:41:16Here I'm dipping it with my favorite sauce,
00:41:19which is sweet chili sauce.
00:41:22Enjoy.
00:41:25Yes, me, oh, do.
00:41:35If you're combining ornamentals and edibles,
00:41:38often you find that they have different water requirements,
00:41:40so a great way to deal with that
00:41:42is something like a tree ring.
00:41:43It raises the level up,
00:41:44so you can get nice, deep soil in there,
00:41:46and it allows you to underplant
00:41:48with something fragrant like this sage.
00:41:50Both of these like free-draining soil,
00:41:52so they're perfect for a location like this.
00:41:56Whenever you're planting a garden
00:41:57that is really heavy in edibles,
00:41:59you don't want to forget
00:42:00about the different layers and textures.
00:42:02Here we've got large trees and shrubs
00:42:04in the form of feijoa, citrus, and guava.
00:42:06We then move down to rosemary, a medium-sized shrub,
00:42:09but we've also got textural plants like ginger
00:42:12and lovely softness from grasses like lemongrass,
00:42:15and dotted amongst the plants
00:42:16are seasonal things like kale and lettuce.
00:42:18Now, of course, they'll come and go as you harvest,
00:42:20leaving a bit of a gap,
00:42:21so you want to make sure you have
00:42:22Here, it's done with shrubs
00:42:24like lily-pillies and oriental pearls.
00:42:26Whenever you're putting plants together in a garden,
00:42:29and it may be a garden of all ornamental plants
00:42:31or all edibles,
00:42:32you need to think about plants
00:42:33that like the same conditions.
00:42:35The obvious ones are light and water,
00:42:37but you also need to think about food.
00:42:39So citrus are incredibly heavy feeders,
00:42:41so underneath them,
00:42:42use plants that also like light and water.
00:42:45And finally, you need to think about food.
00:42:47So citrus are incredibly heavy feeders,
00:42:49so underneath them,
00:42:50use plants that also like light and water.
00:42:53So let's take a look at a few of the things
00:42:54that people like lots of food.
00:42:55That might be something like strawberries,
00:42:57or in this case, lettuce.
00:43:03Whenever you're working with vegetables and herbs,
00:43:05you need to use the plant to its full potential.
00:43:07Here, we've got slits in the paving,
00:43:09so we've got low-growing herbs like thyme and oregano.
00:43:12They're perfect because they spill out,
00:43:13soften the paving,
00:43:15and you can cut them so you can use them in your cooking,
00:43:17but also when you step on them,
00:43:18the fragrance is fantastic.
00:43:23Chala-la-la la la la chala
00:43:27After a day of bear-watching,
00:43:29Great Bear Lodge is the perfect place to recharge.
00:43:33Hey, how you doing?
00:43:35Who says you can't have Clip Topiary in a rainforest garden?
00:43:39Well, here it is.
00:43:42In the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine,
00:43:44we're showing you how to eat the rainbow
00:43:46by embracing colourful ingredients and dishes
00:43:49like this delicious tomato tart and yummy gelato.
00:43:52Plus, we're sharing easy dinners for one, like this fennel, squid and chilli couscous.
00:43:58And in 2025, Better Homes and Gardens magazine is searching for Australia's most passionate
00:44:03and dedicated tradies.
00:44:05It's all inside the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, which is out now.
00:44:11This segment is brought to you by Air Canada.
00:44:18Fly non-stop from Sydney and Brisbane to Vancouver and connect to more than 100 destinations
00:44:23across North America.
00:44:24Book now at aircanada.com.
00:44:27Our trip to the Canadian wilderness is almost as incredible as the bears themselves.
00:44:32Now, from Australia, you can get a direct flight to Vancouver and then from there, you
00:44:37jump on a domestic flight for around about an hour and end up in a little town called
00:44:41Port Hardy.
00:44:42And from here, well, it's like a trip back in time.
00:44:44G'day, Gord, how are you?
00:44:45Hey, Adam.
00:44:46So, you are the pilot that's going to be taking us to the Great Bear Lodge.
00:44:49Can you please, please tell us all about this incredible piece of machinery that we've got
00:44:53here?
00:44:54Well, it's obviously a two-engine flying boat.
00:44:56It's called a Grumman Goose.
00:44:58Yep.
00:44:59And it was built in 1940.
00:45:00You've been flying these for a while?
00:45:02I have, yeah.
00:45:03Since 1985, actually.
00:45:04Beautiful.
00:45:05So, we're in safe hands and I say, let the adventure begin.
00:45:07What do you reckon?
00:45:08Let's go.
00:45:09Yes!
00:45:10Wish me luck.
00:45:15From Port Hardy, it's about 30 minutes of flying time over some of the most remarkable
00:45:35landscapes you will see.
00:45:37And at this time of year, you get snow-capped mountains, too.
00:45:40So, bring your best camera or just sit back and enjoy the view.
00:45:44And I've got to say, flying this goose is really cool.
00:46:07G'day.
00:46:08Welcome to Great Bear Lodge.
00:46:09Marg, I tell you what.
00:46:10I wasn't expecting to hear an Aussie accent out here in the Canadian wilderness.
00:46:15I know.
00:46:16Well, Melbourne born and bred, but like, look at this backyard that I have.
00:46:21This is a great setup.
00:46:23The whole thing's on a pontoon.
00:46:24We're literally in the middle of the water.
00:46:25It's like a village all tied together.
00:46:28We have nine rooms and each room has an ensuite and then downstairs is a nice common area
00:46:34where people can relax and get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and just look out the windows
00:46:40onto the Great Bear Rainforest.
00:46:41We've obviously been here a long time and this would have to be your favourite place,
00:46:45but what are some of your other favourites in British Columbia?
00:46:48I love being in the outdoors, so a couple of my favourite places, I think maybe Strathcona
00:46:53Provincial Park on Vancouver Island is just beautiful.
00:47:01The other one is Mount Revelstoke National Park, because you can drive right up to the
00:47:05sub-alpine and then do incredible hikes from there, too.
00:47:11Marg, I've got to say, being out here in the wild with the bears, I mean, it's an incredible
00:47:15experience.
00:47:16Is it something you ever get sick of?
00:47:17Oh, no.
00:47:18Like, I could sit there and watch bears all day long, the way they interact with each
00:47:21other.
00:47:22So interesting.
00:47:23Is there any other animals that you see here?
00:47:25Oh, yeah.
00:47:26I mean, because we're on the pontoon, one of my favourite things is all the marine mammals
00:47:30come up.
00:47:31So you have seals come up and haul out.
00:47:33And one of my favourites was, in fact, right in this spot right here, we had two humpbacks
00:47:37come in and they were bubble netting.
00:47:39So they were driving the fish together and then they would come up and eat them.
00:47:57Now, Marg, it obviously takes a fair bit of planning to host your guests.
00:48:00Without affecting the environment, could you tell me a little bit about the logistics of
00:48:04this lodge?
00:48:05Yeah, absolutely.
00:48:06I mean, the first thing is we don't want to impact the bears negatively.
00:48:09But also, you know, we generate all of our own electricity through micro hydro and solar
00:48:15mainly so that we don't have to run a diesel generator all the time.
00:48:19And, you know, making sure we're using local organic food, shipping or recycling back to
00:48:25Port Hardy.
00:48:26Yeah, we try to do what we can.
00:48:27The other thing we do to make sure that we're sustainable out here is we do a little bit
00:48:31of local harvesting, which includes Dungeness crab.
00:48:34So if you like, we could go out there and pull the trap and see if we can find some.
00:48:38How cool is that?
00:48:39Yeah.
00:48:40Well, let's go get some gear on and go check it.
00:48:51How many do you have out here?
00:48:53How many crab traps?
00:48:54Yeah.
00:48:55We just have one.
00:48:56Yeah.
00:48:57And it's pretty sustainable if we just have one trap down at all times.
00:49:00And how many can you get in one trap?
00:49:02Just one crab trap?
00:49:03Oh, my goodness.
00:49:04No.
00:49:05Like, you know, sometimes we'll come out here and there'll be 30 crabs.
00:49:0830 in one trap?
00:49:09I know.
00:49:10You can only keep the males and you can only keep a certain size.
00:49:13How deep would the water be here?
00:49:14How low down would the trap go?
00:49:1620 metres.
00:49:17Wow.
00:49:18Yeah.
00:49:19Wow.
00:49:20That's how deep it is here.
00:49:21It is.
00:49:22It is.
00:49:23Wow.
00:49:24That's why I thought maybe you could pull it up.
00:49:32Oh, look at that.
00:49:33Here we are.
00:49:36Nice.
00:49:38Look at that.
00:49:39Wow.
00:49:40That's awesome.
00:49:41Should we pull one out?
00:49:42Can we?
00:49:43Of course we can.
00:49:44Yeah.
00:49:45I mean, what's the worst that could happen?
00:49:46I don't know.
00:49:47What is the worst that could happen?
00:49:48They can bite you.
00:49:49That could happen.
00:49:58There you go, buddy.
00:49:59Woo.
00:50:02That's cool.
00:50:03Is that a good size?
00:50:04Oh, yeah.
00:50:05It's huge.
00:50:06They don't come bigger than that.
00:50:08That's a winner.
00:50:09I was going to say winner, winner, chicken dinner, but that's not right.
00:50:12No, it's crab dinner.
00:50:22There's some more seals coming up here on the right-hand side.
00:50:26That's all good, guys.
00:50:27That's all good.
00:50:32How cool is that?
00:50:33I know.
00:50:34They're so beautiful.
00:50:35They're really beautiful.
00:50:36Yeah.
00:50:38And I love when you can spend time with animals like this, just really quietly as they go
00:50:42about their day.
00:50:43It's just sunbaking.
00:50:44That's right.
00:50:45Well, the water's 10 degrees.
00:50:46I'd sunbake on a log, too.
00:50:47Yes.
00:50:48I'll tell you what, this is absolutely remarkable, but I can hear some crabs going crazy down
00:50:59here.
00:51:00What do you think?
00:51:01That's right.
00:51:02Should we get them back for the pot?
00:51:03Yes.
00:51:04Let's go.
00:51:08A day of bear watching and crabbing can make a man hungry.
00:51:17So as night falls, it's the perfect time to swap bear stories with the other Lodge guests
00:51:21over dinner.
00:51:24Hello.
00:51:25How are we?
00:51:26We feeling hungry?
00:51:27Yes.
00:51:35And doesn't this look fantastic?
00:51:37But this week has just been the entree.
00:51:39Stick around, because next week we've got more incredible adventures for you.
00:51:43But for now, I think we're all going to enjoy this crab.
00:51:45What do you think, guys?
00:51:46Oh, yes.
00:51:50Coming up, when you're creating your own suburban jungle, sometimes more is much more.
00:51:57This enviable subtropical climate is a real dream come true for landscape designers.
00:52:02And today, I'm about to meet one of their very best.
00:52:06And some people have a knack for seeing beauty in the basic.
00:52:10And you're about to learn how.
00:52:12I have to show everyone.
00:52:13Look at this.
00:52:15Isn't that just gorgeous?
00:52:17This segment is brought to you by the City of Coffs Harbour.
00:52:21There is so much to love about the beautiful Coffs Coast of New South Wales.
00:52:26Look, take your pick.
00:52:27Stunning national parks, a great botanic garden, one of the world's best golf courses.
00:52:37This enviable subtropical climate is a real dream come true for landscape designers.
00:52:43This enviable subtropical climate is a real dream come true for landscape designers.
00:52:48And today, I'm about to meet one of their very best.
00:53:00Lovely to meet you, Claudia.
00:53:01This is a really beautiful spot.
00:53:03So, you designed these beautiful gardens.
00:53:06So, what's this place actually called?
00:53:08It's called The Link because it's meant to link the community.
00:53:11And it's owned by Sawtail Catholic Care.
00:53:13Right.
00:53:14And, yes, so it's an intergenerational space for people to meet.
00:53:18And they have, obviously, the nursing home.
00:53:21We could spend days here.
00:53:22But you've got a special garden that I understand you want to show me.
00:53:25Yes.
00:53:26Let's go.
00:53:37Well, Graeme, here we are.
00:53:38This is my place.
00:53:40Wow.
00:53:41So, you created all of this?
00:53:43Yes.
00:53:44And how long ago?
00:53:45That was 30 years ago.
00:53:46Goodness.
00:53:47What was here when you started?
00:53:49Well, it was a sloping block with really bad grass, a camphor laurel, a jacaranda and two frangipanis.
00:53:56And that was it?
00:53:57That was it, yes.
00:53:58And, I mean, the canopy of the camphor laurel is extremely important.
00:54:00Right.
00:54:01And I call that our air conditioning because our place is always cool.
00:54:05It's always shady here in summer.
00:54:07It's a whole ecosystem in itself.
00:54:09And for that reason, obviously, it has to stay, despite being declared a weed in this area.
00:54:16Yeah.
00:54:17Because there's birds up there and that's their home.
00:54:19Yes, there's always a few birds' nests.
00:54:22There's a lot of slope here.
00:54:23What, six, five, six, seven metres of slope.
00:54:26How did you deal with that in the beginning?
00:54:28Yes, that's the most important thing, the underlying levels of a garden.
00:54:33If you don't get that right, nothing works later.
00:54:35And the drainage with two metres of rainfall in Coffs Harbour, that's an enormous amount of water to deal with.
00:54:41And big rain events, these pits overflow.
00:54:44And then there is the second way, it goes down to the billabong down on the lower block.
00:54:48So, Claire, how do you actually plan a garden like this?
00:54:52Does it happen at once or do you do it in stages from the beginning?
00:54:56I have a picture in my mind, but it's about layering.
00:54:59You've got your ground layer, your middle layer and your canopy.
00:55:02And the canopy is extremely important to get that height.
00:55:05Without height and that vertical dimension, a garden just literally falls flat and it feels much smaller.
00:55:12So, even when you've got a smaller garden, you should always really incorporate height.
00:55:17And that's when you really need to know your plants.
00:55:20Yes.
00:55:21This is a real masterclass in garden design because it's really used all the different layers and structures to create, well, a rainforest in a backyard.
00:55:37And when you look at this little space here, that could be just your backyard.
00:55:41So, how has it been created?
00:55:43So, the palms are Alexandra palms and they are really quite stunning.
00:55:48They have a beautiful foliage, a lovely trunk, and they do create those vertical lines.
00:55:52Instantly, when you walk into this area, you look straight up because that's the way your eye actually is taken by the trees.
00:56:00And for colour and texture at that height, Bismarckia.
00:56:03What a palm it is.
00:56:05A beautiful, bright blue, grey, glaucous sort of colour.
00:56:08And, of course, the other palms are cabbage palms and they're really tall and creating that upper-level canopy as well.
00:56:16The fan palms at the back are looking stunning.
00:56:19They're in that middle level.
00:56:21Down here, you've got cycads, macrosamias.
00:56:23But look at these fellows here.
00:56:25This is the big Alcantara, the big bromeliad.
00:56:28These are growing beautifully in here to create a whole different texture because they're so bold and architectural.
00:56:36You need patience.
00:56:37But once you've got it planted, you just need to look after them.
00:56:45The last thing you'd expect to see in a wild sort of jungle garden is cliptopiary.
00:56:59But they've been used here.
00:57:01This is, of course, Japanese box, lime green, and it's been used to actually ground the landscape.
00:57:07These spheres and big slabs of green are actually duplicated and repeated throughout the garden.
00:57:13Not too hot, but just enough to create continuity.
00:57:16Very simple, very clever.
00:57:31Well, I think this is Cloudea's biggest environmental challenge.
00:57:35This microclimate here is really hot, facing west.
00:57:39So when you've got this sort of a real hot box, then go with it.
00:57:44Don't try and challenge it because it'll win every time.
00:57:48Now, to add to that, she's painted the wall a beautiful colour, sort of real tangeriney orange colour.
00:57:54I think she's taken inspiration from this fabulous Heliconia, which is called Hot Rio Nights.
00:58:00What a fabulous plant it is.
00:58:02But the rest, of course, the red coming in the Euphorbia, Crassulas in pots,
00:58:07and then the rest is basically cacti and succulents.
00:58:17Cloudea, it's been a fantastic visit.
00:58:19Thank you very much for hosting us.
00:58:21It's been a really beaut day.
00:58:22Well, it was a pleasure having you.
00:58:24It was really an interesting day.
00:58:26Well, I'll tell you what, I'm sure you've learned as much as I have about little microclimates
00:58:31and using the right plant for the right spot to get that right feature.
00:58:35In fact, I'd love to come back and spend a bit more time in the garden.
00:58:38Well, we have the Jetty House next door, which is a holiday house.
00:58:41You can.
00:58:42Really?
00:58:43The Jetty House.
00:58:44Make note of that.
00:58:45I guess it's got beautiful views over the garden.
00:58:47Yes, it does, and guests can take a walk in the garden if they wish.
00:58:51Even better.
00:58:52How cool is that?
00:58:53Thank you very much.
00:58:54I'll put that in my diary.
00:58:56Have a great season.
00:58:58Cheers.
00:59:02This place has the perfect blend of nostalgia and nature.
00:59:10In the March issue of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine,
00:59:13we're showing you how to add bold and bright colours to your home with our Complete Colour Guide.
00:59:18Plus, we're sharing some clever ideas for adding affordable wall art for your home,
00:59:23as well as our top tricks and tips for upcycling your old furniture.
00:59:28And in 2025, Better Homes and Gardens magazine
00:59:31is searching for Australia's most passionate and dedicated tradies.
00:59:35It's all inside the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
00:59:38On sale now.
00:59:51I love nothing more than a good old rummage through an antique market like this.
00:59:55I'm at the Merchants Warehouse in inner West Sydney,
00:59:58and it's home to some really unique furniture, industrial decor, vintage and retro clothing and homewares.
01:00:05Like honestly, you could spend hours in this place.
01:00:07But if that wasn't enough, this place also has something that's close to my heart,
01:00:12a little patch of green that's full of some unique planting ideas.
01:00:26This is Ivy Alley, a real gem of a garden shop here in the Merchants Warehouse.
01:00:31And it's jam-packed with so many gorgeous plant arrangements
01:00:35that are often displayed in things like vintage vessels or vases or quirky containers,
01:00:40which really bring the plant to life and make incredible living gifts or garden art.
01:00:56Rachel, this is your little treasure. There is so much to explore here.
01:01:01It is, it is. There's lots. There's lots, Melissa.
01:01:04How did it all get started for you?
01:01:06About eight years ago, I decided to open a little backyard nursery called Ivy Alley.
01:01:12It was down a little walkway covered in ivy, hence the name.
01:01:17And it was fantastic. I loved it.
01:01:20However, it just got a little bit too big for my backyard.
01:01:24So I found this space and it's perfect.
01:01:29Combining my antiquities with the beautiful things that they sell here, it's wonderful.
01:01:36Well, I need to do a little bit more exploring, but I'll catch up with you later.
01:01:39All right, fantastic. Thank you.
01:01:40Thank you, Melissa. Ciao.
01:01:51Rachel makes really brilliant use of both indoor and outdoor spaces.
01:01:55And when you walk around, she proves that you can use almost anything as a container for plants.
01:01:59For example, these quirky little olive oil tins.
01:02:02But it's not just the artistic nature of what she's doing that she's considering.
01:02:06It's also the needs of the plant.
01:02:08So, for example, this is devil's ivy and it's growing in a vase with no drainage holes
01:02:13because you can grow devil's ivy in just water alone.
01:02:16Whereas other plants, like cacti and succulents, they need good drainage.
01:02:20So whatever you're planting them into, ensure that it's got some drainage holes at the bottom.
01:02:25Don't you just want to take these home?
01:02:27Music
01:02:42One of the things that you'll notice is that Rachel uses a lot of sphagnum moss in her planting displays.
01:02:47This is sphagnum moss right here.
01:02:49This has been pre-soaked.
01:02:51Now, it's a good planting medium for some plants.
01:02:54You'll notice that it holds on to moisture really well.
01:02:57But it doesn't get too soggy and it still allows the plants to dry out between watering.
01:03:02And she's used it beautifully here with this lucky bamboo.
01:03:05Look at those spirals, which can, of course, be grown in a potting medium but also in just water alone.
01:03:10And also here, look at this.
01:03:12This is the rabbit foot's fern.
01:03:14And take a look at those gorgeous fairy feet.
01:03:16So it's been used with just sphagnum moss and that beautiful glass bowl.
01:03:20Music
01:03:26Everywhere you look, something old has been given a new lease on life and turned into a work of art.
01:03:31So everything from metal bird cages to kokedama balls to even a succulent bed.
01:03:36And take a look at this.
01:03:38This is such an extravagant-looking candelabra that's dripping with this beautiful ivy.
01:03:43Wouldn't that make an incredible centrepiece in your garden?
01:03:46Music
01:03:51Look at these little teacup planters.
01:03:53They are so cute.
01:03:54Aren't they?
01:03:55They are so cute.
01:03:56I know.
01:03:57So show me how you do that.
01:03:58What I do is I just pop a little bit of water in it to keep it cool because it gets very hot when you drill.
01:04:04So you need to apply quite a bit of firm pressure but just consistently.
01:04:13That was easy.
01:04:14You made it look easy.
01:04:15Yeah.
01:04:16I use the sphagnum and I soak it in liquid fertiliser first.
01:04:21That's a good little tip.
01:04:22Okay.
01:04:23And what are we planting into it?
01:04:25Okay, so today we're planting little baby succulents.
01:04:29Music
01:04:34It doesn't take long.
01:04:35Music
01:04:41And last but not least, this is optional but I love this stuff.
01:04:45It's reindeer moss.
01:04:47It looks like coral.
01:04:48Look at that.
01:04:49Yeah, it's so pretty.
01:04:50Music
01:04:55I have to show everyone.
01:04:56Look at this.
01:04:58Isn't that just gorgeous?
01:05:00Oh, Rachel, you're such an inspiration.
01:05:02You know what?
01:05:03I have to make it from here all the way to the door without buying anything.
01:05:07It's going to be tough.
01:05:08It's going to be really tough.
01:05:09Good luck.
01:05:11Good luck.
01:05:12I will be definitely looking at all of my mothers and my grandmothers.
01:05:16Wonderful.
01:05:17That's great.
01:05:18Fantastic.
01:05:19Thank you for having us.
01:05:20Anytime.
01:05:21Music
01:05:29So, Chris, your first house walkthrough with us,
01:05:31what has struck a chord with you?
01:05:33I mean, this, obviously, that is eye-catching,
01:05:35but it's the attention to detail, the fact that, you know,
01:05:38as a love letter.
01:05:39Yeah.
01:05:40To his wife, you feel like every single I is being dotted,
01:05:43every T is being crossed.
01:05:44Yeah.
01:05:45For me, it's just how much house there is.
01:05:46It's only 100 square metres, this site,
01:05:48but there's 500 square metres of living space.
01:05:51They literally built it from the ground up.
01:05:53But for Boris Tosik, as you say,
01:05:55it was his grand love gesture to his wife and his kids.
01:05:58And as it turned out, it also ended up being his final piece of work
01:06:02and it is perfection everywhere you look.
01:06:04It is.
01:06:05For a converted factory, it is hats off.
01:06:07Absolutely.
01:06:08We'll see you next week with more Better Homes and Gardens.
01:06:10Bye-bye.
01:06:13Next time, put an end to the midweek meal madness
01:06:16with some clever tips from someone who's made a living out of it.
01:06:20With millions of followers on Instagram and TikTok,
01:06:23Nicole Maguire can teach anyone how to become a meal prep master.
01:06:29Adam's Canadian adventure continues
01:06:31as he checks out the local cuisine
01:06:33and puts his carpentry skills to the test.
01:06:36I can build a house, but can I build a totem pole?
01:06:38We're about to find out.
01:06:41Feeling a little saucy?
01:06:43This dish has got it in spades.
01:06:46Pork ribs glazed in pineapple and ginger
01:06:49and a super little snack on the side.
01:06:55If you want to create the ultimate garden,
01:06:58there's one thing you need to know.
01:07:00How to pick the right plants for the right conditions?
01:07:03This garden is an absolute masterclass in just that.
01:07:07When this pungent princess decided to bloom,
01:07:10she caught the world's attention.
01:07:12So Graeme goes behind the scenes to meet the whole family
01:07:16and learn why Patricia is so special.
01:07:19We're about to meet one of the most disgusting members of the plant world,
01:07:23but also one of the most fascinating.
01:07:27Plus, don't throw shade.
01:07:29Create it by upcycling your old lampshades.
01:07:32Light up your life with a revamped lamp.
01:07:37And it's not easy to become a guide dog.
01:07:40Dr Harry meets the pups, training for a career that changes lives.
01:07:44It's all fun and games now,
01:07:46but these puppies have a very important job ahead of them.
01:07:50That's next time on Better Homes and Gardens.