Cultivating The Right Attitude
February was a brilliant month in the garden. At least I think it was. Unless of course you were a plant in my garden. Then, well, you would have appreciated the time I spent learning how to be a better gardener this month… as you withered away from an overly enthusiastic combination of sun and easterly. Being too hot outside I thought I would spend my time usefully learning something at a couple of garden lectures instead. (more…)
Summer Gardening. Or Not.
I’m not one who is really big on the whole dividing the world into a butch/femme dichotomy. I prefer to think of it as people who have a valuable contribution to make in the construction of reticulation systems, and those of us who have an excellent appreciation of those who have a valuable contribution to make in the construction of said systems. Especially when observed from the sunburn-free side of the house windows. Ahhh friends, how much one appreciates thee… (more…)
Gardening Book Reviews
Fabulous Food From Every Small Garden
Mary Horsfall, 2009
CSIRO PUBLISHING
Clearly, if unimaginatively laid out the Fabulous Food From Every Small Garden provides a wealth of information on different techniques and products that can assist the size-challenged-but-keenness-endowed vegie gardener. Some of the techniques are tried and tested, while others, such as aquaponics, are relatively new to Australian backyards. Projects vary in size and complexity, meaning that there’s food for thought for the apartment dwelling amateur as well as those with a bit more land and experience. (more…)
Get Green for Summer
As the temperature soars so to do the power bills and with the new rates imposed by the State Government it is time to get smart and green about energy use.
The federal and Western Australian governments provide rebates to those who make their homes more eco-friendly since houses currently contribute to 22 percent of the nation’s carbon footprint. (more…)
Green Design; A Fresh Origin fo Interior Designers
It’s a cool Friday afternoon and I’m sitting in a spacious café in Northbridge with John Frost, an architect who has been lecturing on interior design at the Central Institute of Technology (formerly Central TAFE) since 2002. For the past six months, Frost has also been teaching sustainable design.
Samsara Furniture- Sustainable Style
Samsara furniture, located on Scarborough Beach Road in Osborne Park, was reportedly the first Australian company to join the Sustainable Furniture Council (SFC). The SFC is an official, not for profit organization that promotes sustainable practices among furniture retailers. Samsara sells furniture made with an awareness of sustainability of the environmental and of communities. Eastern inspired furnishings are made from recycled, reinvented and certified plantation timber. Much of the furniture has its own unique history, such as the coffee table with the table top made from an ancient Indian door, which is divided into sections and inlaid with miniature bronze peacocks. (more…)
A Couples’ Survival Guide To Ikea
We have all seen it before - the countless number of couples bickering at the counter of an IKEA store while children go unminded racing through its cavernous labyrinth of catalogue homewares. Even the black humour of the film Fight Club struck a cord with all IKEA shoppers when a seemingly ‘normal’ existence of accumulating its kit-furniture furniture lead to bloody retribution on the world - and if not the world then certainly our partners, who are usually a few feet away. Those who know its downfalls have even described it as ‘Ickie-ah’ and yet we continue to flood its carparks and feed our pennies into its fat little piggie banks. Here were what some of our readers have experienced and tips they share to surviving IKEA hell. (more…)
Jodie Ronan On: Creative Spaces in Rental Properties
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Nosy landlords or landladies, restrictive rules and maintenance issues are all some of the challenges that are faced when the home you live in is leased. However, a lot of us spend the better part, or sometimes all, of our adult life living in rental homes. So it’s important to work within the limits given to you when you are decorating a house, flat or apartment that isn’t yours. (more…)
Design Shorts #98
We have many resources at our fingertips just beneath the recesses of our keyboards, thanks to the digital age. Some of these resources can help us put art on our walls, furniture on our patio and even dinner on the table. Some of them will even help us to save money.
One local site that I have recently discovered – while looking for a new car – is www.perth.gumtree.com.au. This is a local site which is best described as a cross between ebay and the quokka online. You can list as seller or browse as a buyer. As well as cars, there are categories as diverse as backyard furniture and even Real Estate. The site is primarily focused on local preloved property. (more…)
Storm & a Teacup
After twenty years in the hospitality industry in Perth, Cherie Storm needed a change. Accordingly Storm, the former manager of the now-gone but much loved Peppers restaurant and current co-owner of Marschino in Fremantle, finally took a sabbatical last year. Following the much needed break, Storm embarked on her latest venture, Steeper Tea and Bits n’ Bobs earlier this year. Tucked into the shops lining Beaufort street between the Inglewood Hotel and Central Ave, Steeper boasts an eclectic mix of retro and vintage inspired gifts and homewares. The piece de resistance, however, is the petite tea bar attached to the store, where people can sit and ‘steep’ in old fashioned hospitality while sipping one of over fifty-four Japanese teas on offer. That’s exactly what I did one rainy Friday afternoon as Cherie shared her story with me. (more…)
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