Our Home Spring 2023 — Echuca-Moama and district

FROM THE editor

COMFORTABLE, HOMELY AND EFFICIENT

If you are lucky, you get to a point where you get to think about your next house and how you can make it as comfortable as possible to live in.

As someone who has taken an old home and renovated it to become as energy e cient as possible, the implementation of Victoria’s mandatory 7-star ratings to all new builds from May 1, 2024 is something that we can strive for (page 22).

No matter how hard myself and the beloved have tried, our current home will never get up to those standards.

Oh well, if our home never meets these standards, I might as well move on and just make it look and feel as cosy as possible.

That’s where Lisa Cox from I Want I Need styling hints come in handy with the current trends in natural textures and earthy tones suiting many homes.

Editor’s pick focuses on things we all need to make a smaller impact, cutting back on the amount of cleaning products we use, as well as a lunch bag to reuse and reuse again, that is not just functional, but also looks funky.

As an avid gardener, the stroll around someone else’s patch is my idea of a good time.

It was great to spend time with Sherril and Sam Francis in their garden 36 years in the making (page 18).

Together they have made a lovely tranquil space, with many garden rooms and colourful plants.

Now, I am going to share a little secret with you all. The days one doesn’t search out ideas to share for Our Home, this journalist cooks, having been a chef in a previous career.

So, to me, nothing is better than wandering around the farmers’ market seeking out local produce then thinking about what you can cook with it, which is how we happen upon cooking with avocado (page 17).

For many of us, making our homes as comfortable, homely and e cient as possible is something we all strive for, and we all hope that the ideas in Our Home will help you do just that

Jaci Hicken Journalist

MAKE IT GLOW outdoors

LET THE TWINKLING ENCHANTMENT OF FAIRY LIGHTS TURN YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS INTO A MAGICAL WONDERLAND THAT DELIGHTS ALL WHO ENTER.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY: KELLY CARMODY

Let them warm your space and lift your mood as their colours shine around your home.

And let their magic glow a delicate and charming touch all year round. Personally, I love them. I need to hang more.

And when I jump online to see what other people are doing with them, I am instantly inspired.

A couple of my personal favourites are hanging them around trees and trellises in the garden to illuminate the greenery and add a whimsical touch.

However, I also love when they are hung around pergolas as they transform the space and create a cosy and inviting atmosphere for outdoor gatherings and relaxation.

I’ve seen them hung on fences which looks incredible too and creates a stunning boundary and adds a touch of elegance as well.

There are so many options, and they are limited only to your own unique outlook.

Go crazy or be subtle, the choice is yours. Just remember to ensure that the fairy lights you purchase

are suited for outdoor use and can withstand the weather conditions in your area.

Additionally, look into both solar and power options to see what will work best for your space and

ensure lights are securely fastened to prevent them from falling or being damaged by wind or other elements.

Be creative and let your outdoor space come to life, with light.

Choices Flooring Echuca, we know that good interior decorating starts

the floor up...

EDITOR’Spick

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Let’s give that piece of furniture that’s been collecting dust in your shed, a second lease on life.

If you have the vision already, great, you’re halfway there. If you need some inspiration on what piece of furniture to transform, there are

UPCYCLING FROM drab to fab

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO GIVE UPCYCLING FURNITURE A GO, BUT JUST DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO START? WELL, IN THE CURRENT SOCIETY WHERE SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS AND BUDGET-CONSCIOUSNESS ARE ON THE RISE, NOW IS THE TIME TO GET CREATIVE WITH A DIY PROJECT.

plenty of online resources, books, and magazines, even pay attention to the furniture in stores and cafes.

Once you have the vision, you can choose a piece of furniture to transform. You can utilise an item you already have or get resourceful

and hunt down a pre-loved piece of furniture at a second-hand store, online marketplace, garage sale, clearing sale and auctions or even rescue a piece of your neighbour’s unwanted furniture from going into landfill.

Upcycling is the art of turning those

forgotten furniture items — a worn-out wooden chair, a weary entryway table, a beaten-up bookshelf, or a dated dining table — into one-of-a-kind statement piece that you can proudly display in your home.

Before you get stuck into your

upcycling adventure, ensure to gather these essentials — sandpaper, paintbrushes, paint and primer, along with some protective gear, and you’ll be ready to get your hands dirty and start your upcycling journey.

If it’s the first time trying your hand at upcycling — don’t be scared. You don’t have to be a DIY pro to give upcycling furniture a shot.

This is a great opportunity to tap into your creative side and experiment with

different paint colours, patterns and stencils, distressing techniques and more.

With your imagination, a touch of paint and some shiny new hardware — you’ve got yourself a masterpiece.

There are lots of benefits to upcycling a piece of furniture. In today’s world of economic increase, and environmental worries, I think a lot of us will be reaching for the paint

Proudly Australian Owned and Operated

Our aim is to help you create a bedroom retreat that promotes a calming and restful night’s sleep. We have an extensive range of Australian Made bedroom furniture, just look out for the Australian Made logo in-store. Whatever you’re looking for, we have the furniture solution for you.

brush rather than splurging on an expensive piece of furniture (that you will probably get sick of in a year’s time).

Giving a new life to old furniture is a great way to be eco-friendly. You’ll be actively reducing waste and be doing your part in minimising your carbon footprint, all without sacrificing style or breaking the bank. Just because you are upcycling — doesn’t mean it can’t be chic.

My advice would be to embrace your creativity and let your instinct guide you. It doesn’t matter if you have missteps along the way — enjoy the creative process and the rewarding result of having a stunning piece of furniture which resonates with your personal style, ensuring you won’t tire of it any time soon.

– Melissa Gee The Rural Design Co.

BUILDING FOREVER homes

Specialising in building family homes for local families, Troy has extensive local knowledge and can help you design and build your forever home suited to our conditions.

With a full Sales and Selections Centre, in Pakenham St, Echuca, Troy and his team are there to support all of their clients throughout the entire building journey.

“We started working under the Hotondo Homes brand in Echuca and Moama early last year, went live late last year, and have been operating since then,” Troy said.

“I was originally from Echuca, then travelled around Australia, then stopped back in Deni.

“We took on the Hotondo Homes brand for an easier process for people.

“We were finding more people wanting set plans, that they can just come in, choose their plans, choose the fixtures and that sort of thing, it is just an easier process.”

Troy was finding less people were bringing in their own plans and were wanting designs they could choose from.

“You start by choosing a plan, a plan you like, then go from there,” he said.

“We have our set ranges — Retreat, Sanctuary and Oasis ranges.

“The Sanctuary Range is the most popular, which is mid-range.

“You get multiple things to choose from

in the Sanctuary Range.

“Sanctuary Range is virtually every tile that we have got in the showroom and they have various different ovens you can choose from, various different doors, different bricks.

Hotondo Homes Echuca Moama will work with everyone from firsthome buyers to retirees and everyone in-between

“We will build for anyone, you want a house, we will build it,” Troy said.

“Our most popular design is Erskine, but we do have over 90 flexible floor plans to choose from.

“Hotondo Homes put a lot of time into their designs, they are all good designs.

“If the client doesn’t know what

they are after, we might send them a few designs that I think they will like, and ask them things like how many bedrooms, how many living areas, how many bathrooms?

“We can include everything you want in a new home, as simple or as extravagant as you want.”

Hotondo Homes has different facades you can choose from, modern through to traditional home looks.

Hotondo Homes Echuca Moama Sales and Selections Centre is at 216 Pakenham St, Echuca, phone 1800 677 156.

For the full range of Hotondo Homes designs, visit: hotondo.com.au/

HOTONDO HOMES IN ECHUCA, MOAMA AND DENILIQUIN DIRECTOR TROY DENBROK HAS BEEN BUILDING FAMILY HOMES AROUND THE AREA FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

Hotondo Homes in Echuca, Moama and Deniliquin Director Troy Denbrok

IT’S ALL ABOUT

tone and texture

THIS SEASON, IT IS ALL ABOUT NATURAL ELEMENTS, EARTHY TONES AND TEXTURES, WITH EVERYTHING HAVING GONE FROM BEING BRIGHT BOLD COLOURS, TO TONES THAT ARE MORE NATURAL AND TEXTURED

STORY: JACI HICKEN

PHOTOGRAPHY: AIDAN BRIGGS

Our Home sat down with Lisa Cox from I Want I Need to get her expert advice on bringing natural and earthy tones back into the home.

Highlighted on Our Home’s front cover, the store has a selection of pottery that will bring warm, but natural tones to your dinner table.

Robert Gordon is known for hand crafting high quality pottery and the range available at I Want I Need is no exception.

Craftsmanship of these pieces means they are made to last a lifetime.

Tastelogy adds a design element to any table as well as create unique flavours that will elevate everyday meals.

Marble gives the hardness of stone, but with a soft texture of an all natural product.

Travertine is one of the world’s best marbles and I Want, I Need has a range of household items in the stone including collana trays, picture frames and lazy Susans.

Marble with its beautiful and unique textures, no two pieces will ever be the same.

Linen bedding is especially popular in gingham and checkerboard patterns, this season, but in neutral earthy colours. The pattern even pops up in some of the current artwork in the store and

can be found in many bedroom soft furnishings.

When you step inside I Want I Need, one thing you will notice is the collection of original artwork that is in store, with a favourite being artist Angela Hawkey.

“We love her layered oil paintings that reflect the colours of the Australian landscape,” Lisa said.

“Her work is always fresh and evolving.”

Lisa said the store only had one original piece of Angela’s work at any one time and once it was sold, then sought a new artwork.

“Because the Angela Hawkey piece is a one off, once it is yours, you will only ever find it in your home,” she said. Adding a signature piece of furniture to your space can make it pop.

Lisa loves this Bianca boucle arm chair (pictured above).

Boucle is a yarn made from looped fibre, that is curly in appearance, making it as soft as it looks.

A trendy fabric in the 1950s, boucle is making its way back onto the bestselling list of upholstery fabrics.

Contrast of the soft furnishings set against the pink of the print can perfectly highlight a space.

“We have a large range of artwork in the

store at the moment which include bright colours especially pinks,” Lisa said. Ceramic vases featuring a nude satin matte coating with a soft velvet feel is the perfect vessel to style your stems in any space.

Working with a natural colour palette, vases can refresh your styling, without having to restyle your whole space. A combination of different shapes, heights and finishes, vases can add dimension and texture.

“We have a large range of artwork in the store at the moment which include bright colours especially pinks.”

LISA COX

Even just subtle changes to our spaces, like painting the skirting boards or the edge of a door a fun colour, can have a dramatic effect on the overall vibe of your home.

With Dulux predicting a colour forecast filled with warm, earthy neutrals and lots of uplifting colour, spring is the perfect time to bring some

colour into your space. Taking inspiration from rose pink, breezy blue, sunshine yellow, emerald, violet and burnt orange, this year’s Dulux’s Revive palette is an instant mood lifter.

Dulux’s colour and communications manager Andrea Lucena-Orr said this year’s Revive palette was all about

unexpected colour combinations and bright hues.

“Pairing retro influences with futuristic features, such as pixel patterns and digital art, the Revive palette cleverly merges the past and present,” Andrea said.

“And with its colourful, look-at-me accent walls and statement seating, it creates the perfect Instagrammable moment.”

Spring is the perfect time to look at your home and see what areas are in dire need of some colour.

Painting a wall, bookshelf or bedhead are quick DIYs that can completely transform and revive your space.

Experiment with colour combinations, patterns and furniture to create your dream home.

LOOKING FOR some style?

LISA COX AND HER TEAM HAVE EXTENDED THEIR GREAT IN STORE SERVICE, TO INCLUDE AN IN-HOME INTERIOR STYLING SERVICE CALLED I WANT I NEED - A STYLED HOME.

We always get asked to do whole homes, to style a bed or help people pick artwork and things like that,” Lisa said.

“We have always offered that service in store, but now we are letting everyone know it is something we can help with in their homes as well.

“We have always got different artworks here, and now we have got a van, that we can take artworks to people’s homes without having the commitment to purchase something, they can try something in their home first.

“The projects we do are for people’s personal homes that they want styled or they want to refurbish a little bit.

“They might have been there for 20 years, they don’t want to sell their

home, but they just want a bit of a re-jigging.

“It can be just as simple as, don’t replace the couch, let’s refresh with cushions, a new throw, a piece of art and your room is done and you feel like you have got something a bit fresh.

Since launching the styling side of the business, I Want I Need has helped several clients with selecting artwork and soft furnishings.

“We are half way through a larger project which includes three rooms in the client’s home from lighting, rugs, furniture and art,” Lisa said.

“We can’t wait to share this project once it is complete.”

I Want I Need - A Styled Home is not just about the products in the Echuca store.

“We are happy to suggest furniture and items from other companies and businesses that might be a bit more cost effective,” Lisa said.

“Bendigo and other areas that have a bigger range of larger furniture pieces we can work in and recommend those businesses around town.

“Especially outsourcing and getting bigger pieces of art, it has been really nice working with individual artists and getting their pieces in.

“We only get one of each piece of art, so that once it is in your home, you are not going to see it at the neighbours or your girlfriends or something like that.

“I love the ideas I get from going into clients’ homes and understanding their personality, who they are and helping them develop and style their homes from there.”

a in-home

If you would like to work with I Want I Need - A Styled Home, interior styling service phone 0447 339 455 to speak to a consultant, pop into the store at 572 High St, Echuca or hit them up on Instragram @ iwantineedechuca

WITH SPRING IN THE AIR, HERE ARE SOME CLEANING TIPS TO GET YOU MOTIVATED TO SPRUCE UP YOUR HOME THAT HAS BEEN CLOSED UP FOR THE WINTER.

KITCHEN

Clean inside the microwave

Wipe down kitchen cabinets with an all-purpose cleaner

Clean behind any small appliances

Remove everything from pantry shelves and wipe them down

LIVING ROOM

Dust blinds and or ceiling fans

Vacuum curtains

Remove cushion covers and wash them

Clean window tracks with soapy water or a damp cloth

Polish wood furniture

BATHROOM

Wipe down cabinets and cabinet handles

Clean mirrors with glass cleaner

Get rid of any old cosmetics

Disinfect doorknobs

Clean windows

Lisa Cox from I Want I Need now offers

interior style service.

VEGAN FRIENDLY ‘avo’ delights

ALWAYS ON THE HUNT FOR RECIPES TO COOK USING OUR LOCAL PRODUCE, AT ONE OF THE LOCAL FARMERS’ MARKETS OUR HOME SOURCED LOCALLY GROWN AVOCADOS.

Regionally six different varieties of avocado can be seasonally found, with varieties popping up and becoming available at different times throughout the year.

You can find locally grown Bacon, Wurtz, Hass, Reed, Rincon and Lamb Hass varieties.

All recipes in this issue of Our Home, are vegan friendly, if cooked by seeking out the appropriate ingredients.

AVOCADO CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:

80 g of 95 per cent chocolate vegan

friendly

2 cups wholemeal self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa

2 avocados

¼ cup of olive oil

1 cup of brown sugar

150 g silken tofu

Method: Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 23 cm loaf tin.

Melt chocolate.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Make a well in the centre.

In a food processor combine

avocado, olive oil, brown sugar and tofu. Process until smooth. Pour the avocado mixture into the flour. Add the melted chocolate. Mix together to combine. Pour into the prepared loaf tin, place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

At Our Home, we topped the Avocado Chocolate Cake with Avocado Chocolate Mousse.

This mousse is so yummy, you won’t even know it is good for you.

Ingredients:

270 g tin coconut cream

4 tbsp cocoa

½ a cup (125 ml) maple syrup

2 avocados

Method:

Place all ingredients in a food processor bowl.

Process until smooth.

Avocado Chocolate Cake

MODELS AND NEW MODELS COMING IN WEEKLY… COME IN AND VIEW OUR NEW SEASON OUTDOOR FURNITURE RANGE.

BLOSSOMING with love

AFTER 36 YEARS, SHERRIL AND SAM FRANCIS HAVE TRANSFORMED THE FRONT YARD OF THEIR ECHUCA CORNER BLOCK, FROM A WEEDY LAWN TO A DIVERSE, LOW MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPE.

STORY: JACI HICKEN PHOTOGRAPHY: AIDAN BRIGGS

We got the fence done because people kept cutting across the corner, then we started doing the garden and it has involved over all that time,” Sherril said.

“We have it pretty well mapped out how we like it and it is fairly drought tolerant.

“A lot of things need to survive, if they don’t survive well, it doesn’t get put back in.

“The front yard is on the west side, so we have planted things that are going to cope with the hot winds and hot sun.

“It is not a hard garden to look after because everything just needs a trim a couple of times a year to keep everything tidy and compact.

“People make too much work of it, I think, it looks daunting, which it is not.” With a focus on flowering plants Sherril and Sam’s garden will look the best over spring, as a majority of their plants bloom.

“I love the magnolia, it is just starting to bloom, so is the peach elburne and that is like cotton wool when it comes out, but we haven’t had enough sun for that yet,” Sherril said.

In the garden there are Dutch iris, a selection of roses, geraniums, echium and salvias.

“This is salvia auria, it is such good value, we made it into a hedge,” Sherril said.

“We recently added escallonia, with a pink flower, to be an informal hedge.

“We did have lavender along the south fence, but it got a bit scrappy, so we pulled it out.

“That’s a California tree poppy over in the corner, which gets as high as the fence and has a beautiful big flower on it.”

Moving behind the fence, you come to Sam’s vegetable garden with two water

tanks, with a dripper system for the summer and worm farms.

“We have had the tanks for a long time, we were probably innovative way back when it was a drought, we put those in and did a lot of drought proofing, they come in very handy,” Sherril said.

“Sam throws all his leaves next to the

tanks, which he feeds to the worms, when there is nothing much for them to eat, but we feed all our scraps to the worms.

“He has one going that they are in, then they will transfer themselves over when he stops feeding them, so it just keeps turning around, we have been doing that for a long time.”

Hidden from the front yard, is the courtyard, which the couple use as a ‘another room’.

“Especially in summer, because the Japanese maple will be out and it is like an umbrella,” Sherril said.

“It gets quite hot in that corner, next to the barbecue, so that’s why I’ve got all the succulents there, because they don’t care about the heat.”

For eight years, Sherril has been an active part of the Echuca Horticultural Society.

“I really love it, it is a really good rapport with all the people, you learn something all the time,”

she said.

“You can pass on something if you know something, it is really good.”

Horticultural group members are currently propagating plants for people affected by the Rochester floods.

“We have already done one lot and now we are doing another lot for people to fix their gardens up once they have fixed up their houses.”

“We are just doing cuttings, whatever you want, and then we are giving them away, that is why I have done all of these,” Sherril said, pointing to a large array of her potted up cuttings.

Sherril and Sam Francis

NEW VICTORIAN HOMES to star in ratings

IMAGINE SITTING IN YOUR 7-STAR ENERGY RATED NEW HOME, THAT IS VERY EFFICIENT, RESILIENT, COMFORTABLE AND VERY LOW COST TO RUN.

Design and site orientation are the two most important factors to achieve this according to Sustainable Victoria Regions and Partnerships sustainable home team leader Sarah Fiess.

“If the house was designed poorly, then you have problems with energy efficiency, even when you have done everything else right,” Dr Fiess said.

“Currently, it is a minimum of 6-star energy efficiency rating and we are in a transition period from May this year to May next year with new homes to become 7-star under the National Construction Code.

“The National Construction Code is set by the Australian Building Codes Board, which is a Federal Government body.

“They set the code for all of Australia and then the states get to choose how they implement it.”

Victoria has chosen to implement it, by making it mandatory that all new homes meet the minimum of 7-star energy efficiency from May 1, 2024.

Dr Fiess thinks it is important to start having the conversation with your

builder now if you are a potential new home buyer.

“If you think that you will be putting in your design plan for your building permit around May next year, then you need to think about how your house meets a 7-star rating, but you can also voluntarily get your house to meet 7-stars now.

“You can work with your builder and your designer to make sure you are designing a house in a way that looks at orientation and by that I mean which way is the sun coming into the house.

“Are you facing the living area to the northern side of the house so you can get a lot of nice natural lighting?

“And then your service areas like bathrooms, laundries, garages on the south and western side of the house to try and block that really hot sun that comes at the end of a summer’s day.

Dr Fiess highlights once your home has been designed with the right orientation, the next thing to look at is what your windows are made of.

“You can make sure that it is a thermally broken frame for your

double glazing and thermally broken means that the window will perform better.

“The aluminium frames that come with windows, double and single glazed can actually transfer cold and heat from inside and outside the home relatively quickly because they are made of metal.

“Whereas if they are thermally broken, they have a plastic spacer, which will stop the heat transfer from inside to outside.

Dr Fiess said to consider not just double glazed windows, but windows with frames of timber or uPVC, with uPVC windows being relatively competitive in the market.

The mandatory implementation will include having a whole house assessment done, which will include fixed appliances you have in your home.

“You are talking about your heating, hot water, cooking, lighting, fridge, everything is going to be measured, whereas currently, it is not measured by the rating tool, which calculates the star rating,” Dr Fiess said.

“A 7-star house will be more comfortable to live in, will cost you less to heat and cool and it also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is what the government in particular is looking at, at the moment. “Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that we have in the running of our homes is going to help support us in the future and live in a more healthy environment.

Things are different in NSW, with the building industry there having to follow BASIX requirements. Make sure you speak to your new home builder or designer, so that your dream home will meet your local building standard for energy efficiency. For more information about meeting the BASIX requirements, visit: pp.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/ development-and-assessment/ basix

For more information on Victorian 7-star energy efficient standard, visit: www.energy. vic.gov.au/for-households/7star-energy-efficiency-buildingstandards

Metricon’s Amira 25 display boasts a 7.1-star NatHERS rating, efficient all-electric appliances, and solar PV.

CREATE SEATS with pallets

MAKING A PALLET COUCH IS A FUN DIY PROJECT THAT IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE WITH A FEW BASIC TOOLS AND MATERIALS.

HERE’S A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO HELP YOU CREATE YOUR OWN.

Materials:

• Wooden pallets (the number depends on the size and design you want)

• Sandpaper

• Paint or wood stain (optional)

• Cushions or foam pads

• Upholstery fabric

• Staple gun and staples

• Saw (if you need to cut the pallets)

• Screws and a drill (optional, for added stability)

MEASURE AND PLAN

Decide on the size and layout of your pallet couch. Measure the

space where you’ll place the couch and choose pallets accordingly. You can stack the pallets horizontally or vertically to create the desired height and width.

PREPARE THE PALLETS

Inspect the pallets to ensure they are in good condition and free from any splinters or protruding nails. Sand down rough edges and surfaces to prevent any potential injuries.

PAINT OR STAIN (OPTIONAL)

If you want to give your pallet couch a new look, consider painting or staining the pallets. Choose a colour that matches your décor or theme. Allow the paint or stain to dry before proceeding.

ASSEMBLE THE PALLETS

Arrange the pallets in the desired configuration to form the base of your couch. You can stack them vertically or lay them horizontally. If you need to adjust the size, use a saw to cut the pallets.

SECURE THE PALLETS (OPTIONAL)

For added stability, you can screw the pallets together. Pre-drill holes to avoid splitting the wood and then use screws to attach them firmly.

ADD CUSHIONING

Place cushions or foam pads on top of the pallets to create a comfortable seating area. You can find cushions that fit the dimensions of the pallets or use foam and cover it with fabric.

UPHOLSTER THE COUCH

To give your pallet couch a polished look, cover the cushions and pallets with upholstery fabric. Alternatively, you can use old blankets or sheets if you’re going for a rustic style. Wrap the fabric tightly around the pallets and cushions, staple it in place underneath the pallets.

ADD FINISHING TOUCHES

Inspect the couch to make sure everything is secure and tidy up loose ends or staples. You can also add decorative pillows and throws to enhance the comfort and aesthetics. That’s it. Your DIY pallet couch is ready to enjoy. Remember, the beauty of this project lies in its versatility, so get creative and customise a perfect couch.

SPLASH OUT WITH AN aquatic oasis

CREATING AN INDOOR FISH BOWL WITH A LIVING PLANT CAN BE A BEAUTIFUL AND ENGAGING ADDITION TO YOUR HOME. HERE’S A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO HELP YOU SET UP A SMALL, LOW-MAINTENANCE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT.

Choose the right fish bowl: Select a glass fish bowl with a capacity suitable for the number and size of fish you want to keep. Larger bowls are generally more stable and easier to maintain.

Rinse the gravel: Wash the gravel thoroughly to remove any dust or debris. Spread a layer of gravel at the bottom of the bowl, about 2.5 cm to 5 cm deep.

Fill the bowl with water: Fill the bowl with water. Use an aquarium water conditioner to treat tap water

Add live aquatic plants: Plant your chosen live aquatic plants into the gravel or let the roots hang within the water.

Add fish: Add your fish to the bowl, make sure you acclimatise them properly to the water temperature. Introduce the fish gently into the bowl, taking care not

to damage the plants. Be mindful of the maximum fish load that your bowl can support.

Maintain the aquarium: Regularly check the water quality, and perform partial water changes as needed to keep the environment healthy. Trim any dead or decaying plant parts and remove any excess fish waste.

Feeding: Feed your fish appropriate food according to their dietary needs.

Overfeeding should be avoided, as excess food can pollute the water. Remember that small fish bowls require more frequent maintenance than larger tanks, as they are more susceptible to rapid water quality changes.

Always research the fish and plants you plan to keep to ensure they are compatible and thrive in the conditions you can provide. Happy fish-keeping.

FABULOUS flower art

DECORATING WALLS CAN FEEL LIKE A DAUNTING TASK, BUT THE TWO GREATEST FORCES ARE HERE TO HELP — NATURE AND TIME.

STORY: DJEMBE ARCHIBALD

Pressed flowers can transform any space and mould to any aesthetic and you can create your own to find any wall, room or just for fun.

The process of pressing flowers has been around since the 16th century, with Japanese artists using the process to create large artworks.

There are many ways to press flowers to create your desired look, and these processes can be found on websites, in books and through video tutorials, so we won’t bore you with the details. However, here’s a quick run down so you can feel confident in getting started.

The first step is to gather your flowers, pick them from your garden, use up

the flowers from your vase or support local florists and use their petals, leaves and buds to create your artwork. Then we press them. There are multiple methods to pressing flowers including using a book, a clamp to hold down wood pieces or purchasing DIY flower pressing kit, this process tends to take two to four weeks.

Once the flowers have been dried and pressed, feel free to use them to create your final piece in anyway you like.

An Our Home favourite display, is to place the flowers on a glass frame, and using a second piece of glass to hold the flowers together, creating an illusion of floating. Happy flower pressing.

Pressing flowers is a fun project to do at home.

Dried and pressed the spring flowers isolated on white background.