Fggc

Welcome

Thinkaboutwhereyouspendthemosttime inyourhome(whenyou’reawake),andthe livingroomislikelytobeyouranswer–unlessyouareoneofmanythatnowwork fromyourhomeoffice,ofcourse.Whether youenjoywatchingTVorsnugglingonthe couchwithabook,itisnothardtosee why‘living’roomsarenamedthewaythey are.Theseareasareplacesofrelaxation, optimisedforbothstyleandcomfortto suiteachofyoursenses.

Now,combinethatwiththeplacewhere familiesandfriendsgathertoenjoyfoodand conversation–thediningroom–andyou willhavetwoofthemostimportantareas ofyourhome,notonlyforentertaining,but

alsoforfamily,andyourownenjoyment. Thisissuefocusesonallthingslivingand dining,providingtonsoftipstoremake yourspace.Fromcolourpalettestorugs andfindingtheperfecttable,weprovide inspirationandadviceonhowtomake theseareastheheartofyourhome. Inthegardeningsection,we’recelebrating RoseMonthandjumpingheadfirstintothe joysofspring.Getreadytoprepareyour poolforsummeraswecoverthetechnical sideofpoolcare–andthefunside–allin onego.Alsolookoutforsomeoutdoorliving andeatingideasinthegardenfeatures(with someforaginginspiration),andtickoffyour monthlyto-dostoo.

KeepingItClean

BY HELENWALLACE

Youmightwishthatyour homelookedlikesomething outofthepagesofadecor magazine.But,ifyouarea petowner,you’llknowthat thestruggleisrealwhenit comestokeepingyourliving spaceclean.You’llalsoknow thatourcompanionanimals liketobeclosetous,so unlesstheyliveoutside (withtheappropriateshelter provided)youareboundto endupwithhairandmuck gettingintoyourhome.

Fortunately,thereareways toshareyourspacewithyour animalswhilekeepingyour houseascleanaspossible.

CreateTheirSpace Doyouranimalslovetostretch outonthecouchoryourbed? Oneoftheeasiestwaysto avoidthemtakingoverand leavingfuronyourfurnitureis toprovidethemwiththeirown. Creatingadesignatedareain yourbedroomorlivingroom, completewithacomfybed,for yourpetwillencouragethem tosnoozethereinstead.

Whenitcomestochoosinga bed,makesurethatit’stheright sizeandhasasoft,cushioned base.Blanketsarealsocrucial –especiallyinwinter–tokeep themwarmandsnug.And oncetheirbeddinghastheir smellonit,they’llsoonlearn thatit’stheirspecialspace.

Livingwithpetsisgreatforus,butnotalwaysthestateofourhomes! Here’showtokeepyourhouseandfurniturecleanandingood conditionwhensharingaspacewithyourfurryfriends

Cleanand Clear

Thereareplentyofclever waystokeepyourhome cleanevenifyouhavea messymenagerie.Here aresomehelpfulhacks:

HACK#1 Putcoarsetexturedmatsatdoor entrances–inside,outside orboth!–togetmostofthe muckofffromtheirpaws whentheystrollin.

HACK#2 Gotalong-haired pooch?Therearesome brandsofvacuumcleaners thatcomewithattachments thatletyouvacuumthem witheaseandcomfort.

HACK#3 Investinscatter throwsthatareeasyto cleananddry,andplace thesewhereyourpetlikes tosittopreventmarkson yourfurnishings.

HACK#4 Doesyourcatdo itsbusinessinalittertray? Keepitsmellingfresh(er) byaddingathinlayeringof bakingsodatothebottom betweencleanings.

HACK#5 Addhalfacupof whitevinegartohalfacupof water.Applythismixwhere yourpethaspeedandleave for10minutes.Thiswillget ridofthesmell.

HACK#6 Ifyoulivewith messyeaterswholeave muchoftheirfoodonthe floor,keepaplacemat underneaththeirbowlsso itdoesn’truintheflooring.

TrySomeTraining

Oneobviouswaytopreserve yourfurnitureistonotallow yourpetsonyourpieces.Not onlycantheymakethemdirty buttheirclaws,teethand bladderscanbedestructive, too!But,astheoldsaying goes:ʻEasiersaidthandone!’ Luckily,thereareacoupleof

waystogoaboutteaching youranimalthattheyarenot welcomeonyourexpensive couchorbedlinen.

1. Blocktheiraccess Thesimplestwaytoprevent petsfromgettingintothe habitofsittingonthefurniture istomakeitimpossiblefor

themtoaccessit. Rearrangeyouritemsor placeobjectsinawaythat stopsthemfromjumpingup.

2. Teachthe ʻoff’command Ourfurryfriendsneed boundaries,too!Tellthem ʻoff’everytimetheyget ontothefurniture,and rewardthemiftheyobey. They’llverysoonlearnthat iftheydowhatthey’retold, theymightjustgetatreat! Ifyourpethasaproblem withmarkingyourfurniture, therearesolutionsavailable. Oneisvisitingyourlocalpet shoptobuyproductsyou applyorcleanwiththat removethescenttoprevent futuremarkingofterritory. Iftheproblempersists,it mightbewisetocontactan animalbehaviouristtoget totherootoftheproblem.

YOURCLEANINGTOOLKIT

Nohomethathasfurryandfeatheredfamilymembersisgoingtolookandsmell100%at alltimes.But,withtherightproducts,youcangetclosetoperfection!Hereareafewitems youneedinyourarsenaltomakecleaningupafteryourpeteasierandmoreeffective.

Biodegradablewipes

Don’tletmuddypawsruin yourlivingspace.Keepsome wipesinyourcaroratthe frontdoortogiveyourpet awipedownbeforethey comeinside,bringingthe dirtwiththem.

Alintroller

Thesecanbepurchasedat manyfashionandlifestyle stores.Theyaregreatfor removingfurfromyour clothesbutcanalsoberolled overyoursoftfurnishingsto keepthemfreeoffluff.

Asqueegee

Ifyoulivewithsomeheavy shedders,asqueegeecan streamlinethehair-removal

processofyourfurniture.Run italong,holdingitdownfirmly, anditwillgatherallthefurto makeiteasiertocollect.

Adustbuster

Small,hand-heldvacuums weresuperpopularinthe’90s andshouldbeamodernmusthaveforanypetowner.They allowyoutocleanupwithout havingtohauloutthebig vacuumcleaner.

Carpetpowder

Don’twantyourhouseto smelllikeyourpetsownthe place?Beforevacuuming yourcarpetsandrugs,sprinkle somescentedcarpetpowder onthemtohelpliftodours andleavethespacefresh.

Apoopscoop

Thisone’sself-explanatory butverynecessaryforpet owners,especiallythosewith dogs.Thisletsyoupickupand bagtheirpoopwithouthaving totouchitorgettooclose toit.Yes,please!

UNLIKEDEALS

LIVE

OutwardBound

OneofSouthAfrica’s renownedhorticulturists andgardendesigners, ArthurMennigke–aka TheNakedGardener–wasfacedwithan establishedone-acre gardeninBryanston,Johannesburg,which featuredarandomcollectionofold-fashioned planting.Aspacewithnostructure,noform andnothingtoenticeanyoneintothegardento spendtimethere.TheownerstaskedArthurto comeupwithsomethingnewandexcitingwith differentprivateareasforrelaxedentertaining, increasingthe‘livability’ofthehome.

Atthetime,Arthur–whowasusedto teachingstudentshowtodividegardensinto usableoutdoorrooms–washimselfstruggling tofindasolutiontothisgarden,especiallydueto thedifficultpoolshape.Whileinclass,hehad alight-bulbmomentandsuddenlyknewexactly howtodealwiththisspace.Nowinspiredbythe unusualpoolshape,thedesignsprangtomind withtheplantinginfluencedbythegardensat GreatDixterinEastSussexintheUK–thefamily homeoflegendarygardenerand gardeningwriter ChristopherLloyd.

However,thisgardenisbynomeansBritish, ratherborrowingfromtheDutchinits

Top

Thelinesofdeckingthatlead fromthehousearesoftened bythebrightyellowsand redsofdaylilies, Coreopsis , Rudbeckia , Bulbinella and yellowthyme,whichcontrast withthepurplesandmauves of Agapanthus , Tulbaghia and Scabiosa species dottedthroughout.

Middle Agrass-manedliongreets youattheentrancetothe bomagarden,whichhas averydifferentfeelfrom therestofthegarden. DistinctlyAfricaninspired, itfeaturesmainlyaloes with Plectranthus inthe shadethrownbythe overhangingtrees.

Below

Theunusually-shapedpool hasdictatedthelayoutof thenewlookgarden,spaced perfectlybetweenthehouse andthenewpoolhouse.Both buildingshavethesame finishes,creatingavisuallink betweenthetwospaces.

ThisPage

structuredlook.Whereitdoesdrawonthe Englishgardenisthewayitdrawsuponthe traditionalartsandcraftsdesignmotifs,inthe heavyuseofdriftsofcolourtocreateaseriesof spaceswithinthelandscape.However,itfeatures alesscontrolled,morenaturalstyleofborder planting.Driftsandinterplantingofgrasses underpinandaddstructure,butwillalsogive latesummerandautumncolouraswellasform andinterestinthewintermonths.Itisahighenergygarden,withitsvisualimpactdepending onachievingstrongcontrasts–ofsparkling colourandmultifariousshapesoffsetagainst eachother.

Workingwithanarchitect,Arthurwanted theglassdoorsofthenewpoolhousetoreflect thesurroundinggarden.Creatingasenseof flowfromthehouseintothegardenisachieved bycontinuingthesamedesignschemeused inadjacentrooms.Largewindowsprovidethe perfectopportunityheretoblendtheindoor andoutdoorlivingenvironments.

Deckinghasbeenusedfairlywidely,notonly asaneatcontrasttotheplanting,butwithits cleanlines,itcreatestheillusionofmorespace.

Thegardensuggeststhere mightbeaplacewherewe canmeetnaturehalfway

–MichaelPollan

Above

Theboardwalksrunning downthesidesofthegarden createalinkbetweenthe houseandthepoolhouse. Bordersareplanteddensely withcontrastingcolours.

Middle Oversizedpotsfilledwith Euphorbias andsucculents werechosenspecifically fortheircolour–redand orange–topickupcolours fromthefamilyroom.

Below Throughoutthegarden, bordersanddeckingedges havebeensoftenedwith grassessuchas Carex , Eragrostis and Stipa ,adding tothesenseofgentleness astheyfollowthesinuous walkwaycurves.

Theboardwalksrunningdownthesidesofthe gardencreatealinkbetweenthehouseandthe funky,modernentertainingarea. Thisoutdoor‘room’isareallyneat,formal areawithloadsofgenerousplantingtosoften it.Addingplantsenmassewherethehome meetsthegardenisacleverwaytomergethe twolivingareas.Largepotsofsucculentsin redsandorangesplacedonthepatioandstairs notonlypickuponthecoloursfromthefamily room,butpulltheeyesandothersensestowards thewildnessofthegardenspace.Calmingpink plantslike Echinacea,dayliliesandPrideof Indialeadintoalivelyinterestingmixofexotic andindigenousplantingfeaturing Croscosmia withtheirexclamationpointsofcolour,along with Scobiosacolumbaria amongthe Eragrostis and Miscanthus inthefloaty,fluffymeadow sectionwithitsmauvecolourscheme.The pergola,featuringpoleswithidenticalround holestothoseonlightboxessurroundingthe area,helpwiththesenseofenclosure,and definitionofthisoutdoorlivingroom.Thespace, acontinuationofindoors,flowsseamlesslyand easilyfromoneroomtotheother.

OctoberGardenTo-Dos InTheGarden

October–themost beautifulandexciting month!Thegardensprings tolife,rosesarebuddingand forgottenfavouritesstartto showthemselvesagain.

• Timetogetyourlawn intoshape–correctsmall problemsnowbeforethey becomebigones!Dealwith baldpatchesbyreplacingthem withhealthygrasssods(of thesamespeciesofcourse!).

PlantWonderLawnorPenny Royalinareaswherelawnis goingtostruggle.

• Cleanupwinter-flowering succulents,suchas Echeveria and Kalanchoe,anddivide andreplanttheirbabiesin otherpartsofthegarden.

• Sowsummer-flowering annualssuchas Cosmos, marigolds, Lobelia, Zinnia andsunflowers.

• Stepupthemulchinginbeds andcontainersasthedaytime temperaturesstarttoclimb.

• Plantsomepretty groundcoversaroundyour roses–theyactlikealiving mulch,keepingtheground coolandretainingwater. Goodchoicesaredainty Geraniumincanum, Scabiosa and Bacopa trailingvarieties.

• Prunefruittreesandroses, removinganynewgrowth sproutingfromthemother stock,belowthegraft.

• Clipandshapecitrustrees incontainers.

• PlantthestaroftheOctober garden, Trachelospermum

jasminoides,aversatile creeperthatshineswithglossy greenfoliageandfragrant whitestar-shapedflowersand iseasytogrowandunfussy whileitdelivers100%.

• Addwater-retention granulestohangingbaskets andcontainersbeforethe summerheatarrives.

• Regularlyinspectall membersofthelilyfamily, suchas Agapanthus,

Crinum, Clivia and Amaryllis, forlilyborer,theyellowand blackbandedcaterpillar, whichismostactiveat nightandareeasyto removebyhand.

• Stoppinch-pruning Fuchsia nowsothat theywillflowerin sixweeks.Feedevery twoweekswithahigh potassiumfertiliser.

• Takecuttingsof Impatiens,

Plectranthus and Coleus –trim thembelowthebottomnode androotinwaterin clearglass.

• Forcontinuoussummer colour,plant Pelargonium! Thesecheerfulflowering shrubsloveplentyofsun, awell-drainedsoilandnottoo muchwater.Theydorespond toagoodfeedwithanorganic fertilisereverytwoweeks duringspringandsummer.

• Everythingisgrowing fast,andbothairandsoil temperaturesarerising. Veggiesarethirstyandare startingtoneedregular wateringforjuicyleavesor flowersforfruit.Someparts ofthecountryareinthe gripsofseriouswater shortageissues–howdoes awater-consciousgardener balancenotwastingwater andprovidingenoughfor planthealth?Mulchingisa greatwaytoconservewater andcutdownonweeds. Saverainwaterasmuch aspossible–eitheruse commercialtanksor containersthatwillat leastcatchsomewater!

• Whenyouareplantingout yourveggies,groupthem accordingtowaterneeds–forexample,plantleafyveg likelettucetogetherand fruitingvegliketomatoes andaubergines,whichhave deeperrootsclose.

• Sowcarrotsinbatches toensureacontinuous supplyofbabycarrots throughoutsummer.

• Sowgreenbeans–try thebushvarietiessuch asContender,theyare mucheasiertomanage.

• Continuetoplantlettuces, corianderandradishes beforetemperaturesget toohot.

• Tryplantingcucumbers thissummer.Theygrow quicklyandarereadyfor harvestinginonlytwo months.Theygrowwellin containersaslongasthe soiliswellcompostedand drainswell.

• Keepacontinuoussupply ofspinachandSwisschard.

• Feedyouryoung vegetableplantseverytwo weekswithaliquidfertiliser andkeepthemweed-free.

• Keepalookoutforaphids, mealybugandwhitefly, whichalllovewarmer weather,anddon’tforget thesnailbait.

Palmsaredramatic sculpturalplantswitharching frondsthatextendfrom athickbaseandprovideleafy lusciousnessinabrightlylit indoorspace.Theyareeasily adaptableinindoorsources, althoughtheydogrowslower inside.Ifyouwishtocreatean exoticatmosphereand atropicalvibe,palmsarethe perfectplantstohelpcreate thatindoorjungle. Indoorpalmsneedawarm spotinthehouseawayfrom draughtsandair-conditioning. Palmscantoleratealittleless wateringthanmosthouse plants,buttheydobetterwith regularwateringwiththesoil

dryingoutjustabit betweenwaterings. Neveroverwaterpalms! Alackofwatercancause brownleaftips,whichare unsightly.Ifthishappens, cutoffthebrownareaand makesurethatyouonlyjust letthesoildryoutbefore thenextwatering. Palmscandealwithfairlylow lightconditions,but inordertothriveandlook theirbesttheyneedhigh indirectlightbutdirect sunmustbeavoided. Feedwithahalf-strengthliquid fertiliseronceamonthduring springandautumntokeep themhealthyandgreen.

Agapanthus

Agapanthus,orʻAggies’ asweliketocallthem,are undoubtedlyoneofour indigenousbotanical treasures.Theyarefavourites ineverycorneroftheworld, buttheyoccurnaturallyonly inSouthAfrica,wherethey growwildalmosteverywhere exceptthenorthernCape.

Thename Agapanthus comesfromtheGreekwords forlove(agape)andflower (anthos),soliterallymeaning ʻfloweroflove’.InSAthey areoftenreferredtoas theBlueLily.

We’rePlanting

Aggies InDemand

Agapanthus plantsproduce largeclustersoffunnel-shaped flowersontallstemswiththe coloursrangingfromblueto purpletowhite,andnoweven pinkvarieties.Theplantscan rangeinheightfrom20cm forthedwarfvarietiesto2m forthelargervarieties.This makesAggiesoneofthe mostversatileandrewarding gardenplantsastheyalso makeexcellentcutflowers. Breedingprogrammeshave givenrisetoawidevariety ofdwarfandmediumheight plantswithlargeblooms.Visit yourlocalgardencentrefor

thelateststunningvarieties bybreederssuchas ProvenWinners®. Aggiesareundemanding plants,whichmakethemsuch afavouriteinSouthAfrican gardens.Theyaredroughttolerantduetotheirfleshy rootsinwhichtheystorewater andfood.Theythriveinfullsun inwell-drainingsoilwithplenty ofgoodorganiccompost. Plantthetallervarietiesen masseatthebackofborders andusethedwarfvarietiesas edgingplantsandinrockeries. Agapanthus dowellincoastal gardensastheycopewith

Pat Ingarfield

windandsaltyair.Theyalso dowellinlargecontainers asspecimenplants.

WaterAggieswelltwice aweekduringspringand summer,andfeedwith a3:1:5fertilisereverytwo weeksduringspringand earlysummer.Removefaded flowerheadstoencourage moreflowerformation.

Somebeautifulnew Aggiestolookoutforare Agapanthuspraecox ʻBlue Ice’, Agapanthus ʻWhiteIce’, Agapanthusafricanus ʻDouble Diamond’and Agapanthus ʻLilacFlash’.

In 1997, the Reach For A Dream Foundation fulfilled my dream of going to Disneyworld. But, it was my friends’ shaving their heads to look like me, which really moved me. - Sam Pretorius

Help us continue to inspire hope in children with life-threatening illnesses. Call 0860 DREAMS or visit www.reachforadream.org.za.

Who would’ve thought a bald head would give me hope?

Thefocal pointisthe starofthe room;make surethatit’s something youlove

FocalPoint

Ifyouhavealargewallinyourlivingordiningareasthatyou’re nottoosurewhattodowith,don’tfret–wehaveyoucovered

Manypeople’ssolutionto alargewallintheirlivingor diningroomistoturnitinto anaccentwallwithalickof paintthatcontraststherest ofthewalls.Whileweareall forthis,thereareotherideas thatwearekeenontoo,and wearesurethatyoushould consider…

BookNook

Okay,notactuallyanook butanentirebookwall.

If,likemanyofusonthe Garden&Home team,youare anavidreaderwithyourown homelibrary,we’venodoubt thatyouhavebookspiledup innearlyeveryroomofyour home.Whynotusethemto createafunctionalfocalpoint byinstallingabookshelfthe sizeofthelargewallinstead? We’retalkingbuilt-inandfloor-

to-ceiling.Notonlyisthis alovelyuseofspace,butalso aconversation-starter,if it’severneeded.Resistthe urgetoarrangeyourbooks alphabetically,andinstead sortthembythespine’s colour,withthosethat complementyourspace’s aestheticstandingupright andfacingoutward,while stackingtherestonitsside. Goaheadandplaceafew decorativeitemsorplants ontheshelftoo,ifyoulike.

Mirror,Mirror

Addingamirrortoyourwallis notonlyabeautifulidea,but practical,too.Awonderful waytofillanemptyspacein yourlivingroom,itwillcreate asenseofspaceintheroom, instantlymakeasmallerarea feellarger.Rememberthatthe

sizeandshapeofthemirror thatyoudecidetouse dependsonthesizeofthewall onwhichyouwishtodisplay it.Threesmallermirrorsona narrowerwallwillgiveasofter display,butstillmakeasmuch impactasanoversizedone would,leaningagainstawall. Besuretokeepthemirror’s frameinmindtoo,asyouwant ittoworkwiththesettingin whichitisbeingplaced.

InstallPanelling

Panellingisagreatoption forablankwall.Itcreatesan illusionofspacebyelongating theroomwhilealsoadding layerstoyourspace.

CreateaGallery

Agallerywallisagreatway tousethespaceofferedby almostanywallinyourhome.

It’sawayforyoutodisplay yourlovinglycollectedpieces ofartaswellasyourfavourite photographs,insteadofhiding themawaysomewherethatit mayneverbeseen.Ifyouopt tohaveagallerywall,besure tocreateamock-upofiton yourfloorbeforehangingiton yourwall.Thiswillallowyouto seewhichimagesworkwell togetherinthespacewithout addingamultitudeofnailsor hookstoyourwallthatmay needtobemoved.Remember toleavebreathingspace aroundeachpieceand ensurethattheitemsyou havechosenworkwellwith yourfurnitureandtheoverall aestheticthatyouwantto createinthespace.

WonderfulWallpaper

Wallpaperhasmadeahuge comebackrecentlyandisalot moreaccessiblethanitused tobe.Insteadofusingpaintto colouranaccentwall,install wallpaperinapatternthat appealstoyouandtheroom. Therearesomanypattern optionstochoosefromthat decidingonwhatyouwantto usemaybethehardestpart ifthisisthedesignroutethat youchoose.