North East Home and Garden

SUMMER | 2019

KEEPING COOL

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

SUMMER SALAD

Page 2 - Home and Garden Summer 2019

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Sail away on a summer salad MANGO, HALOUMI AND ROCKET SALAD SUMMER evokes many memories and can turn our thoughts to seasonal pleasures swimming, gardening, cool drinks and beautiful summer salads.

The range of summer salads is endless, largely because the range of amazing fresh ingredients that abound at this time of year, particularly in late spring and early summer.

And these days there are no rules when it comes to salad vegetables, spices, any type of plant or cheese, nuts, white or red meat, it's open slather depending on your taste.

For many, summer means tropical fruits such as mango and anytime that is added to salad in a blink of an eye its maker is transported to a tropical island resort (without leaving the home), far from the cold and miserable backyard of a Victorian winter.

This is such a delicious assortment of fresh and tasty flavours, perfect with a balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Ready to eat - 26 minutes Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 1 (180g) packet halloumi cheese, sliced 1 (150g) packet baby rocket and spinach mix, washed 1 large mango, diced 1 red capsicum, diced 2 tablespoons toasted slivered or sliced almonds DIRECTIONS Preparation: 15min Cook: 6min Extra time: 5min cooling Ready in: 26min In a frypan, fry the halloumi until golden brown on both sides. Take out of the pan and leave to cool.

Chop the halloumi into 2cm pieces.

In a large bowl, mix the rocket, diced mango, red capsicum.

Sprinkle the almonds on top and serve.

PERFECT BALANCE: A per

fect mix for summer.

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Prepare your home for summer

IT’S COOL TO BE COOL: There are plenty of ways to stay cooler this summer but nothing beats a dip in a backyard pool.

SUMMER has already been teasing us with its warmer weather and longer days. But while you might be ready for summer, your home might not be.

Swapping the flannelette sheets is a great starting point, but for a refreshed home for summer make sure you follow these tips.

Flooring changes You won't need those woolly rugs in summer, roll them up and store them for the wintery months when you want to create a cozy feeling.

It’s also a good time to give the carpet a good clean by the professionals to pick up all the dust and to make look like new.

Lighting Your home will already be instantly warmer with the stronger sun beaming in through the windows, so keep lights to a bare minimum to keep the temperature down. If you don’t have dimmers installed, this could be the opportu-

nity to get an electrician to do the job for you.

Added bonus: Your electricity bill will decrease.

Plants Adding greenery to the home is an instant way to bring the outside in. It makes everything look fresh and there are endless options from hanging ceiling pots, to installing a vertical garden if you have enough budget.

Decluttering It’s strange how quickly your house can get cluttered with things, that’s why you should make decluttering a seasonal to-do to reduct the build up. If you can’t part with some things, think about a creative way to re-use it or leave it with a friend to look after for the short term.

Repair fly screens Perhaps the only annoying thing about summer is the mosquitoes and other insects that seem to find any way to get into

the home. Before it becomes a problem, install fly screens or repair holes in existing screens. That way you can get relief from cool summer night breezes.

Pack away the winter clothes It’s time to put away all the jumpers, heavy jackets and boots. You won’t need them this summer plus it frees up a lot of extra space for the items you’ll wear regularly during summer.

Garden maintenance Keeping your garden healthy throughout a hot summer will be your biggest challenge here.

Watering the roots (not the leaves) is crucial and consider using water crystals to help with water retention. In addition to watering, adding compost at regular intervals or potting mix will help fight pests and diseases.

Get your pool in tip top shape Whilst we’re talking about the garden, don’t forget the swimming pool. It needs

love and attention to get it back into good health, ready for people to swim in.

Maintaining the correct pH level is important and it’s best to take a sample to the pool shop, where they can recommend the correct concoction of chemicals to keep it safe. Plus don’t forget to regularly scoop out the leaves.

Update your outdoor entertaining area Does your entertaining area need a bit of a facelift? It’s not as hard as you may think.

Adding a bar with a simple tabletop can work wonders, also consider an inbuilt barbecue area, bench seating, hanging plants and more.

If you already have outdoor furniture, the last 12 months of weather could mean it needs a fresh coat of lacquer or paint.

However if you’re looking to purchase an outdoor lounge or dining set, consider DIY pallet furniture. It’s easy, cheap and very ontrend at the moment.

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Page 4 - Home and Garden Summer 2019

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When style matters IF you’re looking to sell your home or have been struggling to sell, it might be time to look at your home from a different perspective.

With a background in interior design and 20 years of styling, Mulberry Lane Property Styling’s Michelle Slot can help you sell your house with style.

According to a recent study by HSR (2018), staged homes sell faster and spend less time on the market. If you make your home stand out with property styling, it gives you an advantage over neighbouring properties for sales and grabs people’s attention.

The key to any well-presented property and assuring a quick sale is to maximise its potential by pricing it correctly and make it look amazing. Therefore consider the following basic rules in helping you prepare your property ready for sale.

De-clutter the clutter: When all evidence of the current or previous owner is removed, it is easier for a prospective purchaser to picture their own belongings in the home and form an emotional connection with it.

Position, position, position: Aim to make rooms, especially the living room, feel as spacious as possible by care-

ful placement of furniture as traffic flow is important. Try not to make the TV the focal point – use artwork instead.

Colour your world: Don’t muddy a room with too many colours. It is important to be consistent with unified colours throughout your home. It makes it just feel visually liveable.

Add some greenery: "Nothing freshens up a room or outdoor area more effectively than greenery,” Michelle said. If you can’t keep live plants in good condition, then you may consider faux plants.

Lighten up: “Lighting is the finishing touch to create a beautiful ambience,” Michelle said. Have every light on in the property for each inspection.

Mulberry Lane Property Styling offers professional home staging, styling, property enhancement, and interior designing services to both homeowners and real estate agents.

Michelle said, “I can guide you through the process of dressing your home ready for sale in the most efficient way. With the right presentation, you will achieve a sale price to reflect what your property is worth.”

SMART ADVICE: Michelle Slot from Mulberry Lane Property Styling can help you maximise the value of your home before sale.

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Home and Garden Summer 2019 - Page 5

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Double delight for Hadar Homes at HIA awards HADAR Homes confirmed its status as one of the premier home construction companies in the state when they took out the 2019 HIA Victorian Display Home of the Year Award for the $350,001 - $400,000 category earlier his month at Crown Casino.

For Hadar Homes manager Rick Leeworthy the win came out of the blue.

"A mate gave me a text saying congratulations on the big win and I replied 'thanks

mate' it was huge," Rick said.

"But I had to ring him and ask what win and he told me we had won the HIA Victorian award for best display home in our category.

"I couldn't believe it and I thought he was still joking so I decided to ring HIA and they said it was absolutely true and they were just about to ring me."

Rick was quickly onto the company's Facebook page to share the excitement.

HADAR HOMES' 'MADISON', the best overall display home ($350,001 - $400,000) at the state final of the 2019 HIA Victorian Housing Awards.

"This is something we should all be so proud of," he said.

"Well done team, it’s so awesome to be recognised for all the hard work and effort we put into our homes."

The state award judges described the design and floor plan of the Madison as "something that made it stand out in the eyes of the judges”.

"It works excellently in the configuration

on display, but it also has a huge number of variants available that can be mixed and matched to suit the requirements of the buyer.

"The quality of the kitchen in this home was also something that received special praise from the judges."

Hadar Homes also took out the region's best Townhouse/Villa Development with Abalina Cottages in Cherry Lane, Bright

HADAR HOMES' 'ABALINA COTTAGES', the best Townhouse/Villa Development at the 2019 HIA Northern Victoria Regional Housing Awards.

HIA DISPLAY F HOME O R THE YEA

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Page 6 - Home and Garden Summer 2019

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Walker - the magnificent seven design secrets PEOPLE often wonder about just what makes Walker Mowers so more productive than other zero-turn mowers.

So Walker themselves decided to find the answer and after a comprehensive study they can tell you the reasons why.

COMPACT - The Walker has a smaller footprint than other mowers and is designed to get in and out of places other mowers can’t.

BALANCE - Operator position, low centre of gravity and balanced weight distribution give the Walker excellent stability and make it safe on steep slopes.

AGILE - The compact size of the Walker, matched with the unique and responsive steering system makes it easy to manoeuvre between tight places.

TRIMMING - The trimming radius of the Walker means you can get into compact spaces and detailed landscapes and trim precisely with either side of the deck.

STEERING - With precision steering and handling, only gentle fingertip pressure is needed for the Walker to go where you want it to.

REACH - The low profile, out-front deck

PROVEN PERFORMER: Walker Mowers make cutting grass a breeze.

on the Walker allows operators to trim underneath low hanging trees, split rail fences, and other places its competitors can’t.

VIEW - With the best seat in the house,

the operator has a complete view of the mower deck and the grass in front of and beside it.

To see what a Walker Mower can do check

out the video at www.thewalkeradvantage. com or drop into McGregor Machinery, corner Tone Road and Sandford Road, Wangaratta, phone 5722 9933.

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Home and Garden Summer 2019 - Page 7

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Queensland fruit fly update Take action now to protect against fruit fly HOME gardeners are encouraged to act now so future crops in their garden or yard, and commercial crops are safe from fruit flies.

Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF) populations are currently being trapped and recorded in urban areas.

Home gardeners should take some simple steps to help protect against the spread of the pest.

Reoccurring trouble spots If you or your neighbours had fruit fly problems in your garden last year that were not controlled, you are likely to have them again this season.

Monitor for fruit fly You can monitor for the presence of QFF using traps and eyesight.

Most traps catch male QFF, however, some will catch females.

You can also monitor by checking ripening fruit for fruit fly sting marks. Don’t forget to check and monitor your front yard too if it contains fruiting plants.

Keep an eye out for fruiting plants near your house, on roadsides, channel banks, council and crown land, untended properties and business sites.

You may have to talk with your council or your local fruit fly co-ordinator to let them know about host plants.

STOPPING FRUIT FLY: Early in the season it is recommended people undertake trapping for male fruit flies with a pheromone based trap.

Remove ripening fruit Simply put — if fruit flies do not have fruit to lay into, they will die out eventually.

After removal, fruit must be handled and destroyed properly so that fly larvae can’t escape into the soil.

Compost heaps are not a good place to destroy fruit as conditions on and around them

are suitable for QFF survival.

Tree removal If you have a fruit tree you are unable to manage or no longer want, contact your participating council for more information about the free Fruit Tree Removal Program.

Baiting Baits attract and kill fruit flies with food-

based attractants and toxicants.

There are several commercial products available for this strategy.

Baiting works best in the home garden if it is practised by all neighbours and is most effective when applied weekly (and more often if it rains).

Netting Netting is a highly effective fruit fly control strategy for the home garden if you want to keep your fruit and fruit fly susceptible vegetables (such as tomatoes, chillies, eggplants, capsicum, rockmelons, honeydews).

Because many fruiting plants need bees, moths or wind to pollinate them to allow fruit to set, netting should be applied after fruit set.

There are different types and sizes of fruit fly netting.

Restricted use of pesticides There are very few pesticides with Federal Government approval for use in home gardens and those that are approved are difficult to obtain.

Your garden produce or hardware store can provide further advice about the various products to help control and manage fruit fly.

For more information on QFF control, collect an information pack from your council’s customer service centre.

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Page 8 - Home and Garden Summer 2019

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Water wise tips for your garden WITH a dry summer ahead of us, it’s important that we do our part to conserve water.

So what does this mean if we love our garden and want to keep it looking good through the hot weather?

There are a number of simple yet effective things that we can do to make the most of the water we have.

Here are a few ideas: Plan your garden, consider the following aspects when choosing plants – how much sun or shade the area will get, exposure to prevailing wind, whether the garden is up or down slope, and what is the soil like in that particular area – more on soil a bit later.

Group plants with similar water requirements together, higher water users will be easier to maintain if they are together – fruit trees and vegetable gardens for example.

Low water users will perform best if the watering regime is suited to their requirements, rather than trying to cater for different requirements in the one garden area.

Soil – where good gardens begin. Soils with good structure, and high levels of organic matter, will retain moisture for a longer period of time. Good soil structure will also allow for strong root development, which results in vigorous and resilient plants which will be able to withstand dry periods more

as well – be aware of the radiant heat that can be generated by stone mulch in the sun though – and consider which plants will be appropriate for this situation.

Lastly, the type of watering that you do will have a big impact on how well your garden copes through the summer. Drip irrigation placed under a layer of mulch, controlled with a timer is the most water wise solution.

It allows for slow, consistent water penetration, utilising every drop of water. The timer means that you will never wake up in the middle of the night wondering if you turned the tap off. Longer, less frequent watering means that your plants will develop deeper roots which are more resilient to dry weather, rather than shallow rooted plants which dry out quickly once the soil begins to dry out.

SMART CHOICES: Choosing the right plants for your soil and climate will help save water.

successfully. Incorporate as much compost, or cow manure as possible.

Mulching your garden is also one of the simplest and most effective ways to help your garden through the dry weather. There are a number of various mulch options available, all with different beneďŹ ts. Pea straw is excellent for vegetable gardens and fruit trees as it breaks down into your soil (improv-

ing the structure as it does so), adds nitrogen – very important for hardworking vegie garden soils, and is easy to dig in when the time comes to plant next season’s vegies.

Shredded pine bark is great for ornamental garden beds – it’s long lasting, and great for retaining moisture and keeping weeds at bay. Stone mulches are very effective for moisture retention and weed suppression

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Home and Garden Summer 2019 - Page 9

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Page 10 - Home and Garden Summer 2019

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gardening tips for summer

During the summer when things get hot, there are a lot of things that we can do to stay cool.

Hydration is one of the most important things to consider throughout a hot Australian Summer, which also applies heavily to your garden and its plants.

Here are some summer gardening tips that will help you keep your garden healthy this season.

STAY ON TOP OF YOUR WATERING SCHEDULE

1

One of the easiest ways to let your garden wither during the hot summer months is by failing to stay on top of your watering schedule. This is a part of garden maintenance that many individuals in parts of Australia forget to stick to. Manual watering of plants using a garden hose or watering can can often be time consuming, depending on how often the plant needs watering.

An irrigation system could be the perfect solution for the time poor gardener, which will ensure your plants are always hydrated and healthy. A strong irrigation system with an automated watering cycle is a very important part of your lawn care. There are professionals who will be able to help you install this type of irrigation system in your yard.

2 FERTILIZING IS A KEY PART OF KEEPING YOUR GARDEN HEALTHY Fertilizer is a great way for your plants to get the nutrients that they need to weather the hot summer months. We highly recommend applying a good quality controlled release fertiliser in very early Spring and then a regular follow-up of Sea Weed solution will help promote strong growth throughout the Summer season. The professionals at Maintain Me will be able to help you find which fertilizers are going to work best for your yard and garden and whether your plants require fertiliser.

3 DON’T FORGET TO KEEP THE PESTS OUT Unwanted pests in your garden are going to create a problem that can eventually end your summer garden plans. Pest control professionals can help you get rid of the unwanted visitors in your garden. If your problem isn’t big enough to call a professional, there are sprays and other pest control products that you can buy at a gardening store or hardware store.

4 HAVE A PLAN FOR YOUR WEEDS Whenever you have a garden, you are going to have weeds. This is very true in hot summers like they have in Australia. Make a plan for weeding that is frequent. This way, you won’t have to weed a large amount of your garden and have it be overwhelming all at once. As long as you are taking care of your weeds on a weekly basis, you won’t have a weed problem that is going to overwhelm you in the long run or overtake your garden.

5 DON’T FORGET TO PRUNE Hedge trimming is a very important part of the health of any garden.

If you have plants that are getting too big for your garden, you are going to have a problem. It is imperative that you make pruning a regular routine in your gardening. This will help you to have a well kept looking garden that will last throughout the whole summer.

credit: www.maintainme.com.au

Home and Garden Summer 2019 - Page 11

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Top 9 tips for living sustainably 3. Install a water efficient showerhead Save money and energy with a water-efficient showerhead which uses 40 per cent less water. Free replacement of old showerheads with water saving showerheads is an eligible activity under the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Scheme. Speak to your local water retailer to see whether they can do this for you.

4. Turn the thermostat down Save on heating bills by keeping the heating temp at home between 18 and 20 degrees in the colder months. Every degree you pump up the heater means more of the pollution causing climate change, and an increase to your heating bill by around 10 per cent per degree.

5. Say no to straws and plastic bags Australians use around 10 million plastic bags every day, contributing to an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic dumped into the ocean every year. Plastic straws are also to blame, and are one of the most common items found on beach shores all over the world. All of this plastic fills our landfill, harms our wildlife, and can take lifetimes to break down. Remember to say ‘no bag please’ in supermarkets and other shops, and ‘no straws please’ in bars and restaurants.

LIVING sustainably is not about going without the things that you love and enjoy doing. A little thought and a few simple tweaks to your lifestyle can have a big impact on your environmental ‘footprint’, without requiring a lot of time and effort.

Often living sustainably is about forming new habits that are healthy for you, your family and the environment. Our top nine tips will get you started.

1. Reduce your food waste Reduce your grocery bills by finding out how to avoid food waste. The average Victorian household throws out approximately $2200 worth of food each year. Food thrown into your garbage bin ends up in landfill, and breaks down in a way that can create greenhouse gasses. The Love Food Hate Waste campaign offers tips, advice and recipes to help you avoid food waste in four easy steps.

2. Use reusable cups such as keep cups Australians consume more than 50,000 cups of coffee every half hour, and an estimated 3 billion takeaway hot drink cups every year. Sadly these cups, which are made from virgin materials rather than recycled paper, cannot be put in your kerbside or workplace recycling bins. Take a cup with you or have your drink to stay.

6. Switch imported for Australian made Let’s face it – you don’t need your brioche to be made in Paris. It’s probably just as tasty from a local bakery and certainly fresher. When we buy imported goods, more of the pollution causing climate change is produced because of the distance those goods need to travel. Buying Australian made, and where possible Victorian made, means fewer miles travelled so less climate harming pollution.

7. Walk, bike and use public transport whenever possible Walking and cycling is good for your health and the health of the environment. Think about walking or cycling to work, to make exercise and reducing carbon emissions part of your day. If neither of these are an option, think about taking public transport or carpooling. While you’re at it, avoid air travel as much as possible and carbon offset your flights.

8. Upgrade your lights Light emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) will cost you far less to run than halogen and other incandescent lights. Energy-efficient CFLs can also last up to ten times longer than traditional ones. The light from these bulbs will give off light as bright as your old bulbs while saving you money.

EVERYONE WINS: Often living sustainably, such as growing your own vegie garden, is about forming new habits that are healthy for you, your family and the environment.

9. Go paper free Reduce the paper clutter in your home and save some trees by going paper free. Almost everything from your phone bill to your credit card statement can be viewed online. Contact your banks, utility providers and other service providers to go paperless. And while you’re at it, switch to recycled toilet paper.

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Living at home as you get older MOST older people want to live at home for as long as possible and there are lots of benefits that come with maintaining your independence for longer.

There are many things you can do yourself and support services you can use to help you keep living at home for as long as possible.

Hobbies and interests Maintaining a healthy and active mind is important, so if you have a particular hobby or interest, keep doing it. If you’re finding it hard to continue with it, talk to your family or carer about how they can help you maintain these interests.

Maintaining your social, family and community connections, continuing to exercise your body and mind, and focusing on the things that you enjoy will help you stay healthy, positive and motivated.

Staying connected with your social networks Staying connected to your friends, social groups and family members is an important part of maintaining your independence and keeping healthy.

It’s important to keep going to the family, social gatherings and community activities that you enjoy.

Transport – getting around In order to stay connected and independent, you need to be able to travel to the plac-

es, events and activities you want to go to.

There are many transport options available to help you get around.

If you drive a car, you don’t have to stop just because you’re getting older. Your health and behaviour determines whether you can keep your driver licence, not your age. Older drivers are just as safe as other age groups on the road.

VicRoads provides information for older drivers who want to continue driving safely and be alert to health changes that may make it unsafe for them to drive.

You may decide to stop driving on your own or you may have to give up your driver licence if you are no longer healthy enough to keep driving. If you have health problems or you aren’t sure if you can drive safely, you may be asked to have an assessment to see if it is still safe for you to drive. These rules are in place to keep everyone safe on the road. Even if you can no longer drive, you can still keep your independence and social connections. Your family, a friend or a carer may be able to drive you to where you need to go or you can take a taxi. You can talk with your local doctor about how to get reduced taxi fares. The Multi Purpose Taxi Program offers half price travel for people who are not able to use public transport. Call 1800 638 802 for more details.

Public transport There are many public transport options you can try, including buses and trains (many of which have easy access and priority seating for older people). Some organisations and local councils provide free community buses for people to get to and from their venue.

Looking after yourself As you get older, you may find it harder to look after yourself or do your household chores on your own. If you or someone you are caring for is not eating properly, letting the house get dirty or not bathing, it could be time to change how things are done.

You may need to see an occupational therapist or physiotherapist to get aids and equipment or home modifications that can help you to do your day-to-day living tasks.

If you are concerned about your personal hygiene or ability to cope with day-to-day tasks, talk to them about getting in-home care services, which may include delivered meals through the Home and Community Care (HACC) program, or a Home Care Package. You can also purchase delivered meals from private enterprises.

If you are caring for someone, ask them if they need help with anything such as shopping, cooking, taking the bins out or cleaning the bathroom. Sometimes, what may seem like very simple tasks can be overwhelming

DOOR-TO-DOOR: Home delivery of meals makes it easier for older people to live longer in their homes.

for older people and they may not want or be able to do these things anymore.

For more information visit betterhealth.vic/ gov.au/servicesandsupport/living-at-homeas-you-get-older.

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