7 minute read
Home & Garden by the book
HOME & GARDEN by the book
Providing inspiration by the book-full, these top titles are all focused on the one place which stands at the centre of our lives – be it ever so humble (or so substantial), there’s no place like home!
HISTORIC HOMESTEADS OF HAWKE’S BAY
For generations, Hawke’s Bay has been home to some of the grandest homes in the country. In this book, Angus Gordon explores the heritage behind a number of houses which dot the landscape as well as their central place in the history of New Zealand’s pastoral revolution. Loaded with photos, this book is sure to appeal to history buffs, architectural enthusiasts and many others.
Angus Gordon: Historic Homesteads of Hawke’s Bay | RRP $50 | Mary Egan Publishing
ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS OF CHRIST’S COLLEGE
No matter how grand our designs may be, there are few who could build their dreams near so big as those who constructed Christ’s College! However, this book still serves to inspire as it showcases the architectural marvels of this garden city school. Showcasing fundamentals to aesthetic details, the architectural drawings in this book reveal these heritage buildings in all their glory.
Sir Miles Warren and Alec Bruce: Architectural Drawings of Christ’s College | RRP $45 | Quentin Wilson Publishing
AUCKLAND ARCHITECTURE – A WALKING GUIDE
Auckland may be a relatively new city on the world stage but, from iconic Victorian landmarks to modern skyscrapers, it is home to a rich range of buildings. With this handy pocket guide (an updated and revised edition), John Walsh and Patrick Reynolds provide maps and more to guide those keen to explore, and learn more about, our Super City.
John Walsh & Patrick Reynolds (photographer): Auckland Architecture – A Walking Guide | RRP $19.99 | Massey University Press
YATES GARDEN GUIDE
Gardening may be an age-old pastime, but times change. Fully revised and updated to reflect the evolving nature of how today’s gardeners grow, this book is suitable for those tending everything from big backyards to (increasingly common) smaller spaces. Ideal for beginners, as well as those with well-seasoned green thumbs, Yates Garden Guide is a practical guide for gardeners from all walks of life.
Angie Thomas: Yates Garden Guide | RRP $49.99 | HarperCollins
1-MINUTE GARDENER
Modern life may be hectic – too hectic to even think about gardening! However, we need not spend a great deal of time (or even have big backyards) in order to produce quality produce for our tables, as this handy book reveals. Featuring 60 illustrated, step-by-step guides for edible gardening, 1-Minute Gardener helps ensure rich rewards for those whose time is most precious.
Fabian Capomolla and Mat Pember: 1-Minute Gardener | RRP $29.99 | Macmillan
Ever feel weighed down by life? It’s time to lighten up! A book designed for those who reduce their impact on the world around them and make the most of what they have, Living Lightly offers a wide range of practical hacks designed to simplify life and our homes.
Nicola Turner: Living Lightly – The Busy Person’s Guide to Mindful Consumption| RRP $45 | HarperCollins NZ THE EDIBLE BACKYARD
For more than 20 years, Kath Irvine has helped Kiwis design, build and maintain their gardens. This book includes photographs and illustrations covering design aspects as well as practical steps for growing edibles – vegetables, fruits and herbs. Thanks to Kath, we can grow produce while also developing gardens with aesthetic beauty too.
Kath Irvine: The Edible Backyard | RRP $50 | RHNZ Godwit
YATES TOP 50 EDIBLE PLANTS FOR POTS
Keeping edible plants alive long enough to eat their bounty before they bite the dust isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Thankfully, gardening guru Angie Thomas has complied a treasure trove of information designed to help make sure we enjoy the fruits of our labour. Perfect for apartment dwellers but also useful for gardeners who like to dabble in a little ‘pot luck’, this book is a handy guide to growing everything from lush leafy greens to tangy citrus, crunchy carrots and vine-ripened tomatoes. Angie Thomas: Yates Top 50 Edible Plants for Pots — and how not to kill them! | RRP $39.99 | HarperCollins
A ZERO WASTE FAMILY IN THIRTY DAYS
In just 30 days, Anita Vandyke can help us learn to live a zero waste lifestyle, making the most of what we have. This book is not designed to make us feel guilty about consuming, it’s all about how we can make smarter choices while we do so, revealing that even small change can make a big difference. Anita Vandyke: Farm for Life | RRP $24 | Penguin Life Australia
Dealing with winter drainage
Come winter time just about everyone is focused on rain and stormwater, either disposing of it or reducing its impact.
Storm water flows are unregulated so knowing how much or how little you will get is virtually impossible. Large rain events challenge designers’ calculations and result in flow constraints as water under the pressure of gravity, heads to low lying areas.
Property owners expect their drainage systems to work perfectly. They want reliability and safe well-constructed systems by which all water is carried away without a hitch. This is where good design from stormwater engineers comes into play.
Implementing these designs is the job of drainage professionals such as Drains.co Ltd.
The company has successfully operated its headquarters (office, workshop, storage facilities and transport fleet) in South Auckland for more than 25 years, providing residential drainage services to clients throughout the greater Auckland region, Franklin, northern Waikato and the Hauraki Plains.
Director, Graeme Garchow believes getting sound advice and design work early on is bound to prevent problems down the track. “It really is best to ensure installation of anything, from water tanks to storm water or sanitary wastewater systems, is done properly at the outset,” he says. “The last thing anyone wants is a new home spoiled – or soiled – when such systems back up and let you down.”
Experts in providing new drainage in urban and rural districts, Drains.co is focused on ensuring property owners know and understand the best options available to them so they can make informed decisions as to what is needed to best meet their lifestyle and property needs.
Furthermore, as one of New Zealand’s most established residential drainage companies, it successfully completes waste water and storm water requirements for more than 600 houses every year using the latest technology, equipment and systems.
But who among laymen know what to look for in a drainage system? Not a lot of people, so here is some advice from the Drains.co team: LIFESTYLE: In towns and urban areas there is more focus on rain water harvesting for non-potable uses such as watering the garden or washing the car.
Almost all new designs in the Auckland region are coming out with water tanks for retention (reuse), and detention to reduce peak stormwater flows into waterways.
Current council practice may require greater use of soak pits and recharge pits for replenishing ground water resources.
In rural situations, water tank overflows are required and some sort of storm water detention.
These flows are directed to soakage trenches or outfall structures to prevent scouring and to reduce peak flows which lead to floods after heavy rain events.
COUNCIL COMPLIANCE: With water quality taking more importance nationally, silt control is of primary concern. Councils today are focusing on more silt trapping devices to keep waterways clean and to control pollution in waterways from the likes of plastic waste.
Of course, all drainage devices require
“It really is best to ensure installation of anything, from water tanks to storm water care or they cease to work so home owners need to undertake maintenance on a regular or sanitary wastewater basis. systems, is done properly Remember: Gutters need regular cleaning. at the outset.” Water tanks should be pumped out and cleaned every few years; silt traps, soak pits, and detention tanks need cleaning too. Ignore them at your peril and discover the adverse effects when the first big storms of winter arrive. All this adds cost to the initial purchase and annual maintenance bill so be aware when investigating what services are available.
WASTEWATER:
More homes are facing decentralised waste water in new subdivisions and will require either waste water treatment systems or pressure sewer pump stations.
These items, when cared for and functioning well, add value to the home enabling a healthy, safe environment for families to live in and enjoy their desired lifestyle.
When ignored, they become an unsanitary risk to families and the environment, so keep on top of things by scheduling regular maintenance checks.
