Better Homes and Gardens Australia digital subscription

Vikasa is my favourite scent from Melbourne fragrance house Tulita. It has notes of smoky rose with bergamot, jasmine, cedarwood and frankincense. What I love about this brand is that each scent comes with a crystal linked to Ayurvedic wellness – this one, rose quartz. They also deliver your perfume with a 2ml travel mini to ensure you love it before opening the bottle. If not, you can return it. Perfume refills are also available. Vikasa perfume from Tulita, 50ml, $290. I first came across this brand at my dermatologist, and another time while getting a rare and relaxing facial. I’m a convert, but until recently I had no idea they started out in Australia. The exfoliating fruit enzyme mask is gentle on my sensitive skin, and the hydrating sheet…

Editor Megan Osborne Creative director Scott Cassidy Managing editor Sophie Al-Bassam Chief sub-editor Jo McKinnon Digital editor Tahni Mesann Design director Monique Larracy Senior designer Carol Tang Garden editor Jenny Dillon Senior food editor Sarah Murphy Stylist Nonci Nyoni Creative projects editor Geneva Vanderzeil Senior content producers Jade Coull, Rachel Iorfino, Livia Gamble Content producer Jada Susas Enquiries (02) 9282 8000 REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS In your garden Tony Fawcett Moon guide Milton Black Better pets Caroline Zambrano Better finance Andrea Black Better books & experiences Rachel Iorfino ADVERTISING Advertising enquiries (02) 9282 8000, advertising@aremedia.com.au Head of sales NSW Jimmy Kerr Head of sales VIC Nisar Malik Head of sales QLD & SA Judy Taylor Director of sales Anna Quinn TELEVISION Host Johanna Griggs Presenters: Pets Dr Harry Cooper Gardening Graham Ross,…

Being a better friend My name is Anna and I live in Pennsylvania in the United States. I am sorry to say that I have never been to Australia, but I am a faithful monthly reader of your magazine and have been for a few years, ever since I discovered it in my local library app’s catalogue. It’s a lot of fun to read and see what’s going on in y’all’s corner of the world. I especially like looking for the elements that feel, at least to my outsider’s eye, particularly and uniquely Australian. But there’s another reason I’m so grateful to have access to your terrific publication: it turns out that I live in an area with a fair number of Australians! Last year, I met an Australian family…

JANELLE BLOOM Recipe developer Janelle Bloom is a food stylist, recipe creator and cookbook author. Many will remember her from the fun-loving TV show Ready Steady Cook. When we asked her to help develop recipes for our Great Aussie Bakes feature on page 18, “I couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough!” she says. FUZZ ALI Food writer We’re thrilled to welcome Fuzz Ali to our BHG family as a new columnist. A former My Kitchen Rules contestant, and a familiar face on Channel 7’s The Morning Show, he brings a rare storytelling flair and culinary passion to our pages. See page 124 for his delicious prawn curry. AUNTY BERYL VAN-OPLOO OAM Native food champion A respected Gamilaroi Elder, Aunty Beryl is an educator, mentor, businesswoman and Australian legend. She taught food…

One of my favourite things in the world is a cheese and bacon roll. My very first job was at Baker’s Delight (behind the counter rather than in the bakery), and I still remember vividly the smell of freshly baked cheese and bacon rolls coming out of the oven. It remains one of my favourite treats when I’m at the shops. I’ll pick one up, hoping it’s still warm from the oven. The good news is it’s surprisingly achievable to make cheese and bacon rolls at home. You can easily adjust the size depending on what you need. For mini rolls, simply divide the dough into smaller portions before shaping. During testing, I found the trickiest part was actually loading the cheese and bacon mixture onto the risen rolls before…

Some doppelgangers can be tricksters, deceiving people into believing the substitute is the real thing. Australian plant look-alikes, however, come with benefits. Planting natives that look like wisteria, frangipani, hibiscus or rhododendrons means your garden is already prepared for our climate extremes and soil peculiarities. They require less watering and feeding than exotic varieties, while offering essential food and habitat for local wildlife. And all are just as beautiful. Here are a few of our favourites. Turn the page to read more about how to grow and care for them, and have a garden abundant with Aussie natural beauty. NATIVE HIBISCUS (Alyogyne heugelii) A hibiscus brings the tropics to your garden, with large, showy flowers in psychedelic colours of orange, red or yellow. But for something more mellow and laid…

“SAUSAGES WITH SAUCE AND MASH HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE UNBEATABLE COMFORT FOODS ON COLD WINTER DAYS..” He’s known for powerful performances and singing legendary songs like Working Class Man, Flame Trees and Khe Sanh. While still touring at age 69, Jimmy Barnes has also embraced a slower pace, and his favourite place to “contemplate life” is sipping tea in his rose garden. Jimmy and his wife, Jane, live on a property on the Wingecarribee River, near Berrima in the NSW Southern Highlands, which they describe as a “slice of heaven”. They have a large vegetable garden that yields produce year-round, which they use in their home cooking. They now have a new appreciation for the seasons, which they celebrate in their book, Seasons Where The River Bends.…

It’s that time of year when fresh, flavoursome figs take centre stage, in both sweet and savoury dishes. I always look forward to fig season. While dried figs don’t appeal to me all that much, fresh figs are another taste sensation altogether. The deliciously plump fruit is sweet and earthy – almost floral on the palate – and because fresh figs don’t store well, they’re best devoured straight from the tree. If I haven’t convinced you yet, try pairing them with cheese, honey, crunchy nuts such as pistachios or the salty flavour of prosciutto. It’s a game changer. Figs cut in half, sprinkled with honey and caster sugar and grilled are a family favourite. There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned – and even grounding – about growing a fig tree. Maybe it’s…

The world’s oldest pantry is sitting in our backyards, literally, and many of us are not aware of it. The lovely blue, beady berry of the flax lily, the sweet little pearls on the midjim bush, the intensely perfumed prostanthera bush, the tall, elegant ginger swaying in a breeze and the cherry-like berries of a lilly pilly hedge – as well as being highly ornamental, all of these plants are edible. They’re just a few of the more than 6500 plants that were an integral part of our First Nations peoples’ diet for 60,000 years. Are they tricky to grow? Not at all – they’ve adapted to our nutrient-poor soils, harsh seasons and intrepid wildlife. After all, they’re natives and have been here for millennia. Sowing the seeds of culture…