All Blog Posts (36)

Last weekend we planted this year's garlic, and our son had already planted some in another spot, so there are now about 120 in the ground. Very satisfying. Son may be moving out before they are harvested, so we may end up with garlic to swap!

Last December I harvested 70 bulbs of garlic. It was such a buzz. I loved tying them in bunches and hanging them up in our laundry to dry. We have been using them ever since - including straight from harvest, when they were really easy to peel. I doubt that, with our son living at home and cooking lots of stir frys, the 70 bulbs will keep us in garlic for the whole year, especially as they were fairly small. This time I'll plant them earlier and hope that the bulbs are bigger. I haven't…

Buying cheap carpet can be a time consuming and frustrating process; from figuring out the best quality material to choosing the right colour through to getting the cloth at the best discount price. These three elements can cause some serious tension between you and your partner if you are not careful...

If you are like me and you don't want to spend the big bucks to cover floor areas such as garages, sheds, cubby houses or rental properties, then think outside the square and buy carpet offcuts as a cheap alternative. 



Here are three ways to think outside the square when looking for …

Calculating your green star rating can often be a difficult and confusing process when building a new office or undergoing a refurbishment. Thankfully when it comes to your floor coverings, it can be very easy to achieve a 100% green star rating. According to the GBCA, re-used content is defined as "...the amount of an item by area, length, volume or…

If you are looking for seriously cheap carpets Melbourne, then you cannot look past used carpet. McMats Recycled Carpets has been in the business of salvaging reusable commercial floor coverings for over 18 years. Why? Quite simply, the company could not understand why this incredibly durable and long-lasting floor covering was being thrown…

Many businesses these days need to replace their floor coverings because of new tenancies, refurbishments or to fit in with company branding. If you are looking for office carpet, then consider purchasing secondhand commercial carpet. Here are the top three reasons why secondhand commercial carpet is the best.



1. Excellence:…

From Australian Food News:

The Lexicon of Sustainability is an interesting project.

One that is much needed and will be much…

I have recently started a blog called The Gleaner.  You see, I consider myself a gleaner, albeit a modern one.  I love doing the hard rubbish on the footpaths (please leave neat and tidy),…

We're in berry high-season- more strawberries, raspberries and blueberries than we can manage every day.

If you can't eat or preserve them right away, here are two quick preserving options:

1/

Prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar) and ten parts water. Rinse the berries in the mixture. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted I find you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge.

The vinegar kills any mold spores and…

18 years ago, when McMats Recycled Carpets set up shop, the terms 'recycling' / 'reuse' and the 'environment' were not part of everyday vernacular. Buying used carpet…

One thing I thought  could do, inspired as I am by the idea of Undriving, is do an audit of how we use our car - taking note of the trip, who was in the car, how far we went and what for. This can help us decide what our pattern of driving is and whether we could make changes.

I saw there were a number of suggestions on the website, including:

• Bus or bicycle to work X days per week

• Commit to being car-free on certain days of the week

• Limit driving to XX miles…