DIY: How To Make A Wheelie Bin Screen

Our local council supplies us with 3 big wheelie bins for general rubbish, recycling and garden waste and we keep them at the front of the house in the driveway.

The bins don't make the best first impression to our visitors who walk past them on their way to our front door plus they take up space in the driveway where we want to park our cars.

So when we designed our front courtyard we included in the design putting the bins in the corner of the courtyard so they are out of the way. Having 3 bins all lined up was still pretty unsightly so we decided to make this wheelie bin screen in front of them to hide them from sight.

The finished timber look wheelie bin screen 

Initially I wanted a screen made from decorative privacy screens but because of the patterns you would still be able to see the bins through them and the screens and a frame would cost over $400.

So then we had the bright idea of making a screen from the Alitimber metal fence slats which we used on the courtyard fence. This would mean the screen will blend in with the fence behind as it's made from the same product, plus we could make little to no gap between the slats so the bins were hidden properly and we had a few lengths leftover so the cost would be less.

The pack of metal fence slats, support posts, inside channels, caps and cement cost us about $300. The other items needed for this DIY is a circular saw, tape measure, level, drill and screws.

DIY: How to make a wheelie bin screen

First things first we worked out how long we wanted the screen to be to fit the 3 bins. Then Mr P cemented a support post into the ground on one side and attached the other support post to the exterior brick wall of the house.

Next we fitted an inside channel to the middle of the support poles with a few screws and used a level to make sure it was straight. The inside channel is what you screw the metal fence slats to. 

Once the two support posts were in place we waited until after the courtyard had been paved before making the screen otherwise it would be in the way of the guys laying the limestone pavers.

This may have taken us almost a year to get around to finishing but as the saying goes Rome was not built in a day! Renovating takes time as well but we get there in the end!!

So over the weekend Mr P got out the circular saw, measured the distance between the support poles and cut the metal fence slats to size.

Using the level again to make sure it was straight Mr P attached the fence slat with screws into the channel in the support pole. Working from the top to the bottom once the first slat is in and straight then the rest are easy to install. We didn't want a big space between the slats or you'd be able to see through the screen so we used a 2mm spacer so there was only a very small gap.

A cap is placed on the top of each support pole to stop any water getting in and then it was done.

Now all 3 wheelie bins sit behind the screen out of sight. The screen also hides the reticulation controls and power supply.

We now have our entire driveway to make use of for parking the cars and it just looks so much nicer at the front of the house without the big green wheelie bins in the way!

This was a great DIY weekend project to tick off the to do list and in fact is the last project to tackle in our front courtyard garden - it is now officially done and we can sit outside in our outdoor oasis and enjoy what we've created.

Where do you store your outdoor rubbish bins?

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Recipe: Slow Cooker Asian Beef, Veggies + Rice

I love cooking with Asian flavors but usually I make a quick stir fry so I thought I'd make a stir fry style dinner in my slow cooker, that way I can set it in the morning and forget about it until dinner time.

This Asian Beef turned out so good, really tasty sauce, melt in the mouth tender meat, and with veggies added in the last few minutes and tasty garnishes, served on rice it is a simple and healthy mid week meal.

Slow Cooker Asian Beef, Veggies + Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large brown onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

500g chuck steak, thickly sliced

1/2 cup soy sauce (I use the salt reduced one)

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tbs ginger, finely grated

1/2 tsp Chinese five spice

1/2 tsp white pepper

To serve

1 cup frozen peas

Bok choy, stalks sliced (you can use any Asian green vegetable)

3 spring onions, sliced

1/2 cup cashews, lightly toasted

Fresh coriander leaves

Sesame seeds

Cooked rice

Method

Note: I have a sear a slow cooker which I fry/brown in first - you can use a frypan first and then transfer everything to the slow cooker (always brown the meat first to seal in the flavour and so it holds its shape and doesn't fall apart while slow cooking).

1.  Heat oil and brown meat on both sides, remove and set aside.

2.  Heat oil and fry onion and garlic for a few minutes.

3.  Add beef back into slow cooker.

4.  Add soy sauce, beef stock, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, ginger, Chinese five spice and white pepper. Give it a good stir.

5. Put lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

6. When you're ready to eat add the bok choy and peas to slow cooker and cook on low for 10-15 minutes with the lid on. Once the veggies are cooked through it's ready to serve.

To serve add cooked rice to bowl, top with Asian beef and veggies being sure to ladle lots of the lovely sauce over the rice, garnish with spring onions, cashews, coriander and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. 

Enjoy!

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Recipe: Making Risotto In A Rice Cooker

Today I'm sharing two of my favourite risotto recipes that I make in my rice cooker.

Risotto in a rice cooker isn't as creamy as the traditional stove top risotto method but it still tastes delicious, it's quick to make taking less than 30 minutes and you can pretty much set and forget it without any wrist aches from stirring for hours! 

RECIPE

Bacon, Mushroom + Zucchini Risotto in the Rice Cooker

Measure out aborio rice, rinse and set aside. Measure out water, remove 1/2 a cup of water and substitute with 1/2 a cup of white wine, add chicken or vegetable stock powder and set aside.

Turn on rice cooker and heat a little oil and butter in rice cooker dish. Fry a finely chopped onion and a clove of crushed garlic, add a handful of sliced mushrooms, a few rashers of chopped bacon and half a diced zucchini. Fry for a few minutes. Add to the mix the rice and stir well.

Reset rice cooker to cook rice, add 1/2 a cup of liquid and close lid. Every 5 or so minutes open lid and if the liquid has absorbed add another 1/2 cup of water. Continue until all liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked.

It's important to wait for the liquid to absorb before adding more just like the traditional risotto method or it will go gluggy. 

As you are opening the lid you may need to cook the rice for a bit longer. When the rice cooker is finished and the rice is cooked add 1/2 a cup of frozen peas, cracked pepper and the juice of half a lemon and give it a final stir. Close the lid for 5 minutes so the heat cooks the peas.

You're now ready to serve the risotto into bowls, top with grated parmesan and squeeze remaining lemon over the top - the lemon really enhances the flavour of this dish.

RECIPE

Chicken, Lemon and Herb Risotto in the Rice Cooker

As above, measure rice and liquid.

Turn on rice cooker and heat oil and butter and fry chopped onion and crushed garlic for  a few minutes. Add rice and stir until grains are coated. Add liquid gradually as stated above. Half way through (after 10 minutes) add chopped cooked chicken, fresh herbs (such as oregano, parsley and mint), grated lemon rind and cracked pepper. (Add some greens like spinach or peas at this stage too if you like).

When rice cooker finishes and rice is cooked spoon risotto into bowls and squeeze over some fresh lemon, garnish with extra lemon rind, fresh herbs and grated parmesan. 

I have also made this with peeled raw prawns instead of chicken which takes just a few minutes to cook, garnish with spring onions and fresh chilli.

Do you use a rice cooker? 

What's your favourite rice dish?

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My Ideal Herb + Veggie Garden

Now that the courtyard garden is finished we have a big raised corner garden bed that we are going to plant out with herbs and veggies.

I love to cook with fresh herbs and have an ever growing list of must have herbs for the garden which looks something like this Basil, Mint, Parsley, Oregano, Coriander, Rosemary and Thyme.

Plus easy to grow veggies like Rocket, Cherry tomatoes, Spring onions, Chillis and a Lime tree to name a few!

I had a lemon tree for about 3 years which sadly didn't product any fruit so I'm hoping I'll have more luck with a lime tree.

Before we cleared and subdivided the backyard we had a herb and veggie garden and I loved being able to pick fresh herbs at dinnertime or cherry tomatoes for my salad and I can't wait to grow our own produce again.

I'm really looking forward to planting out my dream herb and veggie garden in the coming weeks.

What's your favourite thing to grow in the garden?

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Courtyard Garden: Waterproofing The Limestone Garden Bed

The first thing we did once the courtyard garden bed had been built was to waterproof the inside of the garden bed which is made from limestone blocks.

We needed to waterproof it because the back of the garden bed is our limestone fence surrounding the courtyard and we don't want it to get damaged by water seeping through or to stain with water marks and a waterproof will protect from this.

The garden bed is a decent size about 3.5 metres long in total which will fit lots of fresh herbs and vegetables that we are hoping to plant this weekend.

Mr P also waterproofed the limestone fence when it was first built - you can read more about that here.

We used a Crommelin waterproof product that is specifically made for outdoor use in wet areas such as garden beds.

A pair of disposable gloves to protect your hands and a paint brush is all you need to paint on the waterproofing. We bought a small paint roller and tray as well but it was too awkward inside the garden bed so we didn't end up using it - it's much easier to just paint it on with a brush.

Mr P painted on the waterproof nice and thick all the way along the inside of the garden bed. It's a once only coat and only took about an hour from start to finish. The black makes it easy to see where where you've applied it and I like how the black adds depth to the garden bed.

To be honest this stuff looks horrible (like something out of a horror movie!) it's thick with a tar like texture. But the good thing is it has little to no smell. 

That's another little DIY ticked off the to do list and the garden bed is now ready to be filled with sand, soil and we can start planning out our herb and vegetable garden (hopefully this weekend!).

What vegetables and herbs do you grow at home?

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Courtyard Garden: Paving, Garden Bed + Grass

As you may have seen snippets of if you follow Jarrah Jungle on Facebook or Instagram you will know our courtyard garden landscaping project has kicked off and I'm so damn excited about the progress we've made in the last few weeks!

The courtyard fence was built at the front of our house a few years ago but we have been focused on other projects like renovating our laundry/powder room, subdividing our block and getting married and planning our wedding. So the courtyard was left as a sandpit until we could turn our attention back to it this year and the time has come to work on this project again and finish off the landscaping and courtyard garden.

Mr P and I did all the preparation work ourselves including drawing up the courtyard garden design, setting up the reticulation ready for the grass and garden beds, installing shade sail poles (the shade sail is still being made) and clearing the area ready for the landscaping work to start.

We decided not to DIY the paving, brick garden bed or lay the grass ourselves and have turned to the professionals for this - our family's landscaping business. The main reason we aren't DIYing is because the pavers are really heavy and we'd need to hire extra equipment to move them, it would take us a lot longer to do the work just on weekends and we worked out it was more worthwhile to pay professional landscapers to do the job.

To save money we organised all the materials ourselves - yellow sand, soil, cracker dust, concrete, pavers and limestone blocks and turf. 

This is the work the landscapers have done over the last week and a bit .... 

Day 1 - Clearing and Leveling the Site

Sand and cracker dust delivered and the landscapers used this to level and compact the ground. 

The sand is used to raise the ground level of the courtyard so it's the same as the pathway to the front door. They compacted the sand down and then added a layer of cracker dust to the top.

Unfortunately they couldn't do any more work as the delivery truck for the pavers and blocks had broken down so we had to wait until the next day for delivery before any paving work could start.

Day 2 - Garden Bed Begins

Limestone pavers and limestone blocks we picked and were made by hand were delivered from our local supplier Dan-Stone.

The limestone blocks were quite cheap and they're not perfect they have some chips out of them but as they are being used for a garden bed we were happy to save some money and use these as the chips can be filled with cement mortar.

Work on the garden bed in the corner started today using the limestone blocks and a mix of cement mortar to stick them down.

Day 3 - Garden Bed Finished & Site Leveled

The garden bed was finished and lined up perfectly with the corner of the courtyard (good job lads!).

Once the garden bed was built the rest of the courtyard ground was leveled again with sand and then cracker dust and compacted flat.

The level was raised up about 5cm to meet the concrete path that runs to the front door so it's all one level - joining the path to the courtyard.

Day 4 - Paving starts

The landscaping lads started to lay the pavers today starting from the pathway to the front door and leading outwards. The pattern on the pavers were laid at the same angle to match as well.

All these little details you never notice about houses until you work on them yourselves!

Day 5 - Another Day Of Paving

More paving was laid today and the tricky bits around the edges which had to be measured and cut.

Good quality soil was delivered today for the garden beds and to lay under the grass areas.

When Mr P and I got home from work and spent 3 hours working by torch light adjusting the new reticulation and sprinkler system we installed around the grass areas.

This is because we decided to lay an extra row of pavers at the top of each grass area - so we had 4 sprinklers we had to cut and re-connect the pipe to shorten it. There were other pipes which were a little but under the paving as well so we ended up cutting and re-connecting most of them.

We also dug out all 8 corners and attached sprinkler heads and dug them in so they are in the corners perfectly - now that the paving is laid you can really see the defined area where the grass will be laid.

Day 6 - Paving Finished

The last of the paving was laid today including the extra paving we asked to be done near the two grass areas.

The pavers were then cemented in around the edges of the courtyard and the edge of the garden beds.

As mentioned, the reticulation we fixed so it was all ready for the grass to be laid. The grass we ordered was cut and delivered the same day and it was laid the next day. It's really important to lay turf as soon as you can and keep it watered so it stays cool, or it can dry out and won't grow as well.

Day 7 - Grass laying day

The turf Velveteen grass was laid today and it looks amazing. Velveteen is a high quality grass, it's drought tolerant which we need out here as it will get full sun and needs to stand up to our tough Aussie summers. It's soft and spongy to touch and is green all year round.

We had about 9 rolls (9m2) of grass leftover (as we changed the design and paved more so there was a smaller grassed area) and we had no trouble selling it on Gumtree in just a few hours.

What a transformation the paving makes - it really shows how large this outdoor space is and it will be a perfect spot to soak up the morning sun or to watch the sunset.

I'm really happy with how the grass patches look, they are both the same size, and make the garden design look symmetrical and modern. I love love love it!

Now Mr P and I are ready to get our hands dirty and seal the pavers to protect them from stains and marks, then we will get busy adding plants and pots and furniture.

Stay tuned for more courtyard garden updates coming this month!


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