My Dream Green Home Season 1 Episode 1

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My Dream Green Home S01E01
Transcript
00:00Going green, eco-friendly, slow-living, buzzwords that you're probably hearing more and more
00:17of as Kiwis grow increasingly mindful of sustainability.
00:23But how do we get there?
00:29Welcome to My Dream Green Home, the show helping everyday Kiwis like you and me go
00:37greener.
00:38I feel like we're ready, we just don't really know where to start.
00:43Each week we'll be meeting with Kiwis from Flatties, we tend to throw a lot of food away,
00:49to families who all want to do their bit for the planet.
00:53That's what we want to do because it's about sustainability.
00:56Pretty heavy conscience, we need to make it livable for these little ones.
01:06They'll come here, to our beautiful HQ.
01:10We just bought our first home.
01:12What is your dream for it?
01:14Where our team of experts and I will give them a budget.
01:18We've allocated you 45k total.
01:20It's going to be amazing.
01:23A plan.
01:24Go bigger, utilise the whole space.
01:29It's so cool to see it in 3D and come to life.
01:32And some inspiration.
01:33This is actually food, isn't it?
01:36Yeah.
01:37Then, our homeowners will do some serious mahi.
01:44That'll do it.
01:47To transform their green dreams into reality.
01:50Holy moly.
01:52Oh my goodness, what a transformation.
01:58It feels like a slice of barley or something, doesn't it?
02:04So they've used it in such a creative way, nothing was wasted.
02:09They're living my dream.
02:12And you might be inspired to live your green dreams too.
02:22Arriving at HQ are young, eco-friendly parents, Chloe and Oscar.
02:29How are you, Chloe and Oscar?
02:32We're really good.
02:33Really good, thank you.
02:34Tell me a little bit about yourselves.
02:36You've got two young girls.
02:37Yes, we've got two little girls.
02:39We live out in Massey with our two daughters.
02:41Can we get you out of your sleeping bag?
02:43Stella, who's two and a half.
02:45It's okay to be shy.
02:46And Sarah, who's five months.
02:48Can you see?
02:50It's been busy.
02:53Very busy.
02:55I think hands full sounds like a bit of an understatement.
02:58Tell me more about what you hope for your family there.
03:01For our daughters, bringing them up,
03:03we kind of wanted them to be more involved with growing their own food
03:07and seeing where it comes from in the process.
03:10We basically want to chuck in as many fruits and vegetables as we can.
03:15It'll be good for our pockets, but also the food that you can produce
03:19will taste so much better than what you get in the stores these days.
03:22Becoming a parent really rocks your world and changes your viewpoint.
03:27We feel like we need to do the best we can to give them a healthy, clean,
03:31happy, comfortable upbringing.
03:34Do you want Daddy to make a mermaid tail?
03:37They're like your heart on the outside of your body.
03:41Daddy, help me.
03:42Okay.
03:43And I hope they stay home forever.
03:46Oscar, you're a builder, is that right?
03:48Yeah, that's right.
03:49Okay, so at home, how many projects do you have on the go
03:52and how many are you planning on finishing?
03:55You can be real with me.
03:57Yeah, basically the entire house.
04:01It's a work in progress.
04:02Projects everywhere.
04:03Yeah, I think the only thing that's finished is...
04:06No, that's not finished either.
04:10With the entire house a project,
04:12best head to the top of Chloe's list then, the bathroom.
04:17This is the really squishy, squeezy bathroom.
04:20Yeah.
04:21A shower, a sink, two buckets for the girls,
04:25and then a separate toilet.
04:28As you can feel, even just filming this, it's really tight.
04:33You're bathing your little girls in a bucket.
04:35Yeah.
04:36Okay.
04:37It's a little bit bad for my back.
04:39Speaking of putting your back into it, Oscar, what about outside?
04:44When we first bought the house,
04:46I could see the potential of just how big it was
04:49and I knew there was a lot of work because it was just weeds.
04:52Lots of vines, lots of stuff just getting decomposed underneath.
04:56I don't think you ever once went down there for a few years
04:59until I'd cleared everything.
05:02Because you'd walk and then your foot would sink.
05:05It was for my wellbeing so that I didn't break an ankle.
05:11Chloe and Oscar's dream is to turn their 800-square-metre backyard
05:15into a more usable, self-sufficient space for their family.
05:19You've already had a few challenges with your garden.
05:22Can you tell me about that?
05:24We were getting to a point where we'd got all the fences up,
05:28all the plants were in, then the floods came.
05:33When the fences fell down the first time, it was like, out.
05:40We propped them back up and then the second flood hit
05:44and they went down again.
05:48So yeah, it's been a knock to our confidence a little bit.
05:52We don't have our green thumbs just yet.
05:55I'm sure the green thumb is coming, it's growing, it's getting there.
06:00Budget.
06:02Our Green Team experts have allocated $45,000 total
06:05for your bathroom and outdoor area.
06:08I'm feeling so...
06:11Nervous?
06:13No.
06:15No, I'm feeling so lucky.
06:19So, who are the dream Green Team this week?
06:23Having advice from the Green Team,
06:27Having advice from experts, that's huge.
06:31I know nothing, so I'm really keen to hear what the experts have to say
06:35because we don't know much.
06:37We don't know much.
06:40Ready to guide Chloe and Oscar towards sustainable solutions
06:44for their bathroom is experienced project manager, Jen Jones.
06:50She's got a flair for renovation and all things DIY.
06:55Architraves, jams, sillies, skirtings will all be in just a semi-gloss white.
07:00I love anything DIY, renovation related.
07:03Particularly passionate about sustainable design
07:05and I really can't wait to get stuck into these projects.
07:08And to help them tackle their expensive backyard,
07:11one half of the two Rose sisters is our food and lifestyle expert, Rosa.
07:17I'm really passionate about helping people create those sustainable lifestyles.
07:21It looks like this.
07:23Get wet in your face.
07:25And I'm so excited to help Chloe and Oscar on this project
07:28around how they can do that themselves
07:30and incorporate their family into this garden
07:33that they can maintain and enjoy forever.
07:37Last week our experts headed to Massey to see just how bad things really are.
07:43Hiya.
07:45Where's the rest of it?
07:48Yeah, I think that wall's got to go, eh?
07:50Definitely.
07:51The space could be much better utilised and obviously it's two separate rooms.
07:54It's just not cutting it for Chloe and Oscar's expanding family.
07:59If we can get this wall out, if it's not load-bearing,
08:02then we can probably get a bath in which is going to be so much more practical.
08:06I'm a mum and this space is just so cramped.
08:09It's a nightmare?
08:10It's a nightmare, yeah.
08:12The other thing as well is toilet training.
08:14You need to be able to sit with them
08:16and that's going to be quite a tight space for them as well.
08:18Actually, if we can take this wall out,
08:20it's going to be so much more open and functional.
08:22Bathrooms can be a bit of a can of worms.
08:24It is obviously a wet area,
08:26so removing that existing cubicle shower,
08:28removing that basin and vanity,
08:30what are we going to find in behind?
08:32Is the timber going to need to be replaced?
08:34Is it going to need to be treated?
08:35We don't know what state it's in.
08:37The skirting down here is actually coming away,
08:39so there's definitely going to be a lot of moisture.
08:41I would say that's quite often the case with these liner showers.
08:44You take them out and you find quite a lot of rot.
08:47There are signs of it because of all the black mould around the bay.
08:52Should we go see yours first?
08:53Let's do it.
08:58Wow!
08:59Gosh, it's huge.
09:00It is huge.
09:03Wouldn't it be funny if one of us went pass about our face down here?
09:06Dropped on our bums.
09:09Wow, there is a lot going on here.
09:17That's raised garden bed already.
09:19Would you repurpose that, do you think?
09:21I reckon we actually would,
09:22because it's actually above this more sodden ground.
09:26This is a little less sodden, isn't it?
09:27Yeah.
09:28You kind of need to deal with that before you can deal with the plants, right?
09:30Otherwise they're going to drown.
09:31And that's a great point,
09:32even acknowledging what plants we're going to put in
09:34to suit the soil that we're working with right here.
09:38If they were wanting to grow their own food down here,
09:40what are their options?
09:41They could do garden beds.
09:42Obviously, they've got some sort of garden bed established here.
09:46They have the space for a food forest, so that's a potential.
09:49Obviously, a food forest takes a little bit longer to establish.
09:52They've already got the banana tree, the sugar cane, the macadamia,
09:56lemons, mandarins, even I think some pomegranate up there for Joa.
10:00So keeping those trees there and working around them
10:04is definitely something that we would do.
10:06I noticed when we came down off the deck
10:07that it looked like there was a raised garden bed over there as well.
10:10Did you see that?
10:11Yeah, I saw that.
10:12And that's something that we can definitely start on.
10:14There's not a lot of work that will be involved
10:16in getting that up and running.
10:18That's a quick one.
10:19Get this up and running at the same time,
10:21but at least they can enjoy something in the meantime.
10:25Yeah.
10:26Some early fruits of their labor.
10:27Exactly.
10:28Punting it.
10:29Yeah.
10:34Come on in.
10:35First up, project manager Jen is talking bathrooms.
10:39Renault Queen in the flesh.
10:41There she is.
10:42She's created a bathroom design that's not only functional
10:45but also embraces sustainability.
10:48What are your dreams for this room, Coco?
10:52We want a family bathroom that is earthy
10:57and less clinical than what we've got at the moment.
11:00We've got lots of stark bright white lino.
11:03Sounds beautiful.
11:04What's wrong with it?
11:06For a hospital patient.
11:08Yeah, yeah.
11:10So yeah, something that we can enjoy for years to come.
11:15Let's pull up the layout that you guys came up with.
11:18Okay.
11:22So talk me through it.
11:24We wanted to put the bath in
11:26so the vanity had to come to the other side.
11:29The toilet was fine where it was.
11:31That way we don't need to move any plumbing.
11:34We're looking at taking that wall out
11:36as long as that wall's not load-bearing.
11:38We don't need a consent for that either.
11:40Bathrooms are notoriously compact spaces.
11:44So layout is really, really important.
11:46You've got to think about placement.
11:47You've got to think about circulation.
11:49But not just that.
11:50You've also got to think about sight lines through the door
11:52and the placement of the items in the bathroom
11:54and the way that the door swings.
11:56I did come up with a slightly different option for the floor plan
11:59which I'll show you and I'll talk you through it.
12:03So this is what I came up with.
12:06What will Chloe and Oscar think of Jen's design?
12:18Okay, Chloe and Oscar.
12:20Are you ready to see Jen's design and new layout for your bathroom?
12:24I did come up with a slightly different option for the floor plan
12:28which I'll show you and I'll talk you through it.
12:31Ooh!
12:41So in this layout we re-utilise the location of the existing toilet door.
12:46It does include swapping the toilet and the basin.
12:50I'm primarily thinking about sight lines.
12:52So when you walk down the hallway,
12:55what you don't necessarily want is to be walking down
12:58and then catch a glimpse of the toilet.
13:00Especially if you've got young children who don't know how to shut a door.
13:03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
13:04Or sometimes a husband who doesn't know how to shut a door.
13:08It's amazing. I love it.
13:10That's a very good use of the space.
13:12Oscar's like, what?
13:15In this scenario it does require us to close in that window
13:19that's above the toilet at the moment.
13:21But you've still got a bit of natural light coming in.
13:23That's awesome. I love it.
13:25I love it.
13:26The aesthetic of it is everything that I wanted.
13:29It's really cool seeing the designs that the experts have drawn up for us.
13:33The layout that they had given made a lot more sense.
13:36Yeah.
13:38So I've got a few ideas for fixtures and finishes that I want to show you.
13:42This is Middle Earth tiles in Warkworth.
13:45For the floors I was thinking maybe something a little bit more terracotta.
13:52And there's a hexagon as well.
13:55That's really nice.
13:57Basically just walking on that clay earth.
13:59Yeah, exactly. Nice and grounding.
14:02Sustainable renovations are not necessarily about reusing or upcycling.
14:06That's great if you can do that.
14:08But sometimes we do need to put new fixtures and finishes into a space.
14:11And so the key consideration when choosing those items is longevity.
14:14Are they going to stand the test of time?
14:16What you want is for it to last 10, 20, 25 years.
14:20It's all 100% organic.
14:22They are hand-glazed in New Zealand.
14:24Which I really love it because it's a little bit more of an organic look.
14:27Because they're not all totally the same.
14:30There are a couple of reasons why I love buying local.
14:33For one, a much lower carbon footprint.
14:35It's not coming from somewhere abroad.
14:37If it's been made locally and especially with local materials,
14:39then the carbon footprint of that is going to be significantly lower
14:42than something that's been imported.
14:44As of 2021, imports counted for half of New Zealand's total carbon emissions.
14:50Should we look at some vanities?
14:52Yeah.
14:53The other pillar of sustainability is the social pillar.
14:56And that's all about supporting our local businesses,
14:59employing our local people and supporting our local community.
15:02I'll show you one of my favourites, which I thought would be a great fit for you guys.
15:05And it's this one here.
15:08And the reason that I like this one is it's made from moisture-resistant fibreboard.
15:13And it's designed and manufactured in New Zealand.
15:16It's wall-hung, feels a little bit more open and spacious.
15:20Obviously a floor-mounted vanity is going to provide more storage,
15:23but it also feels a little bit clunky, so finding that right balance.
15:26Yeah, it's got a cool look.
15:29It feels so exciting.
15:32This has been something that's been out of reach for us for so long.
15:35But now it's like there's a plan for it.
15:38It's becoming more real that that could be my bathroom.
15:43I'm a little bit worried that the finished look might not be exactly what we're imagining.
15:50It's going to be such a big challenge.
15:58Hello, how are you guys?
16:00And Rosa has a cracker plan for your whopping 800 square metre backyard as well, Chloe.
16:06So exciting.
16:07Yeah, it is.
16:08It's a big garden you guys have.
16:10Oh, it's huge.
16:11What are your dreams and goals around your garden?
16:14Basically just utilising that space with more purpose.
16:17We know that it's got so much more potential to serve us more.
16:21I love the idea of the food forest.
16:23When that actually establishes, it's all very self-maintainable.
16:27We've definitely heard about food forests before,
16:30but never really understood the whole science behind it.
16:34Just some fundamental principles around what a food forest actually is.
16:39So you normally have your zone one.
16:42That's your garden that you utilise.
16:44That's your everyday garden use.
16:47I see you have a really nice outdoor area that has existing garden beds that we can utilise
16:52right up by your house that not only you guys can use, but your kids can go out.
16:58And then you've got your zone two.
17:00So that's things like your fruit trees, which I know you guys are keen on,
17:04pumpkin, potatoes,
17:06things that take a little bit longer to grow and take up more space.
17:10And then you've got your zone three.
17:12So you might want to look at adding chickens to your garden.
17:15If you love eggs, maybe we can put a wee zone three in there if you're keen.
17:20Yeah.
17:22So a food forest is more wild.
17:25It actually really mimics nature and over time it creates the canopies
17:30and the different layers that are involved in it.
17:32There's seven layers involved.
17:34You don't have to have all of the layers, but the more layers we've got,
17:37the better it's going to actually help the ecosystem and help mimic nature as well.
17:41Really excited to show you guys a few of the ideas that I've got.
17:53Oh my gosh.
17:58That looks amazing.
18:01That's stunning.
18:03They look quite pretty with the paths going through them.
18:06Yeah.
18:07I can imagine just the girls running around through it.
18:10And then the fire pit.
18:12I can imagine toasting marshmallows with them.
18:15That is, wow.
18:17Love it.
18:19Really, really stoked.
18:21Does that motivate you to get in the garden now?
18:24Motivates me to push them down the hill, yeah.
18:28So we can look at doing a food forest here.
18:32And we can start establishing that and get that underway.
18:36And over time, as your food forest is established, it should be self-maintainable.
18:40Amazing.
18:42I think that sounds like an incredible plan.
18:45A little bit anxious about how much time I've got to do these two projects.
18:51It is going to be a massive juggling act.
18:58The next day.
19:04Chloe and Oscar have $45,000 to transform their backyard and bathroom into functional, sustainable spaces.
19:12They'll have to manage it with military precision to get everything done.
19:17Where's my hammer?
19:19I think the best way we're going to be able to actually choose the layout that we're going for
19:23is to rip that wall open and start measuring things out and see what the space looks like.
19:29And how much?
19:31I don't know, just don't hit me in the head.
19:35Pumped to start the bathroom.
19:37It's been on the top of our list for so long.
19:41And two babies later, we're finally going to get a new one, so it's really exciting.
19:46And stretching their money means doing as much work as they can themselves.
19:52Wow.
19:54OK, yeah, I can see what we're working with now.
19:57Stoked.
19:59The big question is, are they going to proceed with their own layout or opt for Jen's suggestions?
20:08Having the toilet moved to the other wall means that there's going to be plumbing on the outside that needs to be done,
20:15blocking that window.
20:17I'm not sure if I'm ready to give that up yet.
20:22Does it aesthetically look right? Probably not.
20:25Where's the door here?
20:27There.
20:29At the moment it's a little bit up in the air, I'm not sure.
20:32Chloe and Oscar have some big decisions to make.
20:36While I'm heading to meet Jen at a beautiful place that inspired her bathroom design.
20:42Whoa.
20:44This is nice.
20:46So nice.
20:48Do you feel zen just walking in here?
20:50I do, I feel zen, I feel calm and I feel at peace in this space.
20:55Mission accomplished.
20:57Where are we?
20:59This is the beautiful Hana in Grayland, Auckland.
21:03As you can see it's a bit of a sanctuary space and I thought this was a perfect example of what could be created or drawn from for Chloe and Oscar's bathroom.
21:17Chloe and Oscar's bathroom and toilet space before was very cramped.
21:21It was the extreme opposite of zen.
21:24The treatment room that I'm going to show you is down here.
21:26Please.
21:27And so what we want to create in there is something that both is practical and functional for family life.
21:32You know they really need a bath for their young children.
21:34But it's also a place for Chloe in particular to unwind at the end of a hard day of parenting.
21:40Oh la la.
21:42Bonjour spa.
21:44You can feel the warmth eh?
21:46And so it needs to be relaxing and I think pulling in a lot of the natural elements that we see here is going to help to create that.
21:54The use of timber.
21:56There's some beautiful brass tapware.
21:58Organic cotton towels.
22:01Even just the use of colour.
22:03You know it's a nice earthy muted colour in a vertical tile.
22:08Yeah the colour really makes a difference doesn't it?
22:11You don't feel like you're in a stark white sterile environment.
22:14No exactly.
22:15When it comes to renovating your home a bathroom has so many elements that go into it.
22:20So you've got different fixtures and finishes.
22:22You've got tiles.
22:23Maybe you've got plaster.
22:24You've got paint.
22:25You've got tapware.
22:26Lighting.
22:27There are just a lot of things.
22:29And those things can compete with each other if they're not done well.
22:34From an operational point of view there are a couple of things that you can do to make a bathroom renovation more sustainable.
22:39For one low flow tapware.
22:41So that's going to reduce the amount of water that's actually flowing through your taps.
22:44Which means that you're not using as much.
22:46And if you're not using as much you're also not heating as much.
22:49And water actually makes up about 30% of your energy bill every month.
22:56Will it be easy for Chloe and Oscar to do this bathroom reno in a sustainable way?
23:00Bathrooms are really tricky when it comes to renovation because quite often it's a gut and start again situation.
23:06And so where sustainability comes in is being really thoughtful and considerate about what you put back into the space.
23:12In a bathroom you're investing a lot of money.
23:14And so what you don't want to be doing is ripping that out and doing it again in two years or five years.
23:18Or even ten years to be honest.
23:20What material you choose for your tapware or your finishes is really important.
23:24That's something that gets used all of the time.
23:27So it really needs to be able to stand the test of time.
23:29You don't want it to have wear and tear after five minutes.
23:34I'm really excited to see how it all actually comes together and whether it feels as beautiful and zen as this.
23:39I hope it does.
23:40Even if it's 50% as zen as this.
23:42I think I'll walk in and just melt.
23:44And you know what will make me feel even more zen?
23:47Is if I jump in the sauna?
23:50Well actually I've booked the sauna for myself.
23:52But I booked that bath for you.
23:56Is that the ice bath?
23:57Can neither confirm nor deny.
24:02Alright.
24:05I'm just going to jump in this sauna.
24:06Just right here if you need me.
24:08Do you need me?
24:19Back to the warmth at Chloe and Oscar's place.
24:22Where previous flooding had knocked down their fence not once but twice.
24:28It still looks horrible.
24:32So Oscar's made a solid start on repairs.
24:35Nothing on the food forest front though.
24:38So Rose has dropped by for support.
24:44How are you doing?
24:45Yeah we're good.
24:46It's going to be hard work obviously digging up all these weeds.
24:49Because you guys don't want to use sprays which is awesome.
24:52So put tarp over top.
24:54To sort of choke it out.
24:56That's something you can get started on.
24:58And it's doing all the work for you.
24:59It's going to choke and kill the weeds itself.
25:01I think what we need to do now is just create a plan.
25:04Around what exactly you want the food forest to look like.
25:06What plants we're going to choose.
25:08So with the food forest there are quite intense steps involved.
25:12So talking about the mulching of the pathways.
25:15What fruits they want to actually plant.
25:17And then what companion planting we're going to put around that.
25:20To create that ideal food forest that can help mimic nature.
25:25The big thing is looking at it in steps and stages.
25:27Getting the basics down pat first.
25:30And doing them well.
25:31And then that will help you guys further down the track.
25:33Because obviously this is a long term journey that we're on.
25:36In order to be more sustainable and to live off the produce in your garden.
25:40And have natives and to help boost the ecosystem and all those things.
25:44It may be a long game outside in the garden.
25:47But inside some slightly pressing issues.
25:51We've run into a bit of a hiccup.
25:53The mixer on the vanity is out of line.
25:56Our spout is dead level.
25:59But our mixer is a few degrees up.
26:02So that causes a bit of trouble.
26:04Because we've jibbed and waterproofed and also now tiled.
26:09I can just feel the budget going ding, ding, ding.
26:12So yeah I just feel like I'm the captain of the sinking ship a little bit.
26:30No, no.
26:33At Chloe and Oscar's bathroom reno they've hit a glitch.
26:36Our mixer is a few degrees up.
26:40So that causes a bit of trouble.
26:42Because we've jibbed and waterproofed and also now tiled.
26:45A few hours later Oscar has a plan.
26:48And he's chosen to do a vertical tile layout.
26:53Unfortunately though we couldn't just pull out one tile.
26:56We had to pull out everything.
26:58A little bit painful eh baby?
27:02I mean Oscar could be a tiler I think.
27:05Looks pretty straight if you ask me.
27:08Good job Oscar.
27:11And it doesn't end there.
27:15He's brought in the big guns.
27:17To tackle the enormous 800 square metre backyard.
27:22Oscar's on a mission to install a French drain in the garden.
27:29A French drain draws water down through the stones into a hollow pipe.
27:34Allowing it to flow freely downhill.
27:37Channeling it towards the drain for efficient water drainage.
27:42So we have our working bee today.
27:44And the retaining's going up for the sandpit play area.
27:49And all the drainage coilers in.
27:51The weather's not been on our side.
27:54Having rain in the garden it's going to make all the soil that we're using.
27:57Turn to sort of slurry.
27:59You can't get a machine on it.
28:01Are we feeling tired eh?
28:03But it's going to be worth it.
28:05It looks so different.
28:07Although there's a bit of a bloody mess in the middle there.
28:10Pretty overwhelmed really with the whole thing.
28:13It's been a lot.
28:14Sounds to me like some much needed retail therapy is due.
28:19So what does one plant in a food forest Rosa?
28:23Obviously with our food forest we've got our different layers that we need to consider.
28:27We've got our climbing.
28:29So we've got our passion fruit.
28:30We've got our beans.
28:32Is there any particular green that you enjoy?
28:34Like rocket.
28:35Spinach.
28:36Coriander.
28:37Mint.
28:38Perfect for that everyday garden.
28:40Beetroot.
28:41Yes.
28:42Silver beet.
28:43I'm going to keep saying yes to all these vegetables.
28:45What makes a food forest so sustainable is that over time once it's established it maintains itself.
28:51So there's no weeding that needs to be done.
28:53There's no maintenance.
28:54There might be some pruning that we need to do.
28:57And that's where we'll introduce like a chop and drop method.
28:59Just to make sure that the paths are clear.
29:02But once it's established they can sit back and reap the benefits from what they've just made.
29:07What we're really wanting is something that we can plant and have fruit very quickly.
29:12I've got a solution for that.
29:14The dwarf fruit trees.
29:15Have you heard of those before?
29:16No.
29:17Can you tell me more?
29:18So they're a miniature version of a peach tree for example.
29:21They establish a lot quicker than your bigger trees.
29:24Chloe and Oscar plan to spend an $8,000 chunk of their budget on plants and trees from Palmer's.
29:31A size investment now that will reap enormous rewards for years to come.
29:36So here are our dwarf trees.
29:40And they're the perfect height for Stella.
29:42Exactly.
29:43So we've got our nectarine.
29:45We've got some pears, apricots, apples.
29:48You've got such a huge backyard.
29:50We've definitely got room for all of these.
29:57For those of us still a bit puzzled about Rose's plans,
30:00she's walking me through an actual food forest in the heart of the Wairarapa.
30:06G'day Rose.
30:07Hi Avery, how are you?
30:09Good.
30:10Welcome.
30:11We're at the Tanui food forest.
30:13We're about an hour east of Marston.
30:15So I'm really excited to show you around
30:17and we can see what inspiration we can then take for Chloe and Oscar
30:20for their own food forest in their backyard.
30:22Awesome.
30:23I can't wait to take a look and a taste.
30:26Some tasty little treats there.
30:28There's some broad beans I've seen.
30:30What did you call me?
30:32How dare you?
30:34How dare you?
30:35Right, come on, let's go.
30:38Chloe and Oscar want to live off the land
30:40and a food forest is a great way to do that.
30:42It mimics nature, so there's less maintenance required.
30:46This is the Tanui food forest kitchen garden.
30:50Oh, this is pretty.
30:52How cool is this?
30:53Are these grapevines?
30:54Yeah, they are grapes.
30:56Disclaimer alert, we're here out of season.
31:00The garden isn't in full bloom until the summer months,
31:03but there's still plenty to see.
31:07Oh my God, look at the birds.
31:09Oh my gosh.
31:11Hi.
31:14So that's the great thing about a food forest,
31:16is helping the ecosystem.
31:17So not only are they producing plants for themselves to eat,
31:20but they're looking after the birds and the insects.
31:23Everyone needs to eat.
31:26The kitchen garden has your everyday things.
31:29So your leafy greens, we've got broccoli here,
31:31we've got zucchini, tomatoes.
31:33Yum.
31:34Mint?
31:35Mint, yeah.
31:38Does it taste yum?
31:39Mm, tastes like a mojito.
31:40Fresh?
31:42So what's the difference between something like this,
31:45a kitchen garden versus a food forest?
31:48So a kitchen garden can come across as a lot more contained.
31:52This is something that Chloe and Oscar would do in their side gardens.
31:55This would be ideal for that.
31:57And then they can let their food forest down the back flourish,
32:00where we can see nature do its own thing
32:02and is a little bit more wild and free
32:04and things are popping up wherever they want to pop up.
32:07So Chloe and Oscar have the business in the front, party in the back.
32:10Yeah, you've got it.
32:11Well, is it party time?
32:14It's time we check out that party in the back
32:17and finally see what all the fuss is about.
32:21I'm going to be honest, I'm not seeing a lot of food.
32:23You can actually eat things that you probably don't think you can eat.
32:27Really?
32:28Yeah, like this is actually food.
32:30It's an elderberry.
32:32Is it?
32:33Yeah.
32:35This is your hazelnut tree up here.
32:37That's a hazelnut tree?
32:38A hazelnut tree.
32:39Would you believe it?
32:41That's celery.
32:50This is exactly what I was looking for, the bones of the food forest.
32:54You've taken me back to school.
32:57For Chloe and Oscar, obviously,
32:59they haven't established their food forest as of yet,
33:01but this shows them the layers that are involved
33:04and they don't have to have every single layer,
33:06but the more layers they have, the better it helps the ecosystem.
33:09So I think when you break it down like this,
33:11it feels really achievable.
33:13Yes, and it's good to know because looking around,
33:15I'm going to be honest, it looks like weeds and trees.
33:18Yes.
33:19I would have no idea that all of this is going on.
33:21So a good point for that is there's no weeds.
33:24They're all wild plants
33:26and every wild plant has a place in the ecosystem
33:30and they come and they go as the seasons come and go as well.
33:33And that's how nature should be.
33:37This has been establishing itself over 20 years,
33:41so it takes time, as we can see, but it's worth it in the long run
33:45and look at what they could create.
33:51It certainly is inspiring.
33:53Chloe and Oscar could have their very own
33:55plant for a chocky hazelnut spread,
33:58plant for a blackcurrant juice.
34:00Kids are going to love that.
34:02Kids will love it and even big kids will love it too.
34:04Yes.
34:10It's been four weeks of hard slog for Chloe and Oscar.
34:16And with the help of family and friends...
34:19We've got Dad and Mum
34:21and we've got our mate here.
34:23It's finally starting to take shape.
34:26We got the stuff for our food forest.
34:29Oscar's got his head in his hands.
34:31He's like, oh my God, what have we got ourselves into?
34:33But it's exciting.
34:35We have all our new tech water.
34:37This is a sink that we got that was a second
34:40because it has a few imperfections.
34:44What do you reckon?
34:46Keen for a sneak peek, Jen has dropped by to check progress.
34:51Look at all this space.
34:53I know, look.
34:54Tiles, plumbing, plastering, how's it going?
34:57It's going good.
34:59A little bit of hesitation there, any challenges?
35:01Getting a bit tired.
35:03There's been a couple of little things.
35:05A few hiccups along the way.
35:07Would it be a renovation without some hiccups?
35:10I can see your vanity's going to be over here, your toilet.
35:14I think our worries with Jen's idea was the changes to the plumbing
35:19because having the toilet moved to the other wall
35:22means that there's going to be plumbing on the outside that needs to be done.
35:26And then also blocking that window.
35:30Not sure if I'm ready to give that up yet.
35:33Basically it's as per what you planned or if you changed anything.
35:37The only change might have been the cavity slider,
35:40the actual cavities in that side.
35:42Yep.
35:43Sort of made sense rather than coming into the bath area.
35:46I can absolutely understand why they've gone with the layout that they have
35:49with the direction of the cavity slider.
35:51That's actually ended up working in their favour
35:53because they've been able to centre it a little bit more on the room
35:55which will make it feel a little bit more balanced.
35:58So what are you looking at now?
35:59You've obviously got some rock coat samples here.
36:01Yeah, so this is the half tana.
36:03And it's the velveteen finish is what we're going in this room
36:07because that's the best coat.
36:09For a wet area.
36:10For a wet area, yeah.
36:11The idea behind rock coat is that it's hydrated lime plaster.
36:14It's a natural product so at the end of the day
36:17when the building over time gets put back into the earth
36:21it's a lot less toxic to the environment.
36:23It's also less toxic to us as we live in the house.
36:27A lot of them can actually absorb the humidity in the room
36:30and then in the drier times it'll release it
36:33so it keeps a healthy balance.
36:35Yeah, when you get to kind of this point it's a tipping point.
36:38And then as soon as those things start to go in it's home stretch.
36:42You can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
36:44I feel like it's just like an adrenaline rush
36:47where we've just got so much to do
36:50that we've just been like go, go, go, go, go.
36:53We've got a little bit more push.
36:56I have faith we'll make it.
36:59In Massey, we're about to see how Chloe and Oscar
37:02have transformed their bathroom and their massive backyard
37:06into a sustainable paradise.
37:11I'm nervous.
37:13I'm excited and nervous.
37:15We're almost there.
37:20I'm excited.
37:22I'm nervous.
37:24I'm excited.
37:26I'm nervous.
37:36Hello.
37:37Hi.
37:38Welcome.
37:39Thank you so much for having us.
37:41We're so excited to see how your renovation's gone.
37:45So how's it been?
37:47I think we went in a bit naive
37:49thinking that we could get it all done quickly
37:51and that there wouldn't be any hiccups on the way.
37:54But we got to the end and we're really happy with the result.
37:57I am so excited to see what Chloe and Oscar have done.
38:00Let's go.
38:01In particular for me, the garden,
38:03because nothing was done last time I was here.
38:05So I'm really keen to see what they've done
38:07in a short space of time.
38:09Oh, wow.
38:11Oh, my goodness.
38:13Oh, my God.
38:15This is amazing.
38:17The once cramped bathroom and separate toilet
38:21have undergone a major makeover
38:24and is now one spacious area.
38:27The cherry on top?
38:29A new bath that the kids can enjoy.
38:34This is actually even more than what I was anticipating.
38:37It's out with the old vanity
38:39and in with the fresh new vanity from New Tech Bathroomware.
38:44They've done a lot more than what I expected.
38:46They did keep the toilet in the same place,
38:48which actually wasn't the concept that I put forward in HQ,
38:51but it's worked out really, really well
38:53and that would have been a massive cost saving to not move that.
38:56And now it's one room.
39:02Perfect for the family.
39:03They've done it so well.
39:05And considering it is such a small space,
39:07they've utilised it really well.
39:09And that's a big bath.
39:11Yeah, that is a big bath.
39:12That's a huge bath.
39:14It's also a sustainable bathroom as well.
39:16A lot of natural materials.
39:18We've got the clay-based tiles that are glazed in New Zealand.
39:21We've got this mineral-based clay
39:23polished plaster on the wall from Rockcoat.
39:26Even looks like some recycled timber for that shelf in the corner.
39:30They've got a beautiful New Tech bath,
39:33mirror cabinet and vanity.
39:35And I understand actually that this basin
39:37was a factory seconds as well because it had a few chips.
39:40Bathrooms are probably one of the least sustainable rooms
39:42that you can actually renovate,
39:44mainly because with water damage and things like that
39:46you do have to do quite a lot of demolition
39:48and it's really hard.
39:50You can divert a little bit from landfill
39:52but it's all about what you put back into the space.
39:55That's the biggest impact that you're going to have.
39:57It's beautiful.
39:58It is a great example of a sustainable bathroom.
40:03I had recommended moving the toilets
40:05simply because of sight lines.
40:08You know, kids don't shut doors.
40:11Which hey, when you're doing potty training
40:13it's not a terrible thing.
40:16There is not a surface untouched in here.
40:20And hopefully the garden hasn't suffered as a result, right?
40:24Yes.
40:25I'm nervous.
40:26Me too.
40:27But we're in this together, ladies.
40:29So let's go have a look.
40:31Come this way, come this way.
40:36Oh my God.
40:39This sprawling 800 square metre and underutilised backyard
40:44has been transformed into a vibrant,
40:48low-maintenance, sustainable food forest.
40:52Wow, isn't this amazing?
40:55They have done so much hard work.
40:58It barely looks like the same garden, right?
41:00I know, and the kids' area.
41:04If I was a kid, I would be so stoked with that.
41:08I mean, I'm not a kid and I want to get in that sandpit,
41:11build a mud pie.
41:13It just looks so inviting
41:15and I can really feel their vision coming to life.
41:18Chloe and Oscar are relaxing by the fire pit.
41:20They've got the swings.
41:21The kids are enjoying themselves.
41:23It's so family friendly.
41:25They've done that because the kids can be playing in the sandpit
41:28and then they can tend to the garden.
41:30Or sit back and enjoy a glass of wine by the fire.
41:34And if it looks great now,
41:35can you imagine what it's going to look like in a few years
41:37when all of these trees have grown up?
41:40You can see they've really applied the food forest principles.
41:43So they've got their ground coverings,
41:45their medium-sized trees,
41:46and then their bigger fruit nut trees.
41:48So I think it's going to look absolutely amazing
41:51as the years go on.
41:53Absolutely.
41:54There's layers to this fruit forest tiramisu.
41:58Are these tree trunks?
42:00Yeah, they look like tree trunks.
42:02Smell the jasmine.
42:04That's one of my favourites.
42:06Eucalyptus.
42:08It just keeps going.
42:09Lemon tree.
42:11Another grape.
42:15Gosh, they're going to have a big fruit bowl in here.
42:18I reckon.
42:20I mean, it's just not even a fruit bowl.
42:23I reckon.
42:25I mean, it's just not even the same garden, is it?
42:28It's not.
42:29It is not.
42:30I feel like I'm in a completely different space.
42:32And it's so peaceful down here.
42:34And was that a wee herb garden
42:36or a kitchen garden I spotted by the house?
42:44Yes, that is their kitchen everyday garden.
42:48Because it is so close to the house,
42:50it's a great place for them to grow those everyday ingredients.
42:54Things like your herbs, your greens.
42:57I saw they had tomatoes up there.
43:01They've worked so, so hard.
43:04It's really paid off.
43:07Hey, guys.
43:09Chloe and Oscar.
43:11I think that congratulations are in order.
43:14I'll give you a hug.
43:17Oh, we got there.
43:19I think saying that you got there is an understatement.
43:22You didn't just get there, you smashed it.
43:25Have you both enjoyed having a project to work on together?
43:28Yeah, I think so.
43:30Apart from, like, her cracking the whip a little bit.
43:33Nothing quite tests a marriage like a renovation.
43:36So the fact that you are still quite amicable,
43:38I think is even better.
43:40Like that gold star.
43:42I'm really proud of Oscar.
43:44He's just knocked it out of the park, honestly.
43:46He's worked so hard, like, he'll wake up at 5 o'clock,
43:49and then he's going to work, and then coming back from work,
43:52and then working till, like, 11pm.
43:54And do you feel like you've got a weight lifted off your shoulders now, Oscar?
43:58Absolutely, yes.
44:00Just trying to look after my girls, you know?
44:03Yeah.
44:05Are you going to cry?
44:07Maybe.
44:09I'm going to cry.
44:11So just get them, like, more hands-on with the garden,
44:15and more understanding of where your food comes from,
44:19and how hard it actually is to grow,
44:21and how we sort of need to treat our environment.
44:25I think that you should be incredibly proud
44:27of the example that you're setting for your children.
44:30Thank you, yeah.
44:31I'm so glad we've done it.
44:32It's always been in the pipeline,
44:34it's just never been in, like, actuality.
44:36So now it's happened, and we're here.
44:38It's like, what can we do next?
44:40It's called relaxing.
44:41Oh, yes, yes, yes.
44:42You're allowed to do that sometimes.
44:44We'll slowly go back into that.
44:46We're actually having quite a few friends over.
44:48To come and check it out.
44:49Oh, cool.
44:50Well, it sounds like a great plan.
44:52Time for you to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
44:58Celeron syrup.
44:59I don't think they even know how lucky they are
45:01to have parents like Chloe and Oscar.
45:05Where are you going to stamp it?
45:07Swing.
45:08Swing?
45:09Oh.
45:16Oh, straight in.
45:18Number one motivation is just to give these girls better
45:21and do better for them, no matter how hard things get.
45:26It's always the Celeron syrup.
45:29It's always the Celeron syrup.
45:41Fast forward three months, and their food forest is thriving.
45:46And Stella and Sura are loving having an outdoor space to play.
45:51Next time...
45:52I've got so much potential.
45:54...first home buyers...
45:55We're not experts in the garden,
45:57we're experts in DIY or house renovation.
45:59...with dreams of living sustainably...
46:01I would love a huge veggie garden that can feed the family.
46:05...to transform their new home.
46:07That's a sure sign of a lot of moisture.
46:09With so much space comes this daunting task of where do I start?
46:13...and their way of life.
46:15This is what we propose.
46:19Wow.