Photography by John Paul Urizar/bauersyndication.com.au (room), Getty Images (roses) & image courtesy of MobileMuster (opposite).Q
MY GRANDFATHER MADE A TALL FLOOR LAMP
BASE ABOUT 60 YEARS AGO. IT IS SMOOTH,
TURNED TIMBER MADE FROM DIFFERENT TYPES
OF WOOD IN FOUR SECTIONS AND ASSEMBLED IN
A SLIM PENCIL STYLE. WHAT KIND OF SHADE
WOULD BE SUITABLE? DI ROBERTS, VIA EMAILA
Because the base is tall and thin it’s important to get the
scale of the lampshade right. You don’t want to overwhelm
the base (or have it topple over!). That said, an over-scale
shade in a lightweight material could be really eye-catching.
Consider a barrel shape in linen that is a darker shade than the
wood. For something a little more unusual, look at the Luvial
Sand Shade from David Trubridge, which is made from bamboo
ply. Alternatively, play up the retro feel and go for a shade in
a groovy ’60s fabric or wallpaper. http://www.davidtrubridge.com.Q
I WAS TOLD LUCERNE WAS PREFERABLE
TO PINE BARK MULCH FOR MY ROSES,
BUT SOON THE BED WAS OVERRUN WITH
WEEDS. HELP! KATE LEWIS, VIA EMAILA
It’s true that roses don’t like woody mulches,
preferring something soft such as lucerne, pea straw
or sugar cane mulch. The same goes for the vegie patch.
Soft mulches break down much faster but this feeds the
soil, building organic matter and promoting healthy soil
microbes and earthworms. The problem with these
mulches is that weeds can get harvested along with the
rest. Often the lucerne and peas sprout as well. Although
these are all easy to pull out, it is a pain. An alternative is
lucerne mulching pellets, which are heat treated to sterilise
any weed seeds. They’re compressed, making them easy
to handle, and safer because there’s no dust. Major’s
Mulch (www.majorsmulch.com.au) is pure
lucerne from a sustainable, family run
farm in NSW. It also does a lovely
compost product. – Helen Young.GARDENING Q&A<