If mundane day-to-day life had a mascot, a pile of washing would make a good candidate. But facing the never ending cycle of washing, ironing and folding can be made a little better when doing so in a pleasant and functional space. Creating this can...... Read More

A headboard can change the entire look of your bedroom – from improving composition and balance by adding height, to turning the bed into a visually pleasing statement piece. Finding the perfect headboard for the size of the bed and the style...... Read More

When The Commercial Hotel was rebuilt in 1918 following a fire two years earlier, newspapers described it as ‘Tauranga’s most fireproof building’ thanks to its concrete foundations and double-layered brick walls. It may have been...... Read More

Staring at your weathered 70s brick home and wondering how to up its street appeal can be an overwhelming experience. Refreshing a house’s exterior doesn’t have to equal a major re-cladding project though – sometimes a few smaller changes...... Read More

Rob McGregor with some of the emerging artists at one of the recent workshops.   An exciting and new feature at this year’s Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival is The Weekend Sun Emerging Artist award. Earlier in the year, festival director...... Read More

He’s finally done it. After 37 years of experience and 29 years of breeding, Rob Somerfield has released a green rose - ‘Green with Envy’. Growing to about one metre high, the long stemmed unique lime green roses have about 20 petals...... Read More

With Otanewainuku as her backdrop, bumblebees humming, and bantams quietly clucking under the pear blossoms, the scene couldn’t be more tranquil. Beneath all this is Sally Lyttle’s secret and most loved garden ingredient – soil. Dressed...... Read More

Jizzy and Mike Green have a highly productive food garden in Katikati and  ‘The Bugman’ Ruud Kleinpaste can’t  wait to explore it. “We were organising an event for Grow on Katikati. When Ruud got involved and said...... Read More

The Afrolites are a six-piece afrobeat funky jazz band or an afrofunk/jazz band depending on how you describe their music. I found them rehearsing with headphones on, in a small room in Welcome Bay just as the sun set, and managed to navigate the banter...... Read More

Francine Thomas. Two years ago, Natalie Meredith  won the floral art Designer of the Year competition at the 2018 Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival. “I was absolutely thrilled to win. I’ve been doing floral art for many years...... Read More