Gabriel's 'Manscape'

We all need to go “green”. We know that! But where do we start?

 

This year I was very fortunate to be chosen by Decorex to be part of the charity initiative called “Manscape”- a guy’s guy ideal place in any home. I went up against former Dolphins cricketer, Russel Symcox and surfer Daniel Redman. 

 

All three of us had our own ideas of what we would like at these manscapes, not only at the exhibition, but in our homes too. We were teamed up with landscapers, who helped us put our wild ideas into reality.

 

My theme was “Go Green” and I was paired with Louise Kelly from Green With Envy. 

 

Louise fell shy of pulling rabbits out of a hat, with a stunning stand that boasts live herbs and vegetables at the exhibition.

 

The material used to create the bed for the herbs and veggies was from refuse bags basically recycled material. Not to mention, since the theme was “going green”, the stand was full of life with green garden plants. 

 

On my side, I laid my eyes on an unbelievable “induction stove” that uses four amps of power, as opposed to a conventional home stove that chows 14 amps.

 

How it worked was, as opposed to heating the container (pot/pan) this genius invention operates just like a microwave.

 

It heats up the content of the pot or pan. Cooking food quickly in up to two-thirds less of a time than a normal stove saving energy. 

 

Next to my garden stand, I set up this induction cooker on a table. The final picture, growing your own healthy food and cooking it in the outdoors, in a matter of minutes.

 

This was a huge eye-catcher at Decorex. 

 

The lesson I extracted is, it’s not late to go green. It’s as late as you make it! It’s not late to grow your own veggies and herbs. You don’t need a farm!

 

A basket the size of a bread tin, you can grow peppadews, thyme and rosemary as Louise demonstrated with one of her amazing creations.

 

So for me, enough with the excuses. Enough with “I don’t have green fingers.” No one is asking me to be a world renowned landscaper like Keith Kirsten, but rather to be a little more conscious and pro-active in going green.

 

Frankly speaking, it’s downright embarrassing when an eight year old has more enthusiasm about recycling, growing own food and saving energy than me.

 

As I witnessed a young man in conversation with his father at my stand, telling him he wants to build his own “garden Manscape”, if his dad buys him seeds to plant, he’ll make his own veggie beds and pot-plants out of discarded two litres plastic bottles and buckets.

 

Now there’s a green seed thrown onto fertile ground. 

 

I wish I had that foresight when I was eight years old!  

 

We absolutely love Gabriels take on things with regard to going green!

 

Are you enthusiastic about recycling, growing your own food and saving energy?

 

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