The importance of trust when considering your financial options in retirement
When it comes time to considering our financial options in retirement, particularly those decisions which may relate to the family home, senior homeowners value trust and reliability in the businesses they choose to engage with. This is particularly important for some older persons in our community who may be more vulnerable to financial scams or fraudulent schemes.
Seniors often have a significant amount of wealth tied up in their homes, therefore decisions about releasing the equity in their home or other financial solutions are particularly important and can be overwhelming as much as they are life changing. Unsurprisingly, older homeowners often look for brands that they can trust to provide them with sound solutions, and outcomes, that meet their needs.
When a brand is trusted, it can make a significant impact on the decision-making process. A trusted brand can help to alleviate concerns and fears around long-term financial decisions and provide a sense of security and confidence. This is particularly important for some seniors who may be less experienced in financial matters or more susceptible to scams.
One equity release provider has been successfully building trust with its customers for many years – even to the extent that many happy homeowners and their advisors will refer friends to Homesafe for them to consider the debt free equity release solution for themselves. In fact, 1 in 5 homeowners who enquire with Homesafe Wealth Release® are referred by someone they know.
When a friend or family member recommends a brand or product, it can provide an additional layer of assurance and validation that the brand can be trusted. Moreover, as family members are strongly encouraged to participate in the decision-making process, many children of homeowners will start the ball rolling and make the first enquiry on behalf of the homeowner.
Homesafe Wealth Release has established a reputation for transparency and ethical business practices, which is crucial for building trust in the equity release market. Homesafe’s solution is designed to provide older homeowners with financial independence and peace of mind without the need to sell their home or take on debt or use a reverse mortgage.
The Homesafe Wealth Release option is not a loan. As you don’t borrow money, there are no capitalising interest charges over time. Repayments do not apply, and instead the share of the future sale proceeds of your home sold to Homesafe is capped so you can protect a portion of the equity in your home into the future – or for your beneficiaries. You can also sell your home at any time, or alternatively, Homesafe will receive its share of the sale proceeds after you have passed away*.
Building trust in a brand takes time and effort, and it requires a commitment to transparency, ethical practices, and providing exceptional customer service. Homesafe Wealth Release has demonstrated its commitment to these values for over 18 years and has consistently focused on providing older homeowners a reliable and trustworthy retirement funding solution.
The team at Homesafe takes the time to understand each homeowner’s unique situation and provides a personalised service to meet their needs. For more information on how Homesafe has helped older homeowners to find peace of mind in retirement for over 18 years, contact Homesafe on 1300 729 097 or visit www.homesafe.com.au.
All-new PEUGEOT 308 – one vision, four distinct personalities
The bespoke Australian all-new PEUGEOT 308 line-up, features the very latest in French refinement and innovation. The range boasts three currently available variants – the PEUGEOT 308 GT Hatch, 308 GT Premium Hatch and 308 GT Premium Sportswagon. With the exciting all all-new PEUGEOT 308 GT Sport Hatch Plug-In Hybrid is coming soon.
From every angle, the all-new PEUGEOT 308 line-up is a study in dynamic, high-end design. This perennial favourite has been redesigned with minimalist, clean lines and the honed, agile body of an athlete. The bold silhouette and streamlined profile are punctuated by the contemporary and ultra-compact front lighting signature and the striking rear light, three claw LED design.
The assertive, all-new PEUGEOT 308 hatch features boosted aerodynamics and a lowered roofline, with crisp styling. While the elegant, elongated body the all-new PEUGEOT 308 Sportswagon is complemented by an extended bonnet and set-back windscreen, to give the Sportswagon its own unique identity and character.
Petrol, electric or both!
The PEUGEOT 308 GT Hatch, 308 GT Premium Hatch and 308 GT Premium Sportswagon, are all powered by a zippy 1.2L petrol engine, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. While the PEUGEOT 308 GT Sport Hatch Plug-In Hybrid which is coming soon, is driven by a 1.6L PureTech petrol engine, with an e-EAT8 gearbox providing a combined output of 165kW of power and 360Nm of torque. Along with distinctive hybrid styling and cutting-edge technologies, this economical model offers three driving modes – hybrid, 100 per cent electric and Sport, which uses both engines for maximum performance. Choose efficient, no emissions electric driving for every day trips and enjoy the versatility of the combined petrol and electric mode for longer journeys.
Design-inspired new cabin features include a 10” HD colour touchscreen, while rich new upholstery options further elevate the cabin. The PEUGEOT 308 GT Hatch features Tri-Material Alcantara with leather effect seat trim and green stitching, and the 308 GT Premium Hatch and Sportswagon are wrapped in Full Grain Nappa leather seat trim, with charcoal grey top stitch.
Throw into the mix the choice of either a spacious hatch, or the generous capacity of the all-new Sportswagon. Drive the hatch for its perfect balance of strength and luxury. Or opt for the bold Sportswagon with its practical cargo carry capacity and 40/20/40 split rear seat to boost boot space.
So choose the All-New PEUGEOT 308 that’s the perfect match for your life.
What type of wine are you?
From trend-setting Rosé to party-loving Sparkling and refined Shiraz, which wine are you? And what does your perfect wine match reveal about your connection to all things nature?
From your favourite style of music and choice of holiday reads to your party personality and your ultimate palate preference, divulge your truth and the results will tell all.
Take this fun Wine Selectors quiz to reveal your soulmate wine.
Chin Liew – Pocket Profile
2022 Emergent Gardens Winner Chin Liew returns to design two dedicated entertainment stage gardens which will host musicians playing live music throughout the five days.
‘Sound of Colour’ and ‘Colour Muse’ created by Chin Liew celebrates the joy and energy that colour can bring.
These two vibrant gardens will showcase a wide variety of plants, with maximum colour!
What can you tell us about your gardens at the Show?
The Entertainment Stage Gardens will provide a unique setting for the variety of musicians performing during the Show. Get ready for a lot of colour!
‘Sound of Colour’ is a colourful, vibrant garden where flowers are the hero of the garden.
‘Colour Muse’ features a rainbow of colour moving around a central stage enveloped by plants.
These gardens focus on softscaping and show that even with minimal hardscaping, you can create great impact and atmosphere in a garden with plants and colours.
What are you most excited to see at the show this year?
The different gardens and people from the industry. I love how people from all over the industry come together at this event to create amazing garden spaces.
What is your favourite current industry trend?
Edible plants being incorporated into gardens more flexibly (for example, mixed with other planting in garden beds) rather than needing to be in dedicated productive garden areas.
What sustainable practices have you seen highlighted in the industry at the moment?
Many people are willing to consider using some recycled materials in their home gardens.
Fast Five
Favourite Flower/Plant
At the moment it’s all things Sanguisorba. I’m also loving the Dahlias which you can find in my Entertainment Stage Gardens!
Pineapple on a pizza?
Sometimes!
Gardening Gloves or Bare Hands?
I’m not afraid to use gardening gloves
Favourite Season?
Spring
Foliage or Flora?
I love foliage but my two gardens at the Show this year are a celebration of flowers and colour.
Wine at a Garden Show?
So, you might be wondering ‘what is a wine company doing at a flower and garden show’?
We’re glad you asked because, as it turns out, there’s more to it than a delicious break during your day at the show, or some kind of romantic notion (after all, a bunch of flowers and a glass of vino are synonymous with romance!)
Yes, it’s a great opportunity to sit down, relax and sample some tasty drops, but the connection between wine and flowers doesn’t stop there.
The importance of the environment to winemaking
Take a moment to think about where your wine comes from. It’s an agricultural product, and therefore the environment plays a vital role, in much the same way it does for horticulturalists and gardeners trying to grow their flowers, plants, fruit and vegetables.
The floral and fruity characteristics of wine
Have you ever read a wine bottle label and wondered how they come up with all those flavours and aromas in the description?
From fruits and flowers to spices, chocolate and even types of wood (like cedar and oak for instance), the wines we enjoy display various aromas and flavours related to the variety of grape used to make the wine and the region in which it has been grown.
Behold the beauty
John Keats certainly had it right all those years ago when he said ‘a thing of beauty is a joy for ever’! There’s no denying that a lovingly crafted floral arrangement, a living green wall or a beautifully landscaped garden are pleasing to behold, with sight and smell the dominant senses in which we experience them.
In much the same way, an expertly crafted wine is a beauty to behold, particularly when it comes to aromas and flavours. Enjoying a glass of wine is very much a sensory and joyful experience.
Learn more about why the Wine Garden is at the Flower and Garden show here.
MINT Landscape Design – Pocket Profile
Darin Bradbury
What can you tell us about your garden at the Show?
Aurum is unashamedly hedonistic and glamorous yet grounded in nature. The design weaves elements of modernist and art deco philosophy together and reinterprets them using contemporary design principles. The fresh colour palette brings aesthetics to the fore in a design that is climate conscious and people-centric.
What are you most excited to see at the show this year?
The floral displays are always innovative and sets new trends. Love the creativity always on show.
What is your favourite current industry trend?
The trend toward using more plants in the garden and how people are trying to work more plants into their spaces than ever before.
What sustainable practices have you seen highlighted in the industry at the moment?
What we see more and more of permeable paving options on the market with allows natural rain fall to get to tree roots etc.
Fast Five
Favourite Flower/Plant – Agave
Pineapple on a pizza? – Yes
Gardening Gloves or Bare Hands – Gloves
Favourite Season – Autumn
Foliage or Flora – Foliage
Scott Wynd
What can you tell us about your garden at the Show?
Aurum is unashamedly hedonistic and glamorous yet grounded in nature. The design weaves elements of modernist and art deco philosophy together and reinterprets them using contemporary design principles. The fresh colour palette brings aesthetics to the fore in a design that is climate conscious and people-centric.
What are you most excited to see at the show this year?
People pushing the boundaries of design and doing something new and exciting
What is your favourite current industry trend?
Calming influences of water and plant life. Having a space where we can entertain but also slows us down.
What sustainable practices have you seen highlighted in the industry at the moment?
I believe the most important and achievable practice is recycling building products. Simply lets design and build things that last so we not rebuilding or changing in the years to come
Fast Five
Favourite Flower/Plant – Agave
Pineapple on a pizza? – Yes
Gardening Gloves or Bare Hands – Bare hands
Favourite Season – Summer – surround me with water
Foliage or Flora – Foliage
Matt York – Pocket Profile
What can you tell us about your garden at the Show?
Our show garden this year is titled Alone, Together.
In collaboration with Beyond Blue, our garden will explore the increasing health and wellness concerns resulting from loneliness and social isolation. Using parkland and garden design as a vehicle for education and connection, our garden looks to present design principles that can promote a sense of belonging, to open dialogue surrounding loneliness, and to promote further research and opportunities in designing for health and wellness.
What are you most excited to see at the show this year?
I always love to see the range of plant selections and compositions in the different garden displays, I always take several ideas from the show to apply in our practice. I love the energy of the student design competition, and seeing how the gardens perform at night during the Gardens by Twilight event. With this season’s extensive rain it will be fascinating to see what is flowering and performing in April.
What is your favorite current industry trend?
Supply chain disruption has informed new thinking of how we plan and specify local products, which is a fantastic thing. Our footprint is vast when you consider all of the materials we use in construction, and our forward planning has lapsed in previous years. We should be sourcing and procuring local products and be conscious of our footprint in every design moment.
What sustainable practices have you seen highlighted in the industry at the moment?
I love the Urban Forest strategies being delivered by State and Local government’s across Victoria, with many council’s working to achieve 30% tree canopy targets by 2030. The impact on these targets in improving urban cooling, biodiversity, health and access to green open space is just incredible. Appreciation and awareness of the many roles and responsibilities our urban trees provide in our cities continues to grow with every year.
Fast Five
- Favourite Flower/Plant: Dicksonia antartica (soft tree fern). Incredible childhood memories from our family garden, beautiful shadowing in dappled light, beautiful to touch, transplants well at maturity, and is also a great source of starch.
- Pineapple on a pizza? Absolutely and with fresh chilli.
- Gardening Gloves or Bare Hands: Bare hands everyday. Much like the potion of the ocean, there is much we don’t know about spending time in the soil.
- Favourite Season: Autumn: Seasonal colour, leaf drop, calm offshore winds.
- Foliage or Flora: Foliage to feed all the senses.
How To Have A Green-Thumb In Any Size Home
Being a plant parent is one of the most rewarding jobs that you can have, but small living situations can often stop you from having the plant family of your dreams. But don’t fret, there are many alternatives such as terrariums and miniature herb gardens which are perfect for displaying plants in small areas.
Herb gardens in glass jars: Why not display your favourite herbs like basil, rosemary, oregano and thyme in glass jars? To give you the best chance at herb garden success, make sure to pick seeds that are in season. Layer the bottom of your jar with pebbles or marbles and top with Scotts Osmocote Tomato, Vegetable and Herb Premium Potting Mix that will provide your new herbs with valuable nutrients to keep them happy all day long. For the best display and easy access to go-to herbs, try placing your herbs on your windowsill.
Vertical gardens: You can jazz up any bare wall by creating a vertical garden full of your favourite plants. A pre-made vertical garden is worth the investment and will streamline your planting process. Better yet, if you have a few recyclable containers you can get creative and even construct your own DIY vertical garden. Plants like golden pothos, devil’s ivy and cast iron plants are perfect for indoor vertical gardens because they are hardy and easy to care for.
Terrariums: If you have a fishbowl, small vase or any glass jars, you can make your own mini terrarium. Start off by laying some white pebbles, then some horticultural charcoal and soil at the bottom of your chosen container. Purchase some resilient plants such as watermelon peperomia, baby tears and air plants. For the best results, remember to use Scotts Osmocote Pour+Feed for Indoor Plants as this will ensure your terrarium stays happy and healthy. To finish, why not decorate your little masterpiece with geometric crystals or shells and invest in some battery operated lights to take your terrarium from day to night.
Eggshell succulent garden: Succulents are likely to grow in any environment, so why not create a mini garden sanctuary in eggshells that you can display on your bathroom vanity. Eggshell gardens are great for the environment, they are biodegradable and once the root system is established your succulents can be placed directly in pots with no waste from the shells. Just remember to clean your eggshells thoroughly before filling with soil for the best results.
Mini-hydroponic plants: Hydroponic or water plants are perfect for people who have little space but also want to use plants as an art feature in the home. To start, gather some different sized glass vases and some of your plant clippings, but remember to wash your clippings to remove any dirt or impurities.
Matthew Landers – Pocket Profile
One of Australia’s most well-known and influential floral designers Matthew Landers has been a powerhouse within the Australian floral industry for over 20 years.
Matthew grew up surrounded by flowers and bustling business his mother Linda Landers made sure that Matthew was put to work from a young age learning the family business and being given the resources to pursue floristry as a career.
From age 13 to 23 Matthew won over 50 1st places in local, regional, national and international competitions this included winning the WA Interflora Junior Florist of the Year seven years in a row as well as winning Gold at Worldskills and the coveted Australian Interflora Florist of the Future 2007. In recent years Matthew noted Wins at RHS Tatton Park (Manchester, UK) Silver Medal 2016, Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show Gold Medal 2017 & 2018, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017 (Bronze Medal), 2018 & 2019 (Silver Medal).
In 2004, Matthew completed his formal training and with the help of his Mother Linda and purchased his first retail Florist in Perth. Over the following years, this expanded to having multiple stores across Perth. In 2009, Matthew wanted to explore opportunities overseas and live there full-time. At this time, Matthew and Linda sold their empire and Matthew committed to living internationally full-time.
In the coming years, Matthew was fortunate enough to spend time working with some of the world’s leaders in floral design and fashion. This has included celebrity weddings, high-profile and International Fashion events. Matthew also spent time in residence with a major International Hotel as well as teaching and learning, across the globe.
After returning to Australia in late 2011, it was obvious to Matthew to move things on to the ‘next level’. Matthew re-established a high-end Florist “Matthew Landers” and opened a one-of-a-kind Private Training Provider “Matthew Landers Academy” in Victoria Park, Perth. With a truly unique and charismatic style, Matthew has used his midas touch to turn business again into another huge success.
Pocket Profile
What can you tell us about your display at the Show?
This year, I’m focused on the contrast of waste and beauty. In essence I’m going to create a huge pile of rubbish, then watch the beauty emerge though it.
What are you most excited to see at the show this Year?
Gardens by Twilight on the Friday evening is always the highlight of the show for me. Viewing all of the show gardens and displays with their lighting is magical!
What is your favourite current industry trend?
Bold and daring colour choices. We saw monochrome for such a long time and now the colour palettes are exploding! Vibrant choices to match scenery, rather than 14 shades of nude.
What sustainable practices have you seen highlighted in the industry at the moment?
Huge shift away from Floral Foam. It’s wonderful! As a millennial who has worked full time in the industry for over 20 years, I have seen the shift from irresponsible use to responsible use, to the literal phase out of Floral Foam. Its great to see other practices and methods used that existed long before it was ever invented originally.
Where do you find inspiration?
Art and design. Form, colour and texture are things that inspire my designs. I look to the Milan Design and Maison & Objet (Paris) Fairs each year to fill my cup with inspiration. My eyes are always open when it comes to inspiration, you see it in the strangest places. Just last week I went to a hideously pretentious restaurant in Sydney and the colours of the food on the plate were magical together – Cut to me making floral arrangements in the same palette this week!
Fast Five
Favourite Flower?
Gloriosa
What flower will always be in fashion no matter how much times passes?
Garden Roses. You’ll find them in more art history than any other flower.
Pineapple on a pizza?
Pineapple on EVERYTHING! Jacket potatoes, Pizza, Burgers, Ice cream…..Chuck it in the deep fryer and whirl out the chicken salt, I’m there!
Favourite Season?
Autumn 400% My dream would be to chase Autumn around the world constantly.
Most underrated flower?
Wattle. The most intoxicating fragrance and vibrant colour! Also, a true symbol of ‘seasonal’.
Vineyards and roses – a perfect pairing!
Ever found yourself passing a vineyard with beautiful rose bushes standing proudly at the end of each row and wondered why? Why are roses planted at the end of vineyard rows? Let’s take a look.
Roses and vines are a beautiful partnership in the world of wine growing that originally came about for very practical reasons.
“Rose bushes were historically planted at the end of the vine rows as an early detection system,” says Wine Selectors Tasting Panellist Dave Mavor, a winemaker himself. “You see, roses are susceptible to the same problems as grapevines – problems like diseases, fungus and pests – which tend to attack the roses before the vines as they are more sensitive.”
Practically then, roses became a handy early warning system for winegrowers of any environmental threats to their vines, much like the way canaries were traditionally used in coal mines as detectors of dangerous gases.
Find out more about their relationship here
Want to find out more about nature’s influence on the wines you love? Visit the Wine Selectors Wine Garden at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. Tickets to our fun and informative masterclasses are free, but you need to book in to secure your spot.
