Draw Fresh Inspiration for the home this Easter

Monday 2 April

Draw Fresh Inspiration for the home this Easter

A brand new special publication from the NZ House & Garden team brings beautiful ideas for the home and table from the gifts of nature.

Fresh Inspiration provides a unique approach to the art of entertaining by capturing raw ingredients in their natural state and bringing them to life. Each chapter takes readers through the complete entertaining cycle.

Just in time for Easter, Fresh Inspiration dedicates a chapter to the beauty of eggs - from their history as a symbol of creation, to inspiring ideas using eggs around the home, as well as delicious recipes and meal suggestions.

For inspiration year round, the remaining chapters celebrate other natural gifts including pansies, herbs, lavender, apples & pears, citrus fruit, pumpkins and roses.

"We are surrounded by so much beauty in nature it is only fitting to draw from it for our homes and personal spaces. In preparing Fresh Inspiration the team has been inspired by the vast number of ways each gift of nature can be transformed and used for both décor and entertaining," says Michal McKay, NZ House & Garden editorial director.

Fresh Inspiration is the perfect choice for an Easter gift with a twist, or an ideal Mother's Day present for May 13.

Fresh Inspiration retails for $14.90 and is on sale at all good bookstores from Monday 2 April.

Use these decorating tips from Fresh Inspiration to create a special Easter setting inspired by nature.

Eggs: a symbol of creation - hence the tradition of giving eggs at Easter
Adding eggs to a floral display will instantly give it an Easter theme. Use a hot glue gun to attach short lengths of satay sticks to plastic eggs or blown-out egg shells and insert into a floral wreath.

Pansies: an inexpensive choice for creating beautiful living arrangements
Pansy ice cubes look very pretty in clear drinks. Wash them and gently pat dry with paper towels before freezing in ice cube trays.

Herbs: revered for their culinary, medicinal and cosmetic properties
Package up herbs in an attractive box or container as gifts for friends who love to cook but don't have a garden of their own.

Lavender: one of the most beloved of all herbs, it has been harvested and adored for centuries
As well as creating a soothing ambience lavender also acts as a natural insect repellent due to its high camphor content. Set tealights in small dishes of dried lavender to warm and intensify the fragrance.

Apples and pears: these two mainstays of the fruit bowl are very versatile - enjoyed raw on their own, as part of a meal, or as decorations.
For the next school fair or fête, give toffee apples a rustic look using sticks gathered from the garden.

Pumpkins: a year round staple in a range of colours, shapes and sizes.
Turn small squash into decorative table lights by cutting a hole in the top of each one, just big enough to hold a candle securely.

Citrus: today's many citrus variants are a hybrid of just four original wild species
For a stunning presentation for sorbet or ice cream, slice the top off an orange, scoop out the flesh and fill the cavity with the dessert. Replace the lid and return to the freezer until frosted and ready to serve.

Roses: few flowers inspire as much passion as the rose
Long stemmed roses make gorgeous skewers for syrup-glazed fruits - choose straight, slender stems with few thorns.

ENDS

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