December 11 2022 - January 14 2023: Issue 566

 

Summer Garden-House Care: when to water, mow, when and how to harvest that crop, how to keep the ants, ticks and mozzies at bay this season + Christmas Gifts for all budgets and everyone + Johnson Brothers Christmas - New Years Trading Hours and thanks for 2022 - Here's to 2023!

Christmas 2022 - New Years + 2023

Johnson Brothers would like to wish all our community a wonderful Christmas and our best wishes for 2023.


We thank you for choosing your local friendly Hardware store to source everything you need this year for your garden and around the home - for those DIY Projects and home renovations.

We look forward to providing you with everything you need and the best service you can get without having to travel too far, from our trained friendly staff, and would remind you that the stores are filled with everything you will need to do that project, shine those Christmas lights, or entertain over this holiday season.

Our Trading hours for the next few weeks, and all year, run below.

Both stores are closed Christmas, Boxing and New Years Day’s.  
On the two additional public Holiday days:
Avalon is open 9am – 1pm
Mona Vale is open 9.30-3pm

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!


Hot steamy summer weather means we want all the windows open to let every cool sea breeze through, especially at night when the daytime temperatures have cooled down. There's a few tips and tricks you can try by

Visiting: How to Keep Your House Cool During a Heatwave Without Using an Air-Conditioner

Unfortunately humid weather also means lots of fly and mosquitoes activity, and that persistent whining buzz won't let you sleep or means you may wake up with those itchy bites. Knowing how to build or fix a flyscreen at this time of year becomes a good DIY skill to have. There are also plants you can place in your garden that will reduce the amount of insects you don't want and encourage those you do.

To set you up for a great Summer in your garden and within your home, this Issue we run some our tried and tested with great results DIY projects you can do.

The other focus of hot weather is how to look after what grows in the garden so that it thrives. Watering of an evening or early morning so hot sun doesn't burn leaves during daytime is a practice most gardeners follow.  

Visit: Installing a Garden Watering System 

What about that lawn or that tomato patch though - what should we doing during these weeks to maintain these or protect them from a too intense sun so our green spaces stay green without using too much water and how do we shield that summer veggie crop?

How and When to Water

What you want in a healthy plant is deep root penetration, and the only way that you’re going to get deep roots is if there is water down deep they're reaching for. When you do water, make sure that you get the soil saturated enough that the moisture percolates several inches down.

Some gardeners state that the best time to water is during or immediately after a rainfall, especially if the rain shower amounts only to a 5 centimetres  or so of water. The reason for this is that you want to add sufficient water at the same time to ensure penetration down to 12-14 centimetres (5-6 inches). If you wait a day or two to water after a rainfall, you will be adding only surface water, which evaporates rapidly. With only frequent or light watering (or rain showers), a reserve of water in the soil will not build.

For the lawn watering for longer periods of time less often will promote deeper roots, greater drought tolerance and less maintenance. Watering your lawn in the morning when it is cool to allow more water to soak into the ground rather than evaporate is recommended by landscape gardeners and 2-3 times a week should suffice. Avoid watering in the evening to prevent fungus and disease.

There are also some excellent products available that can help your soil with retaining water.

Temporary wilting during the heat of midday does not mean that it’s time to water. Some plants will go through a midday slump, which is an indication of the plant’s natural adaptation to its environment. Take a look at how they are in the early evening and most of those wilted plants will have regained some turgidity. If they have come back do not water them unless they're due via your watering routine. Most vegetable gardens will need a frequent dousing during midsummer and possibly more if it has been very hot and there has been no rain. If you must water in the later afternoon do so at least a few hours prior to dusk so the water will not be sitting there overnight.

The average amount of water a tomato plant will require each week during Summer is around 3 litres twice a week - a good soaking. Vine plants such as peas need 3.5 litres twice a week whereas cucumbers will require just 3 litres over the week. 

When deciding when and how often to mow the rule is to follow what the lawn is doing and if growing more in hotter weather then more mowing is required but don't cut more than one third of the leaf blade. Cutting your lawn too short can damage it.


RICHGRO 10KG EZI-WET PREMIUM SOIL WETTER GRANULES: $20.65; Allows water to get into the plants root zone. • For pots, containers, lawns & gardens.


EARTHCORE 7.5M SOAKER HOSE $9.99; Ideal for spray pattern sprinkling or soaking. Also available: 15m - $16.00 


Some Plants May Need a Little More Shade

Most vegetables love the sun and require between six and eight hours for good growth but too much can cause problems. Installing a  shade cloth will help them cope with hotter conditions, especially in the afternoon. Tomatoes are also one of those Summer crops that should be watered in the morning as evening watering will promote disease. 

There are also some plants that like a little shade to begin with, so if you have a corner of the garden that only gets limited sun, plant out leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach and pick by the leaf outwards to inwards so you can continue to harvest from those plants all season long.

When to Pick that Summer Crop

Bigger is not always better when it comes to deciding what to pick and when. Most vegetables will taste best before they grow too big. For example, zucchini are best picked when they are half a foot long. They’re still good later, but they have hit their peak ripeness and their flavour will start to deteriorate the larger they get.

Not all fruit and vegetables are harvested the same way. For example, pears are picked when they are still hard!  Tomatoes can ripen on or off the vine.

Take care not to yank the fruit or vegetables when picking so as not to damage what is still growing. Hold the stem in one hand and pick with the other. If the crop is ripe but doesn’t easy pull by hand (such as an eggplant), use pruning shears.

Once a crop starts producing, check the garden every day! Picking vegetables as soon as they are ripe often encourages the plant to produce much more. If you leave some too long they will bolt and flower as they “think” they’re done. 

For your herb crop, pinch or cut back these frequently to keep them productive (and to keep them from flowering).

You can always preserve an overly-abundant harvest. For example, green beans can be blanched in boiling water for one minute, cooled in ice water, and frozen. Zucchini and squash can also be frozen too.

Citrus Care

Summer is all about citrus and February is an ideal time to feed your citrus trees - a Complete Citrus Food is best at this time of year. Keep citrus trees well watered when young fruit is forming in spring and early summer. A good watering twice a week to deep water trees in the warmer months is best.

Grass and citrus don’t mix so keep the area beneath your citrus free of grass and weeds. Cover with a mulch such as lucerne, composted leaf litter or compost, but keep the mulch away from the tree trunk to avoid collar rot.

Experienced gardeners recommend you do not harvest any fruit from these trees during the first three years of growth, so

Sour oranges may be caused by harvesting the fruit too early (leave fruit longer on the tree) or insufficient sunlight (it may be necessary to replant your tree in a sunnier position or remove surrounding growth to allow more sun to reach the tree particularly in winter).

Fruit that tastes sour may also be nutrient deficiency; treat the soil around the tree with a matchbox-full of copper sulphate.

Yellowing leaves in the centre may be an indication of magnesium deficiency. Treat the soil around the tree with Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate). Leaves that yellow at their tips can indicate a lack of fertiliser (use a complete fertiliser).

Dropping fruit can be caused by strong winds during flowering or shortly after while fruit is forming or too much water or too little when the tree is flowering or while fruit is forming. To remedy this, check drainage if soil too wet, or put the sprinkler on twice a week to give adequate water.

 

AMGROW 3KG CITRUS AND FRUIT GRANULAR FERTILISER:  $12.90; 3kg. Nitrogen and Potassium. Granular form. For citrus and fruiting trees.  RTU HOSE ON FERTILISERS 2.5L: $13.00 each;  Seasol or Powerfeed.


Staying Happy with your Insect Friends

Insects are beneficial to the environment and your garden in a multitude of ways; they pollinate the plants, help create great soil, and attract beautiful birds with wonderful songs that love feasting on them. Ants, flies, ticks, mosquitoes, cockroaches and moths aren't so welcome when they're biting you or getting in your house. 

Residents are reporting a huge amount of ticks in our area at present with incredibly strong toxins, and family cats and dogs being badly impacted so far this season, many ending up at the vets. Keeping your pet up to date with their Tick preventatives will give them a better chance of surviving if bitten. 

A few years back we ran some information on how you can do things around the garden to reduce the risk. Links to those run below. It's also worth knowing frogs, along with insect eating small birds such as the Silvereye, White-throated Treecreeper, Spotted Pardalote, Gerygone Fairywren and Thornbill, along with possums will eat ticks. Scientists who have studied this tell us not only are possums experts at removing ticks, they can also eat up to 5,000 ticks per season!


There are also some practical things you can do, beginning in the garden, to keep that balance and minimise that awful mozzie singing near your ears at midnight. Given Council is reminding residents to be careful this mozzie season as we now have Ross River Fever in our area, it's important to follow these few tips to look after yourself and your family:

Protect yourself by:
  • staying indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitos are most active
  • using approved insect repellents
  • covering up when you’re outside, with loose light coloured clothing and covered footwear
  • use mosquito lanterns or coils
  • covering windows, doors, vents and other entrances with screens
  • sleeping under a mosquito net
  • covering water tanks and preventing pools of water from building up around your property, to prevent mosquitoes breeding
The other way you can help your garden be freer of mozzies is to remember that possums eat mosquitoes, as do dragonflies, owls, flying foxes and a range of songbirds. So yet again, the best way to keep you and your loved ones safe is look after the wildlife that lives in your urban garden and encourage them to either come in if absent, or stay if already living there by giving them space, protection from pets and switch the lights off when it's time for them to come out during their nocturnal wanders in search of food.

Mosquitoes need water to breed so if you have a pond, fountain or birdbath the first thing you should do each Summer is make sure there is fresh water or a flow of water in these to stop them becoming your own home ground mozzie breeding place. 

You want the pond or water feature as that attracts dragonflies and frogs - not the stagnant water that helps mozzies.

If you don't have flyscreens on your windows and doors, or those you do have have tears or holes in them, replacing that mesh will also keep the biters at bay indoors and restore sleep.

How to Make or Fix Fly-screens
Tools
Tape measure
Mitre box
Hacksaw with fine tooth blade
Spline roller and Stanley knife
Aluminium framing
Frame corners
Screen mesh
Spline


Cowdroy Flyscreen Frame Kit: $5.55; Includes 4 PVC black corners, 4 clear offset buttons and 2 clear frame hinges. Suitable for 25mm 11mm flyscreen frame

Make The Frame
Measure your existing window or door and cut the aluminium frame to fit. A good tip is to use a mitre box. Once you have the lengths for the frame, you need to cut the corners at a 45 degree angle so the pieces fit together. It's also best to use a fine tooth blade with the hacksaw when sawing the corners. Insert the frame corners into the aluminium pieces and push the pieces together.

Fit The Mesh
Once the frame is together, it's time to fit the mesh to the frame. Lay the mesh over the frame and start with a short length. Tack the spline into the frame at the ends and the middle using the spline roller, before running it along the entire length. This will stop the mesh from bunching up. Repeat this step for the longer length, and then work your way around the frame until all the mesh is in place. A second pair of hands to keep the mesh taut while you are fixing it to the frame will make things easier here.  Cut off the excess spline and trim the mesh with a Stanley knife.

Fix a Torn Flyscreen
To fix the mesh on an existing fly screen, simply remove the spline and mesh, replace the mesh, and follow the step as above.

All you need to make or repair your flyscreens are available from Johnson Bros. Mitre 10 at Mona Vale and Avalon stores from the frame pieces to the clips and mesh.

Install Some Herbs in Your Garden - the Natural Insecticides
Another practical way to keep the outdoors insects and spiders where they belong means planting out some herb varieties. There are a multitude of herbs that are known insect repellents, and herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow. Most need little maintenance, and many of them don't mind a little shade. 

Known as 'Companion Gardening' adding some herbs can keep a number of insects at bay as well as look after other plants in your garden that are susceptible to insects. The bonus here is, of course, you can then use these herbs in recipes, refreshing Summer drinks and Summer salads!

Many of these plants can be used as on-skin natural repellents as well.  Before you do that, though, it’s advisable to make sure the plant’s natural properties will not adversely affect you. Determine your tolerance by rubbing crushed leaves on a small area on your forearm for several days prior to using on a larger scale.

If you're craving a mosquito-free evening on your verandah or deck, think lemon. Lemongrass, lemon-scented Pelargoniums and lemon balm are some of the ones you can keep in pots or in the garden. Lemon balm is a mint and like all mints, you never have to think about it again after planting—except maybe to cut it back to keep it under control. Speaking of mint, rubbing it on your skin is also an effective way to repel biting bugs. Lemongrass also makes a great tea.

Another plant with outstanding mosquito-repellent properties that's effective against cockroaches as well is catnip. 

Basil is one of the many herbs you can use to make a natural insect repellent so your summer fun isn't bothered by pesky insects. Basil insect repellent not only works well to keep stinging bugs away, but it has a pleasant aroma and can be grown easily and inexpensively. Basil is great to place near your outdoor grill or picnic tables, where flies like to gather. Remember basil needs to be watered at the roots and not the leaves and a good crop will ensue. You can also add a pot of basil on either side of doorways. 

Mint pretty much repels anything, and that includes flies. Place a few sprigs around your home or when entertaining outdoors rub some on your skin.

Lemon thyme repels mosquitoes. This hardy herb can adapt to dry or rocky, shallow soil and will thrive in your herb garden, a rock garden or a front border as long as these are in sunny locations. The plant itself will not repel pesky mosquitoes; to release its chemicals, you must first bruise the leaves. To do this, simply cut off a few stems and rub them between your hands. 

In fact lavender, tansy, rosemary and even cloves will keep them at bay. Lavender is especially useful at keeping moths our of clothes - Keep lavender growing in your deck planters or garden to keep the bugs away. You can also hang dried lavender in your wardrobe, and you will never have to worry about moths eating your clothes.



Spear & Jackson Fork or Spade County D Handle; $29. D grip handle. Reinforced collar. Carbon steel head. Spade; Ideal for digging in soils & clay. 2mm carbon steelhead. Reinforced collar. Plastic D handle.


Citronella, used in all sort of candles, torches, and insect repellents has proven its insect repelling value, but using the live plant is much more effective. Citronella is a large clumping grass that looks great in flower beds and verandah planters. Try to place your citronella plants near places where people gather for the best effect.

Some of these herbs can also be used to keep pests in the garden off favourite plants: Dill repels aphids, spider mites, cabbage moths and tomato hornworms. Oregano: Repels many pests and will provide ground cover and humidity for capsicums.

Adding a few or all of the above will add fragrance, beauty and edible plants to your garden. Planting them side by side in either your garden or in planter boxes that can be moved to where you want to use them; around the barbecue area or next to entrance doors, will provide year round insect repellents that are attractive - especially when flowering.

Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 have a wide range of herbs and seeds as well as planter boxes of all shapes and sizes to get your herb garden started. Pop into the Green Life Garden Centre at Mona Vale and get inspired.


Amgrow 1L Concentrate Liquid Harvest Fertiliser: $24 All natural ingredients. Helps increase healthy plant growth. Suitable for all types of plants.


Amgrow Ferticote Native Plants Fertiliser 500g: $10.35. Rich in Nitrogen and Iron. Controlled release fertiliser. Promotes healthy and strong growth. For Australian native plants. Lasts 6 months.

Using Herbs Indoors to Repel Insects
There are other things in your kitchen that act as insect repellents as well.

Ants are one of the most frequent home invaders and one of the easiest to deal with in a sweet-smelling, natural way. Spraying lemon juice or vinegar along the path where they're entering the house works as well as insecticides. Mint and tansy are two herbs that are especially effective in keeping ants away. Crumble some leaves around trouble spots, place a few plants on a windowsill or even plant some just outside your door. Both are care-free hardy perennials that will come back year after year, and mint's purple flowers and tansy's yellow buttons will add colour to your doorway. Hot pepper flakes are a bit messier and less aromatic and can get the job done as well, but not good if you have pets that may decide to 'clean them up' or little children who may be equally drawn to the bright red flakes.

In the kitchen, seal all your food in containers— especially attractive nuisances like sugar and flour. Bay Leaves, used for it's fragrance in cooking, is a scent moths, flies, mice, earwigs and cockroaches do not like. If you don't have fresh bay leaf plants, you can use dried bay leaves to get the same results and put some anywhere these insects have been spoiling food or an area - even in the flour or pasta container itself.

The most seen spider coming indoors during Summer is the huntsman which will seek out a dry corner prior to rain. These are harmless if left alone and will get rid of those mosquitoes who do sneak through. If you still don't want them indoors, encourage the bravest member of the family to get them back outdoors when they can feast on ticks, mozzies and flies and work their magic for you that way.

The Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Christmas Catalogue: Gifts For The DIYer - Gifts For The Chef - Gifts For Everyone

Specials available until December 24th, 2022 - online catalogue available HERE and Gift ideas for every budget HERE


Some examples:


Waxworks Citronella Glass Jar Candle: $7 each - Vibrant modern colour assortment to liven up any outdoor entertaining area. Add ambience to outdoor entertaining.  Made from quality materials for a cleaner burn


THERMOcafe 400ml Stainless Steel Outer Foam Insulated Travel Mug: $12.99 - Double-wall foam insulation retains hot or cold temperatures. Durable stainless steel exterior with easy to clean plastic liner. Spill-resistant slide lock lid. Will fit most vehicle cup, holders. 


Grow Your Own Lavender Windowsill Tin: $17.95 - Contains Lavender seeds and soil. Easy to grow. Bright coloured galvanised tin. Drip tray included. Grow inside the home or outside. Also available: Grow Your Own Sunflower and Grow Your Own Strawberry


Thermos Stainless King Vacuum Insulated Flask Hammertone: From $25 RRP $41.99 - Thermos vacuum insulation technology for maximum temperature retention, hot or cold. Durable stainless steel interior and exterior. Twist and pour stopper lets you pour without removing the stopper. Cool to the touch with hot liquids, sweat-proof with cold. 


Tradie Ultimate BBQ Pack Fitted Trunks - 6 Pack: From $30 RRP $40.05 - Extreme comfort. Fully lined pouch. Cotton stretch that moves with you. Cotton / elastane.

Greenlife garden centre at Johnson Brothers Mona Vale

Johnson Brothers Mitre 10: Serving Our Community Since 1955

The Independent Hardware Group has awarded Johnson Bros Mona Vale the best in state at the IHG state awards and heads to the national finals on the Gold Coast in February 2022. 

Congratulations to the store in Avalon Beach as well, which won best in village.

Johnson Brothers say; ''Thank you to all of our amazing staff and customers for being awesome!''

IHG is Australia’s largest home improvement wholesaler supplying more than 1,500 stores nationwide. These stores cater to a broad range of Trade and DIY customers and range from large format warehouses to convenience operations and Trade centres, as well as frame and truss sites in two States. 

Under the IHG network, there is a clear mandate to support the growth of Independents within the hardware sector in Australia by helping them to be ‘The Best Store in Town’.

The culture of IHG is built on being a low cost and transparent business partner to members, with an unwavering commitment to protect and grow a sustainable independent hardware sector for the long term.

JBH Design Centre 

JBH Design Centre is a tool for builders and DIY'ers to assist in the fit out of houses. It has displays of kitchens, Bathrooms, Doors and Storage as well as knowledgeable staff to assist in making house fit out painless.

Visit: http://jbhdc.com.au/

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/design.centre.jbh/


Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Trade Centre at Mona Vale - everything you need under one roof.


Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 New Store
73 Bassett Street
Mona Vale - Online Store: Jbhmv.Com.Au

Products advice is available from the trained friendly staff at Narrabeen, Mona Vale and Avalon Johnson Brothers Mitre 10. 

Click on logo to visit Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 website

Johnson Bros Mitre 10 - Avalon            (02) 9918 3315

Johnson Bros Mitre 10 - Mona Vale     (02) 9999 3340

JBH Timber & Building Supplies          (02) 9999 0333

JBH Fencing & Landscape Supplies    (02) 9970 6333

www.johnsonbros.com.au Online store: jbhmv.com.au

Previous DIY Pages:

Decking Timbers  Caring For Your Deck Decking Finishes  Privacy Screens I Privacy Screens II  Privacy Screening Hardwoods  Autumn Paths and Lawns  Insulation Batts Plasterboard  Ventilation - Edmond's Ecofan Blackboards for Children and Home Spring Lawn Care  Shade Sails & Watering  Basic DIY Tools DIY Tools - Power Drills Recycle Your Trampoline into An Air Bed  How to Build Your Own Backyard Cricket Pitch Christmas Lights Displays around House and Garden Summer Mildew - Refresh, Renew How to Fix Things That Drip and Bump in the Night Time To Plant Winter Vegetables in  a Raised Garden Beds Layout Organsing Your Tool Shed  Make Your Own Weathervane Installing A Garden Watering System  Decking Oils  How To Make Garden Compost  How To Winter proof Your Lawn  How to create Shabby Chic effect on Timber Furniture How to Build Your Own Raised Garden Bed  Growing Your Own Winter Vegies  Winter Heating Guide  Prepare Your Yard For Winter Eradicating Noxious Weeds From Your Yard How to Fix Furniture Finishes Part I  How to Repair Scratches, Dings, and Dents of Furniture Surfaces - Part II Winter Draughts Fix  Classic Wooden Tool Carrier Spring Garden Checklist Part I  Install Your Own Skylight  Retaining Walls for Saving Soil and New Spring Garden Beds  Summer Salad Garden  Native Plant Garden for A Fairy Arbour Renewing Short Flight of Exterior Stairs Deck Maintenance DIY Summer Tasks You Can Do In Time to Get to the Beach  Garden Ponds for Attracting Birdlife, Dragonflies and for the Soothing Sounds of Water  Salt Air: Maintenance and Protection Creating an Outdoor Dining Arbour, Gazebo or Patio - Part I Creating an Outdor Dining Arbour, Gazebo or Patio Part II  Autumn Garden Tasks  Autumn DIY Jobs: Waterproof Your Home Checklist  Dealing With Dampness Inside the Home  Fixing Your Fence  Repairing and Replacing Damaged Decking boards  DIY Toy Box and Snow Globes: School Holidays Fun - Winter 2015  DIY Wooden Toy Cars and Perfect Painted Flowerpots: School Holiday Fun - Winter 2015  Shoring Up an Under House Earth Bank – Installing a Basic Retaining Wall  DIY One Shelf Sideboard  Early Spring 2015 Garden Care Salad Garden For Children  Keeping Your Garden and Home Cool in Hot Weather  Classic Beach Garden and Camping Chairs 3 Portable Versions Anyone Can Make DIY Outdoor Furniture Mark I: Park Benches for Your Garden Make Your Own Scooter or Skateboard: Summer 2016 Fun  How to Install a Solid Core Door and Door Furniture  Summer Garden Jobs: Pruning A Hedge  How to Make A Swing Chair - With A Frame for Garden Setting  Garden Jobs for March to Make A Beautiful and Healthy Spring  Keeping Outdoor Nooks Warm During Cooler Months  Children’s Step Stool with Storage  Stop Winter Rain Lawn Loss and Soil Erosion on Slopes  DIY Garden Shed: Part 1 of 4 - Base  DIY Garden Shed: Part 2 - Framing Walls  DIY Garden Shed: Part 2b - Gable Roof Framing  Garden Shed Part 3: Roof Installation  DIY Garden Shed: Weather- boards - Door And Window Installation And Paint Finish DIY Coffee Table With Chessboard Inlay  Spring Gardening: Feeding Your Soil And Plants - What Works For Each Plant  DIY Sandstone Flagging Parking Area - Platform  DIY Pre-Summer Checklist For A Safe Home   Summer Spruce Up: Interior Paint Tips and Three easy steps to rejuvenate your timber deck The Perfect BBQ Garden Setting DIY Water Wise Garden   DIY Side Gates  DIY Storm Preparation And Home Protection  One To Two Day DIY Weekend Spruce Ups  Vegepods For Autumn Planting + Easy To Make Lego Table Or Student Desk That Can Be Dismantled + Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Online Store   Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Great New Mona Vale Store: Still In Bassett Street - number 73  Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 New Mona Vale Store: The Greenlife Garden Centre  Go Outside And Play: Creating Garden Spaces To Connect Children With Nature DIY Plasterboard Repair DIY Dolls House Or Garage Or Boatshed  DIY Child's Waggon - or use as a large planter mover DIY Bathroom Refresh: Zing For Spring  Tips for Growing a Native Garden FireCrunch, Australian Developed Fire-proof, Sustainable, Durable and Reliable Building Board Now Available at Johnson Bros. at Mona Vale and Narrabeen School Holidays DIY Ideas for Children: Little Vegetables Garden, Swing, Windchimes Bushfire Season Preparation 2017: Home and Outdoor Areas  Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Trade Centre at Mona Vale + Issue No 1 of Mitre 10’s inSITE Magazine for Tradies and Handymen  Preparing Al Fresco Areas for Christmas Get-Togethers and Summer Visitors  Summer De-bug; Mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and ants - how to keep the outdoors insects where they belong DIY Summer Projects: Install A Fountain Or Water Feature  Late Summer and Early Autumn Projects: A Shed For All Storage Solutions + Garden Tasks + Keeping Our Waterways Clean   Autumn Plantings for Winter Harvests   2018   Paintback Collection Event: Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale Saturday, April 7  Reducing Ticks in Your Garden: Garden care, Plants that Repel, What to Wear Outdoors Attracting Insectivore Birds to Your Garden: DIY Natural Tick Control  Mother's Day 2018: DIY Rose Garden Winter Mould & Mildew Inside Your home: How to Keep Air and Surfaces Healthier DIY Traditional Rocking Horse  Johnson Brothers Trade Day 2018 DIY Mushrooms and Vege Kits: School Holidays Fun Winter 2018 for Curious Kids  Woodworking Projects for Beginners: School Holidays Fun Winter 2018 - Simple Storage Box + Wood Tool Box Spring Garden Prep: Soil Care  Spring into Spring + JBH August 2018 Trifecta  DIY Backyard Doggie Paradise  Garden Care for Heavy Rain Days + Non-Toxic Snail and Slug Debug Ideas  Garden Design and Plant Management to Minimise Tick Attacks and Infestations - insights from an essay by Bill Conroy BSc. (Agr) (Syd) + a Tribute to Wilfred Lawrence Conroy CBE by Keith Jackson, PNG and others  Make Your Own BBQ Kitchen Garden: Gifts That Grow Past That Giving Day  Christmas Lights 2018: Light Up the Night  How to Keep Your House Cool During a Heatwave Without Using an Air-Conditioner Mid-Summer Garden Care  2018 Winners Of National Hardware Store Of The Year - Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale! + End Of Summer Garden To Do List  DIY Fruits of Your Garden: Growing Figs  Fruits Of Your Garden: Growing Passionfruit - Autumn Is Also The Time To Plant Strawberries For Spring  How To Water Your Plants When Away On Holidays + Some April 2019 School Holidays Fun For Outdoors; A Skateboard Swing Or Indoors; Grow Or Make Pot Plant People Dealing With Autumn Dampness Inside The Home + Mums Day Gifts For 2019 Winter Heating Guide + Get Ready For Winter Specials  Keeping Your Garden Dewful During Times Of Water Restrictions and Drought  Installing Leaf Stopper Gutter Guard + Trade Day 2019  JBH Mitre 10 Trade Day Guests 2019  An Artfull Garden - for Winter School Holidays 2019 DIY Deck Refurbishment: Turning Wood Into Open Tiled Spaces - Groundworks  Father's Day Wish List 2019 + How to Re-stain your Deck timbers and posts for Summer  Installing Posts For Decks and Verandahs With Heavier Loads + Installing Membranes For Tiled Decks National Garden Week's 2019 Focus Is On Children(Oct 13-19): Spring School Holiday 2019 Garden Ideas (to get started on)  Replacing Balustrades Handrails  DIY Tiling Your Verandah: and Choosing Your Simple Or Complex Tile Pattern  Reduce Bushfire Risk To Older Homes + Preparing Your Yard For Bushfires  Time to Put Up those Christmas Lights and Deck your Gum Trees with rows of Jolly!  NSW RFS Bushfire Survival Plan 2020 + Reduce Bushfire Risk To Homes + Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Great Water Saving Ideas during Level 2 water restrictions + some  'Don't Sweat Summer'  Specials  The Inaugural Sydney Edible Garden Trail - Learn how to help your garden survive the heat, drought, and water restrictions  DIY Flyscreens  DIY Privacy Screen In 2 Hours  Family Hardware Store Wins Best In Australia  Autumn DIY Jobs: Exterior Jobs to Keep Everything Dry and Cosy Inside the Home  Autumn Vegepod Garden: Plant Now to Stay Healthy: JBH Response to COVID-19 Restrictions - We're Adapting!  Autumn Holidays Projects: Let's Go Fly A Kite + Some handy Painting Tips for Interiors and Sprucing up that Outside Deck - Easter Hours 2020  Pittwater's Noxious Weeds: A Great Time To Get Outdoors and Pull Them Out and Replace With Native Plants  Blooming Lovely: Late Autumn Planting For Gardens Full Of Colour, Cheer + Great Food For The Table  Dealing With Dampness Inside The Home - June 2020  DIY A Job For Life: Apprentice Carpenter + Commencement Tool List  Winter School Holidays 2020: Easy To Do Garden Mosaic Pavers Little Hands Can Create + Home DIYer: Simple Concrete Slab  DIY - A Job For Life: Landscape Gardener Apprenticeship DIY Fathers' Day ideas for 2020 + August Garden Jobs  DIY Job for Life: Plumber's Apprenticeship Early Spring Garden Care Spring 2020 + Salad Garden For Children  A Job For Life: Certificate III In Electrotechnology - From Apprentice To A Business Owner; Jay Turns Up The Voltage On His Career + Spring Garden Specials - seedlings time!  Spring is here and wattles are out in bloom: a love letter to our iconic flowers  Perfect Tomatoes, Capsicums and Spring Onions - Summer Salad Staples + what to plant now  BBQ Season: some tips to keep your New or Old BBQ Clean  Christmas Lights Time 2020: Deck Your Home With Rows Of Jolly!  Johnson Brothers Avalon Store Renovations & Mona Vale Store: Everything You Need This Summer In Stock  How To Keep Your Home Cool During A Heatwave Dealing With Dampness Inside The Home: The Wet Summer Of 2020/2021 +Nothing By Halves, Johnson Bros. Mitre 10, great new video By Community Requests Autumn/February 2021 re-run: Garden Design and Plant Management to Minimise Tick Attacks and Infestations  The Bees Knees: what you can plant now to help your garden grow and help the bees  Dealing with Storm Events: Flooding inside and around the home - how to Be Prepared  Fun Project Ideas for Autumn School Holidays  10 Ways to keep your home warm and save money this Autumn and Winter  Mother's Day 2021 Ideas: Grow Her Some Lemons Or Avocadoes Or Get A Pink Step Ladder So She Can Safely Reach The Top Shelf Indoors + JBH Celebrates Upgrade Of Avalon Beach Store  These 3 Tips Will Help You Create A Thriving Pollinator-Friendly Garden This Winter  'Generation Restoration' Is The UN's World Environment Day 2021 Theme: How You Can Help Out At Home  The Johnson Brothers Trade Day Is Back: Thursday June 17th + How To Build A Nesting Box For Our Local Possums and Birds  Winter School Holidays 2021: Fun Projects You Can Do Around The Home - Something For The Young and Even Younger  Winter DIY Ideas: Painting A Feature Wall + Outdoor Heating Options For Your Home + Declutter/Organise That Tool Shed Science Week 2021 Food Theme: A Salad Garden For Children  Early Spring Chores For Great A Summer Outdoors: Clean and Reseal Your Wooden Deck Area  Early Spring Chores For Great A Summer Outdoors: Soil Preparation For Vegetables + Salads + A Few Other Tips To Make Your Garden Ready To Plant Out  Spring School Holidays Projects 2021: A Swing Chair and Dolls' House or Toy Garage  The Beer Ledge: Done In An Afternoon Projects For The Garden  October- November Garden Jobs: Let's Get Busy Planting Out Now + Mow For Your Bros. This Movember   Mow For Your Bros. This Movember: Some Lawn Care Tips To Keep Your Grass Greener This Summer - Aerate, Worm Up!, Fertilise, Watering, Mowing Basics  Christmas-New Years 2021 Checklists: Preparing The Garden & Home - Entertaining - Gift Ideas For Every Budget  DIY Backyard Cricket Pitch DIY Surfboard Rack: Vertical and Horizontal Options  Late Summer - Early Autumn Garden Tips: BOM Forecasts Warm Autumn 2022 With Above Average Rainfall  Dealing With Dampness Inside The Home March 2022  Maintenance Of Your Home's Outside Areas After Storm Events: Paths, Walls & Windows, Dampness Under The House, Dying Lawns And Plants - The DIY Checklist  Fun Project Ideas for Youngsters for Autumn School Holidays: wooden cars, blackboards, bright painted herb pots, grow your own food, make a chessboard  Mother's Day 2022: Promise Her An Ever Blooming Native Flowering Plants Garden  Retaining Walls Save Your Garden's Soil: DIY  Winter Draught Stops To Lessen Your Power Bill   Johnson Brothers Trade Day 2022: June 16 At Mona Vale + Winter Garden Jobs For A Flowering Fruitful Spring  Winter School Holidays Projects For Youngsters On Rainy Days Dealing With Dampness Inside The Home: Black Mould July 2022  Stop Winter Rain Soil Erosion In Your Garden - Especially On Sloping Blocks Increases In Building Materials Costs Adds Pressure To Fixed Price Contracts - Construction Industry  Father's Day 2022 - Some Gift Ideas To Make Dad Feel Special; Some For Those Without A Single Dollar + Some For Those Who Get Pocket Money! Spring 2022: Time To Get In The Garden! What Can Be Done In September - For Youngsters + Oldsters  Spring School Holidays 2022: Handmade Toys - For Youngsters + Oldsters Who Want To Lend A Hand  Spring Lawn Care: During Mow For Your Bro Month - Movember 2022  Preparing Your Garden and Home For Bushfires 2022 - The Rains Will Cease; Now Is A Good Time To Clean Out Your Gutters + Prep. The Home  Preparing Outdoor Areas For Christmas Get-Togethers and Summer Visitors: Wooden Decks, Tiles, Pavers, Outdoor  Furniture, Putting Up The Christmas Lights, Garden Spruce Up

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John and Bob Johnson - The Johnson Brothers Profile  John William Alfred Johnson - The Eulogies for those who could not attend Mass

Australia's Prime Minister Visits Mackellar - Informal Afternoon Tea with Hon. Malcolm Turnbull October 2016

JBH Win Awards August 2018 Trifecta - 2018 Free Trade Day supporters, Mitre 10 Heritage Advert features JBH Mona Vale Store, Hardware Australia’s 2018 NSW Hardware Store of the Year over 2500sqm.

Front Page Issue 294: 2018 Winners Of National Hardware Store Of The Year - Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale !!!

National Garden Week's 2019 Focus Is On Children(Oct 13-19): School Holiday Garden Ideas (to get started on) & Congratulations Award Winning Johnson Brothers Mitre10 At Mona Vale - 2019 NSW Store Of the Year, 2019 NSW Trade Centre Of the Year and 2019 Village Garden Centre of the Year

Johnson Bros Mitre 10 were awarded as the best Trade Store in the country: February 2020

Family Hardware Store Wins Best In Australia: Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale Crowned ‘National Trade Store Of The Year’ - Celebrating 65th Year in 2020

Anzac Day In Pittwater 2020: Candles, Crosses and Online Commemorative Services: Johnson Brothers Family Donates 20 Thousand Candles to Community Light Up The Dawn Initiative 

Front Page Issue 447: ANZAC DAY 2020

Front Page Issue 478: Johnson Brothers Avalon Store Renovations & Mona Vale Store: Everything You Need This Summer In Stock

Front Page Issue 492:  JBH Celebrates Upgrade Of Avalon Beach Store


Bob, John and Robert Johnson, 2013 - photo by A J G.
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