Londoners buy £30bn worth of property outside capital, the most since 2007

More than 75% stay within the south-east, but one in five head for Midlands or north in search of a new life

Londoners bought an estimated £30bn worth of property elsewhere in Britain this year – the highest amount since 2007 as buyers seek out better value for money, a report has found.

The total value of homes purchased by Londoners outside the capital previously peaked at £37bn in 2007, Hamptons International said.

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from Property | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2Lxx0gm
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How to keep cacti happy

Get the light and watering right, and a cactus will be your best friend

The meteoric rise in popularity of cacti and succulents shows no sign of abating. Making a break from their normal retail habitat of the houseplant section in garden centres, this Christmas I have seen big displays of them in the homewares sections of department stores, and even nestled between T-shirts in hipster clothes shops. So, if you find yourself with one of these little guys under your tree, here are three unexpected tips I picked up from a commercial grower on just how to take care of them.

When you step into the vast glasshouses of family-run growers Ubink just outside Amsterdam, your jaw drops at its sheer scale. They are now one of the world’s largest producers, supplying everywhere from botanic gardens in Thailand to roadside planting in Dubai. With three generations of growing experience stretching back to the 1920s, there are few people better to ask about how to grow these plants indoors in a northern climate.

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from Home And Garden | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2LuIam0
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How to keep cacti happy https://t.co/gIz9sol3r1 Solicitors & Estate Agents In One Just £899 + vat .. https://t.co/eLmKfiYyW9

How to keep cacti happy https://t.co/gIz9sol3r1 Solicitors & Estate Agents In One Just £899 + vat .. https://t.co/eLmKfiYyW9 (via Twitter http://twitter.com/conveyandmove/status/1076796169894940672)

How to keep cacti happy

Get the light and watering right, and a cactus will be your best friend

The meteoric rise in popularity of cacti and succulents shows no sign of abating. Making a break from their normal retail habitat of the houseplant section in garden centres, this Christmas I have seen big displays of them in the homewares sections of department stores, and even nestled between T-shirts in hipster clothes shops. So, if you find yourself with one of these little guys under your tree, here are three unexpected tips I picked up from a commercial grower on just how to take care of them.

When you step into the vast glasshouses of family-run growers Ubink just outside Amsterdam, your jaw drops at its sheer scale. They are now one of the world’s largest producers, supplying everywhere from botanic gardens in Thailand to roadside planting in Dubai. With three generations of growing experience stretching back to the 1920s, there are few people better to ask about how to grow these plants indoors in a northern climate.

Continue reading...

from Property | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2LuIam0
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Looking back at a year on the plot

Tall tagetes, clumps of calendula and happy pigeons

Two days past the shortest day, two days before Christmas. The winter solstice has been and gone. Daylight moments are mounting. The worst is likely over, at least in terms of light. Time to look forward, but mostly back. Time to assess Plot 29, 2018.

And what a year it was. We started with planting a dozen potatoes, enough for a few Sunday lunches. Back after a break of a couple of years, first and second earlies as always. Chitted in winter egg trays, grown in memories, eaten with butter and apple mint. Like proper vegetable gardeners. Like Dudley, my dad.

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from Home And Garden | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2LwICQV
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Looking back at a year on the plot https://t.co/OmbLIVd8G2 Solicitors & Estate Agents In One Just £899 + vat .. https://t.co/eLmKfiYyW9

Looking back at a year on the plot https://t.co/OmbLIVd8G2 Solicitors & Estate Agents In One Just £899 + vat .. https://t.co/eLmKfiYyW9 (via Twitter http://twitter.com/conveyandmove/status/1076720596539621376)

Looking back at a year on the plot

Tall tagetes, clumps of calendula and happy pigeons

Two days past the shortest day, two days before Christmas. The winter solstice has been and gone. Daylight moments are mounting. The worst is likely over, at least in terms of light. Time to look forward, but mostly back. Time to assess Plot 29, 2018.

And what a year it was. We started with planting a dozen potatoes, enough for a few Sunday lunches. Back after a break of a couple of years, first and second earlies as always. Chitted in winter egg trays, grown in memories, eaten with butter and apple mint. Like proper vegetable gardeners. Like Dudley, my dad.

Continue reading...

from Property | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2LwICQV
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