High society: a minimalist chalet in the Alps

This chalet in the Italian Alps is almost Japanese in its minimalism: all understated calm and breathtaking views

The interior of this three-bedroom apartment may be the height of cosy, understated luxe, but it’s the views that count: snow-covered peaks, dense pine forests and a picturesque mountain village all nestled in a valley 1,400m above sea level. La Thuile sits at the extreme west of Italy’s Valle d’Aosta, close to the border with France and Switzerland, part of a vast ski area known as Espace San Bernardo.

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Gardening tips: mulch your border flowers

Then plant Corsican hellebore for evergreen foliage, and volunteer to help map an orchard

Plant this I’m a sucker for a green flower in winter, so Corsican hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius) is high on my list of favourites. Its leathery evergreen foliage is the perfect foil for its bell-like blooms from January to March. Needs fertile soil in partial shade to thrive: height and spread 80cm x 80cm.

Mulch this Less hardy border flower favourites such as arum lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica) and agapanthus benefit from a blanket of mulch to protect them from winter wet and cold. Add a thick layer of a dry mulch such as bark chips, dead bracken or straw to a depth of about 20cm. Make a note in your 2019 calendar to pull it away from the growing points of the plant come spring.

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How to grow elephant ears for winter colour | Alys Fowler

Bergenias can be majestic in the colder months

The first hard nights of cold turn elephant ears into something else. Overnight they will blush from a glossy green into rich mahogany or deep plum wine. They will crackle with crimson and glow with cherry tints and hold these majestic colours all winter long until the first few really warm days of spring appear – then, like that, they will drop their winter colour and fade back to green. You might all but forget about them until, come spring, they unfurl into graceful nodding heads of magenta, pink or white flowers.

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Let’s move to Great Malvern and the Malvern hills: walk in Elgar’s footsteps https://t.co/PIrYjRB4Wa Solicitors & Estate Agents In One Just £899 + vat .. https://t.co/eLmKfiYyW9

Let’s move to Great Malvern and the Malvern hills: walk in Elgar’s footsteps https://t.co/PIrYjRB4Wa Solicitors & Estate Agents In One Just £899 + vat .. https://t.co/eLmKfiYyW9 (via Twitter http://twitter.com/conveyandmove/status/1078696939380789248)

Let’s move to Great Malvern and the Malvern hills: walk in Elgar’s footsteps

Seemingly a sedate affair with prim Victorian hotels, the town has a racy cultural life

What’s going for it? I learned to drive on the Malvern Hills, which is probably why I failed my test. Twice. It’s not a spot for a novice. Hairpin bends. Narrow, winding lanes charged down by local Mr Toads in their Morgans (the car factory is nearby). And you want hill starts? You got ’em: 45 degrees steep (OK, not quite). They – well, I – call them the Midlands Alps, rising without warning a thousand feet up from the Severn Valley.

Elgar, with his thighs of steel, famously walked the rollercoaster slopes of these old volcanoes for inspiration. The reason is obvious. The countryside is perhaps the most stirring in England, all pagan hill forts, ancient oaks and medieval priories. Great Malvern, seemingly a sedate affair of bargeboards, doilies and prim, Victorian hotels, but with a rather racy cultural life (the theatre’s amazing) and a nice line in decent coffee. I adore the place. Which is probably why I failed my test. Too much gawping. Keep your eyes on the road!

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from Property | The Guardian http://bit.ly/2AjzbzZ
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Let’s move to Great Malvern and the Malvern hills: walk in Elgar’s footsteps

Seemingly a sedate affair with prim Victorian hotels, the town has a racy cultural life

What’s going for it? I learned to drive on the Malvern Hills, which is probably why I failed my test. Twice. It’s not a spot for a novice. Hairpin bends. Narrow, winding lanes charged down by local Mr Toads in their Morgans (the car factory is nearby). And you want hill starts? You got ’em: 45 degrees steep (OK, not quite). They – well, I – call them the Midlands Alps, rising without warning a thousand feet up from the Severn Valley.

Elgar, with his thighs of steel, famously walked the rollercoaster slopes of these old volcanoes for inspiration. The reason is obvious. The countryside is perhaps the most stirring in England, all pagan hill forts, ancient oaks and medieval priories. Great Malvern, seemingly a sedate affair of bargeboards, doilies and prim, Victorian hotels, but with a rather racy cultural life (the theatre’s amazing) and a nice line in decent coffee. I adore the place. Which is probably why I failed my test. Too much gawping. Keep your eyes on the road!

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The 10 most gorgeous glasses – in pictures

Out with the old – raise a fancy glass to 2019

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