Not every buyer will feel the same as you do about your beloved pet. OnTheMarket.com agent Aberdein Considine offers top tips on how to ensure potential buyers are not put off by the negatives which sometimes come with owning a pet Minimise the negatives – Remember to repair any damage caused by pets, including carpets, […]
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Sunflowers can charm as swiftly as they grow, and are especially loved by kids, bees and birds
I came late to sunflowers. I didn’t love them much as a child. Too big, maybe too one-note. And at first I was concerned they might be too dominant for the allotment, leech necessary nutrients from food plants, block much-needed light. But that was then.
The shift was swift. There is a photo of the early plot with Howard and his young daughters where the girls look like something from Rousseau, as though lost in a sunflower forest. And it was through them and other children I discovered my own late love. We worked for a time with a school gardening club, encouraging primary-age kids to grow together. It was the wonder on their faces at how fast their flowers thrust that made sunflowers irresistible.
Continue reading...A rundown old school has become a grand home to plants, birds, two dogs – and one artist
When photographer Steph Wilson first stepped into the south London school that was to become her home, it was a sometime squat, dark and rundown, the walls black with mould. She shudders at the memory. Three years later she has turned it into a grand church to plantlife, an urban conservatory that appears illuminated by stage lights.
Last year, sales of succulents rose by 34% as young people leaned into the fashion for houseplants, a trend explained both by itinerant living and the long quest for wellness. But here in south London their primary effect is drama: a giant cactus stands among hundreds of little sisters, the ceiling strung with succulents that fall in theatrical curtains from dainty chains.
Continue reading...A rundown old school has become a grand home to plants, birds, two dogs – and one artist
When photographer Steph Wilson first stepped into the south London school that was to become her home, it was a sometime squat, dark and rundown, the walls black with mould. She shudders at the memory. Three years later she has turned it into a grand church to plantlife, an urban conservatory that appears illuminated by stage lights.
Last year, sales of succulents rose by 34% as young people leaned into the fashion for houseplants, a trend explained both by itinerant living and the long quest for wellness. But here in south London their primary effect is drama: a giant cactus stands among hundreds of little sisters, the ceiling strung with succulents that fall in theatrical curtains from dainty chains.
Continue reading...In the first of a two-part special, our gardening expert on leaves to see you through the season
The perfect winter salad has a little peppery heat, is robust enough to take strong-flavoured dressings, and has a sweetness that can only be brought on by cooler nights. I love a mixture of crisp lettuce, rocket, the sweet anise of chervil, and a little mustard or mizuna. As this is a subject dear to my heart, I’m going to split it into two: this week we’ll deal with lettuce, and next week all the other flavours to spice it up.
It is hard to be made to think of long nights and cold mornings when sandals and short sleeves are in order, but if sown now, winter lettuce will be up in no time, and will put on enough growth before the shorter days and colder nights set in. You can sow until the first two weeks of September to have pickings this side of New Year, and from the end of September to October to harvest the other side.
Continue reading...This contemporary home maximises its location with outdoor rooms and picture windows
With its seamless indoor and outdoor living spaces, and its Australian owner, this contemporary family home is more Brisbane than Britain. Tucked behind a suburban street, the plot, which formerly housed garages, is bordered by a stream with parkland beyond and surrounded by greenery.
“When I get back from work I’m greeted by views of woodland, and the sounds of water and birdsong; it’s instantly calming,” says Pia Fairhurst. She shares the home with her husband Jonny and their daughters Paris, nine, and Amelie, six. “We loved the idea of having no direct neighbours, and access to the garden from all sides.”
Continue reading...Then sow parsley seeds for an overwintered crop, and get festive with some chillies
Plant this If you need a “good doer” for a white border, wildlife garden or cut-flower patch, take a look at easygoing perennial Achillea ptarmica ‘The Pearl’ – AKA sneezewort. It does well in sun or partial shade, producing sprays of tiny white flowers all summer long. Height and spread: 70cm x 70cm.
Sow this Parsley is biennial, meaning it needs sowing twice a year to ensure a constant supply. Sow now for an overwintered crop under a cloche or cold frame. Seeds don’t transfer well, so sow in situ in pots or into a prepared seed-bed. Even easier, let existing plants self-seed and find their own sweet spot.
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