Brexit uncertainty triggers first September fall in house prices since 2010

Rightmove says average price down by £730 as sellers wait to see how Brexit plays out

House prices have fallen in September for the first time since 2010 as Brexit uncertainty continues to cast a long shadow over the UK housing market, according to the estate agent Rightmove.

The UK’s biggest property website said the traditional “autumn bounce” in the market was simply not happening this year. Instead, the average price of newly listed homes fell by 0.2%, or £730, compared with August.

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A simple trick for growing a tricky orchid | James Wong

Put your orchid in a large glass bowl with water to emulate the steamy jungle it comes from...

Vanda orchids are true miracles of nature, with dramatic blooms painted in webbed patterns of sapphire blue, purple and lavender that sit high above cascades of silvery roots. But this beauty comes at a price. For many indoor gardeners, this exotic genus of orchids can be an enormous challenge to grow. As soon as they are removed from the coddled conditions of specialist nurseries, they can deteriorate without the right treatment from 3D-printer-perfect to compost-heap fodder in as little as a week. Fortunately, there is an easy trick that can not only dramatically boost your chances of success but also display the flowers to their greatest visual effect – and all you need to do this is a glass vase.

Vandas hail from the steamy jungles of southeast Asia, where they grow clinging to the branches of trees. Suspended in air saturated with moisture, their roots have evolved into long, draping curtains that absorb water from rain showers and the dense jungle air. As these roots are often just as spectacularly showy as their flowers, nurseries usually grow the orchids with no potting media at all, to show them off to best effect.

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A simple trick for growing a tricky orchid | James Wong

Put your orchid in a large glass bowl with water to emulate the steamy jungle it comes from...

Vanda orchids are true miracles of nature, with dramatic blooms painted in webbed patterns of sapphire blue, purple and lavender that sit high above cascades of silvery roots. But this beauty comes at a price. For many indoor gardeners, this exotic genus of orchids can be an enormous challenge to grow. As soon as they are removed from the coddled conditions of specialist nurseries, they can deteriorate without the right treatment from 3D-printer-perfect to compost-heap fodder in as little as a week. Fortunately, there is an easy trick that can not only dramatically boost your chances of success but also display the flowers to their greatest visual effect – and all you need to do this is a glass vase.

Vandas hail from the steamy jungles of southeast Asia, where they grow clinging to the branches of trees. Suspended in air saturated with moisture, their roots have evolved into long, draping curtains that absorb water from rain showers and the dense jungle air. As these roots are often just as spectacularly showy as their flowers, nurseries usually grow the orchids with no potting media at all, to show them off to best effect.

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Buying to let? The what, why, when and where Nottingham Estate Agents

Peter Bill, former editor of Estates Gazette and author of Planet Property, suggests factors potential buyers should consider as the demand for rental property soars ever higher. Bracketing Kipling’s ‘six honest serving men’ into three pairs is as decent a way as any to mark the righteous path toward buy-to-let happiness. No need to rigidly […]

The post Buying to let? The what, why, when and where appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

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Autumn arrives at our Danish summerhouse | Allan Jenkins

The bramble is creeping back, the rowan is scarlet and mushrooms and puffballs are popping up

The end of summer at the Danish summerhouse, banking on the bank holiday. June’s painted lady butterflies have been replaced by brighter red admirals flitting around the apple trees while the wasps swarm fallen fruit.

We made an early decision here to be sensitive to the environment: apples and pears are old Danish varieties, other trees we have planted are native to the area. The same that grow wild everywhere. We are not looking to make our presence much felt. The larches are taller than when we were last here, the firs and pines, too. The beech has filled the gaps between us and the neighbours. The oak leaves rustle in the sea breeze. The fresh green is gone.

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Autumn arrives at our Danish summerhouse | Allan Jenkins

The bramble is creeping back, the rowan is scarlet and mushrooms and puffballs are popping up

The end of summer at the Danish summerhouse, banking on the bank holiday. June’s painted lady butterflies have been replaced by brighter red admirals flitting around the apple trees while the wasps swarm fallen fruit.

We made an early decision here to be sensitive to the environment: apples and pears are old Danish varieties, other trees we have planted are native to the area. The same that grow wild everywhere. We are not looking to make our presence much felt. The larches are taller than when we were last here, the firs and pines, too. The beech has filled the gaps between us and the neighbours. The oak leaves rustle in the sea breeze. The fresh green is gone.

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'Something sparked inside me': the $650 plant stealing hearts and wallets

Cream and white variegated monstera are the Instagram plant de jour and for the fanatics, money is no object

In the last six months, Irina Busova, a 30-year-old from Geraldton, Western Australia, estimates she’s bought more than 100 houseplants.

Her prized possession, which she saved for two months to acquire, is a monstera deliciosa (commonly called a Swiss cheese plant or fruit salad tree) with striking, green and cream split leaves. It’s the variegation that makes this plant so prized. She paid $330 for the plant which she describes as “a unicorn find”.

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