December is the time for rest and armchair gardening

It’s time to take a well-earned break and browse a few catalogues

Today is the start of meteorological winter. We are in the month of solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, when the sun rises late yet sets early – and when average UK temperatures sulk around 5 or 6C.

It’s a time of quiet on the plot. Perhaps some digging in of organic matter if it is your style – we will, it is easier now than in January – and to top up leaf mould and compost.

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Our guide to house price indices Nottingham Estate Agents

One month UK house prices fall, then the next, they soar. So which house price indices should you follow? Are property prices going up or down? It depends on which house price index you go by – and all of them operate according to slightly different criteria so not all are equal. Due to the […]

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Hidden escapes: a Bloomsbury oasis

It looks like the lofty home of a Victorian adventurer, but this tiny London flat is a masterpiece of illusion

Few of us have the creative vision needed to turn a featureless box with no side windows into an urban des res. But Neil McLachlan is an interior designer and discovering a property’s hidden potential is his trade. So when the New Zealander spotted an ad for a “surprisingly affordable” apartment on the ground floor of a vast, inter-war mansion block in Bloomsbury, in central London, he sensed an opportunity.

A modest side entrance and a long, unpromising corridor lead to the 65m² space, which originally served as the caretaker’s workshop. “I was worried it would be very dark, but the last owner was a photographer who’d added the skylights,” says McLachlan. “The apartment is south-facing so it always feels bright. For me, it’s about volume and light. This place had both, so I knew I could make it work.”

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Hidden escapes: a Bloomsbury oasis

It looks like the lofty home of a Victorian adventurer, but this tiny London flat is a masterpiece of illusion

Few of us have the creative vision needed to turn a featureless box with no side windows into an urban des res. But Neil McLachlan is an interior designer and discovering a property’s hidden potential is his trade. So when the New Zealander spotted an ad for a “surprisingly affordable” apartment on the ground floor of a vast, inter-war mansion block in Bloomsbury, in central London, he sensed an opportunity.

A modest side entrance and a long, unpromising corridor lead to the 65m² space, which originally served as the caretaker’s workshop. “I was worried it would be very dark, but the last owner was a photographer who’d added the skylights,” says McLachlan. “The apartment is south-facing so it always feels bright. For me, it’s about volume and light. This place had both, so I knew I could make it work.”

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How to grow raspberries | Alys Fowler

Our gardening expert picks a screening plant that’s also pretty and an edible treat

I like my neighbour, and I like my neighbour’s garden, but I also like my privacy. I want to remain cocooned in my world a little longer before I have to say good morning. So I erected some trellising, then searched for a plant that would keep me hidden without sprawling too much into next door. And as this is my world, that plant needs to have some delicious treat and look pretty with it.

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Gardening tips: create a barrier with an anchor plant

Then dig a compost trench

Plant this If you need a barrier but find berberis too reminiscent of car parks, try anchor plant (Colletia paradoxa; ). This semi-evergreen South American shrub is covered in flattened spines that resemble anchors, and scented white flowers in autumn. Needs a sheltered wall in full sun. Height and spread: 3m x 3m.

Dig this If your compost bins are full, dig a trench for organic kitchen waste instead. In a spot where you want to plant a “hungry” crop such as beans next year, dig a 50-60cm deep trench, piling the soil to one side. Add veg peelings and cover with soil, repeating until the trench is full. Mark with sticks so you know where it is.

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How to do Christmas decorations without a tree

Deck the halls with animal baubles, a seasonal wreath and your very own northern lights

Delicate display

Maple wood ‘Branch’ tree (3ft-6.5ft), from £220, demelzahill.com. Reclaimed block parquet table top, £2,880, lassco.co.uk).

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