Rolling back the years in the East End

Working only with ancient techniques, a paint specialist has lovingly restored his Georgian house in Whitechapel

The basement table of Pedro da Costa Felgueiras’s east London home looks like a still-life painting. A glistening triangle of membrillo on a wooden board, two enamel mugs and a silver teapot sit atop a utilitarian cloth. The only concession to modernity is Felgueiras’s laptop (he’s studying an online course in agriculture). The table itself is 18th-century and was found in the basement when he bought the house 12 years ago.

I was steeped in this aesthetic from an early age and it stuck with me

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How to grow bugles | Alys Fowler

It’s a seriously good bee and butterfly plant that doesn’t mind poor soil, thrives in shade and grows quickly

I have fallen for a very ordinary sort of plant; the small woodlander, Ajuga reptans, or bugle. It’s a native that’s fond of damp forest floors, where it creates a dense carpet of small blue flowers that are delightful: not showy or spectacular, just rather lovely and flowering right through to early summer.

It’s not just any ajuga that has caught my eye. Ajuga reptans ‘Rosea’, as its name suggests, is a pale rose-coloured form. I have planted it under one of my apples, near a bench that catches the first of the morning sun and is perfect for a quick coffee as I take in the blossom before the day starts. The blush-pink apple blossom is mirrored in a pool of pink below; I have never been so shamelessly romantic.

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Gardening tips: plant pasqueflowers

Then invest in a Japanese gardening tool and prune winter shrubs

Plant this The purple goblets of the pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) start emerging now, bringing colour to gravel gardens and food for hungry pollinators. This British native with ferny foliage prefers chalky soil, sharp drainage and full sun. Height and spread: 20cm x 20cm.

Buy this Whether weeding, planting bulbs or transplanting perennials, I wouldn’t be without my hori-hori – a Japanese gardening tool that has become popular around the world. Its heavy-duty blade is serrated on one side for slicing through roots and soil, and is definitely not child-friendly. Available from niwaki.com.

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How to grow bugles | Alys Fowler

It’s a seriously good bee and butterfly plant that doesn’t mind poor soil, thrives in shade and grows quickly

I have fallen for a very ordinary sort of plant; the small woodlander, Ajuga reptans, or bugle. It’s a native that’s fond of damp forest floors, where it creates a dense carpet of small blue flowers that are delightful: not showy or spectacular, just rather lovely and flowering right through to early summer.

It’s not just any ajuga that has caught my eye. Ajuga reptans ‘Rosea’, as its name suggests, is a pale rose-coloured form. I have planted it under one of my apples, near a bench that catches the first of the morning sun and is perfect for a quick coffee as I take in the blossom before the day starts. The blush-pink apple blossom is mirrored in a pool of pink below; I have never been so shamelessly romantic.

Continue reading...

from Home And Garden | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3bBGOlv
via IFTTT

Gardening tips: plant pasqueflowers

Then invest in a Japanese gardening tool and prune winter shrubs

Plant this The purple goblets of the pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) start emerging now, bringing colour to gravel gardens and food for hungry pollinators. This British native with ferny foliage prefers chalky soil, sharp drainage and full sun. Height and spread: 20cm x 20cm.

Buy this Whether weeding, planting bulbs or transplanting perennials, I wouldn’t be without my hori-hori – a Japanese gardening tool that has become popular around the world. Its heavy-duty blade is serrated on one side for slicing through roots and soil, and is definitely not child-friendly. Available from niwaki.com.

Continue reading...

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Britons go on shopping spree to ease grind of Covid-19 confinement

Online trade booms as people stock up with jigsaw puzzles, crafts and gardening gear

The prospect of weeks trapped at home has seen Britons embark on unlikely shopping sprees as they create home offices and gyms but also embrace hobbies ranging from dressmaking to jigsaw puzzling and growing their own veg.

With all non-essential high street shops and some websites now closed, what is left of high street trade is online as households hunker down and seek ways to keep themselves and their children entertained.

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Britons go on shopping spree to ease grind of Covid-19 confinement

Online trade booms as people stock up with jigsaw puzzles, crafts and gardening gear

The prospect of weeks trapped at home has seen Britons embark on unlikely shopping sprees as they create home offices and gyms but also embrace hobbies ranging from dressmaking to jigsaw puzzling and growing their own veg.

With all non-essential high street shops and some websites now closed, what is left of high street trade is online as households hunker down and seek ways to keep themselves and their children entertained.

Continue reading...

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