Growing plants inside – the easy way

Having green fingers is not as complicated as you might think

After months of self-isolating, this weekend I masked-up and joined the queue for my garden centre. As someone who normally visits nurseries or plant shops at least twice a week, it was a huge relief to be surrounded by all the greenery. But perhaps what was even more exciting were the enormous numbers of young people waiting patiently in line to get a houseplant fix. Working in an industry that has struggled for decades to figure out how to make itself relevant and accessible to those under 50, it’s wonderful to finally see a new generation discovering the joys of the natural world through indoor gardening.

But with so much frankly terrible advice on houseplants out there (ironically on the very social media platforms that have created this new flowering of interest), I also had to repress the desperate compulsion to advise the 20-somethings on the plants they were buying. However, doling out unsolicited advice is a bit more socially acceptable in a magazine column than to random people in queues, so here are my top tips for those starting out on their adventure in the great indoors.

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Midsummer daisies to cheer the soul

Summer brings comfort and colour during an anxious trip

Back at the beach house. It’s midsummer: high sun, quiet Scandinavian sea; a sort of paradise, but also disquieting like in a film. Perfection masking fear.

My mother-in-law lives close by. She is 95, recently self-discharged from hospital, the only treatment now tramadol and tea. We bring her to recline on the terrace. Her sick bed, a sun bed; we talk and listen to the reassuring chatter of birds.

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A guide to buying an equestrian property Nottingham Estate Agents

With approximately one million horses under ownership in the UK, it’s easy to see why equestrian properties are some of the country’s most sought-after homes. Purchasing an equestrian property can be a great investment and living with your horses just across the yard can be a wonderful experience. But there are a few considerations that […]

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Midsummer daisies to cheer the soul

Summer brings comfort and colour during an anxious trip

Back at the beach house. It’s midsummer: high sun, quiet Scandinavian sea; a sort of paradise, but also disquieting like in a film. Perfection masking fear.

My mother-in-law lives close by. She is 95, recently self-discharged from hospital, the only treatment now tramadol and tea. We bring her to recline on the terrace. Her sick bed, a sun bed; we talk and listen to the reassuring chatter of birds.

Continue reading...

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French lessons: a family apartment in Paris

A grand Parisian apartment is a family home to four active children and a collection of vintage designs

When Géraldine Octernaud was 18, she swapped a pair of vintage trainers for a red Eames rocking chair. She had never heard of Charles or Ray Eames before, but it marked the start of a new obsession, becoming the first piece in her ever-evolving collection of vintage design.

That collection – which spans the second half of the 20th century – is seen here in Octernaud’s Art Deco apartment in the 7th arrondissement in Paris. She moved into the apartment six years ago with her husband, Stephen, and three children (the couple now have four, aged between five and 13).

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French lessons: a family apartment in Paris

A grand Parisian apartment is a family home to four active children and a collection of vintage designs

When Géraldine Octernaud was 18, she swapped a pair of vintage trainers for a red Eames rocking chair. She had never heard of Charles or Ray Eames before, but it marked the start of a new obsession, becoming the first piece in her ever-evolving collection of vintage design.

That collection – which spans the second half of the 20th century – is seen here in Octernaud’s Art Deco apartment in the 7th arrondissement in Paris. She moved into the apartment six years ago with her husband, Stephen, and three children (the couple now have four, aged between five and 13).

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‘When we can, we’d love to throw a party to show it off’: designers on their lockdown DIY

What do you do if you are an artist confined mainly to your home? Transform the place, of course

I have spent lockdown with my partner, Luke Morgan, and my dog, Elvis, in our live-work building in London. We moved here in 2005: I had done so much work on my previous house, I couldn’t face another project, so painted the walls white and lived with it. That changed in lockdown; most of my commissions were cancelled, and I was finally able to get going. We don’t have children, my parents are no longer alive and Luke’s parents are shielding in Bristol, so we don’t have the same commitments as many people.

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