'A silver lining to the big, black cloud': allotments during lockdown

Despite confusion over rules and shortages of compost and seeds, UK allotment holders have cherished their plots

On 24 March, UK allotment holders woke to a different world. Lockdown added new challenges – but also new rewards – to the business of tending their plots.

There was confusion over lockdown rules, shortages of compost and seed, and, in England, a long, hot summer through which to keep watering. Many plot holders were deeply concerned about Covid-19: “Sowing seeds and wondering if you’ll still be around for the harvesting,” as one put it.

Continue reading...

from Home And Garden | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2GmzL5N
via IFTTT

UK house prices hit record high after easing of Covid lockdown

Average price soared to £224,123 in August, says Nationwide building society

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

UK house prices surged at the fastest pace in 16 years in August as strong demand pushed the cost of an average home to a record high, defying the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The average house price soared to £224,123 in August, the highest on record, according to data from Nationwide building society. Prices rose by 2% during the month, the fastest rate of increase since February 2004.

Continue reading...

from Property | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hS67mT
via IFTTT

'A silver lining to the big, black cloud': allotments during lockdown

Despite confusion over rules and shortages of compost and seeds, UK allotment holders have cherished their plots

On 24 March, UK allotment holders woke to a different world. Lockdown added new challenges – but also new rewards – to the business of tending their plots.

There was confusion over lockdown rules, shortages of compost and seed, and, in England, a long, hot summer through which to keep watering. Many plot holders were deeply concerned about Covid-19: “Sowing seeds and wondering if you’ll still be around for the harvesting,” as one put it.

Continue reading...

from Property | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2GmzL5N
via IFTTT

Five tips for turning your garden into a sanctuary Nottingham Estate Agents

Gardening can make us feel better – mowing the lawn, weeding the flower bed, planting seeds in the potting shed and staying connected with nature can all help to boost our mental and physical health. The way we design our gardens and the features we choose to incorporate can be restorative – from the soothing […]

The post Five tips for turning your garden into a sanctuary appeared first on OnTheMarket.com blog.

from OnTheMarket.com blog https://ift.tt/3bLUkTk
via IFTTT

HSBC plans to curb sales of low-deposit mortgages

Lender will try to reduce unexpectedly high demand in a blow to first-time buyers

HSBC, one of the last banks to offer low-deposit “90%” mortgages, is expected to restrict sales within days, in a move likely to leave first-time buyers struggling to find a loan.

The bank’s 400 mortgage advisers are currently flooded with applications from buyers, with customers forced to wait as long as three to four weeks to be interviewed by the bank. Meanwhile, the bank is opening a daily window of as little as half an hour in the morning for brokers to apply for loans before the daily allocation of money runs out.

Continue reading...

from Property | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3jOFMqv
via IFTTT

Country diary: buzzed by a tiny caped crusader

Crook, County Durham: Some hoverflies are tricky to identify, but this wasp mimic should be easy for Batman fans

Instinctively, I shied away from the buzzing near my ear, thinking it was a wasp. No, just a harmless hoverfly, a blur of wings and a body fringed with golden hairs, perfectly stationary, as if dangling by an invisible thread in the afternoon sunshine.

Hoverfly flight is a wondrous thing, made possible by halteres: flexible, vibrating, club-shaped rods under each wing. They act like stabilising gyroscopes, constantly feeding back information to the insect about its position, allowing instant, precise flight adjustments. The slightest warping of a wing translates into darting, directional flight. And that’s what happened as I watched, listening to its invisible, barely audible airwaves, spreading like ripples in a puddle from this aerial diadem.

Continue reading...

from Property | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YUATnw
via IFTTT

Country diary: buzzed by a tiny caped crusader

Crook, County Durham: Some hoverflies are tricky to identify, but this wasp mimic should be easy for Batman fans

Instinctively, I shied away from the buzzing near my ear, thinking it was a wasp. No, just a harmless hoverfly, a blur of wings and a body fringed with golden hairs, perfectly stationary, as if dangling by an invisible thread in the afternoon sunshine.

Hoverfly flight is a wondrous thing, made possible by halteres: flexible, vibrating, club-shaped rods under each wing. They act like stabilising gyroscopes, constantly feeding back information to the insect about its position, allowing instant, precise flight adjustments. The slightest warping of a wing translates into darting, directional flight. And that’s what happened as I watched, listening to its invisible, barely audible airwaves, spreading like ripples in a puddle from this aerial diadem.

Continue reading...

from Home And Garden | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YUATnw
via IFTTT