by Maggie | Jul 1, 2024 | Home & Garden Features
A former dairy business now hosts a thriving artistic community – and a spectacular converted barn. Suzanne Blank Redstone and her husband, Peter Redstone, have lived on the same Devon farm, nestled in a tree-fringed valley a mile from the sea, for 50 years. The...
by Maggie | Jul 1, 2024 | Home & Garden Features
Gardens could be part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. But what are we doing? Disappearing them beneath plastic and paving. In my 20s I lived in Manchester, on the sixth floor of a block of council flats just off the A57, or Mancunian (Mancy)...
by Maggie | Apr 1, 2024 | Home & Garden Features
As the nesting season gets underway, our wild birds gear up for the hustle and bustle of building nests, finding a regular supply of food and water and, most importantly, bringing the next generation of birds into the world. Now is the perfect time to get your nest...
by Maggie | Mar 1, 2024 | Home & Garden Features
Move over humble barbecue; it’s time to embrace the full outdoor kitchen setup. It’s the latest must-have for those who take their al fresco entertaining seriously. Whatever your style, we’ve got you covered, from bespoke built-in kitchens to rustic wooden kitchens to...
by Maggie | Feb 1, 2024 | Home & Garden Features
It’s snowdrop season, when swathes of pint-sized white flowers emerge from frost-laden woodlands, parks, meadows and gardens, brightening up the winter vista. Seeing drifts of the pretty white flowers will shake off the winter blues. If you want to ditch the winter...
by Maggie | Jan 1, 2024 | Home & Garden Features
There’s no better time to start than Big Schools’ Birdwatch. Children are being encouraged to watch and count birds in their school grounds during Big Schools’ Birdwatch (from Jan 8 to Feb 19), sending the results to the RSPB to gain a better overall picture of how...