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Lox is sprawled out on a green sofa, bathed in warm light from a standing lamp, framed art on the wall behind him. This may sound like a relatively ordinary description of someone in their living room – except that Lox is a cat, not a human, and the “living room” he shares with another … Read more

My third column on edible plants that I don’t actually grow myself is about one that I do not loathe, as I do celeriac, nor love, as I do sweetcorn. It is the swede, a root vegetable I would describe as “fine”. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy … Read more

The 2026 Houses awards shortlist celebrates Australia’s most ‘intelligent, dynamic and visually compelling homes’. In the apartment category, jury chair Alexa Kempton said judges looked for ‘density done well’. ‘Building is high-cost and comes with environmental consequences, and the jury observed architects rising to the challenge.’ She said designing something that will ‘last well into … Read more

If you came of age in the early 2000s, you have probably seen 500 Days of Summer, an indie romcom that romanticised Ikea showrooms as the perfect place for a date. It was thanks to this film that I jumped at the chance to sleep over in what is effectively an Ikea showroom. The caveat … Read more

Entomologists in England are expecting a surge in slugs coming out of hiding to munch the nation’s strawberry plants after weeks of sun followed by wetter weather has caused a bumper crop. The Royal Horticultural Society is bracing for a surge in inquiries from its 625,000 members, who write in with their garden gripes. Workers … Read more