business

Having a gift delivered can be a bit of a faff. You don’t want to risk it being delayed or left outside, but asking if your recipient will be home to receive it inevitably ruins the surprise. Enter letterbox gifts: presents packaged so they’re slim enough to post through the door. The Guardian’s journalism is … Read more

Fifteen years ago, while perched on the back deck of my 1920s tin and timber Queenslander home in Brisbane, I realised I was being watched. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I spun around to discover a snake dangling from the lattice. Terrified, I rushed inside and … Read more

I have always loved thrifting and upcycling. There’s no greater feeling than discovering a hidden gem at a thrift shop and upcycling it into something new, especially when you save hundreds – sometimes thousands – of dollars. I love flipping through interior magazines, poring over gorgeous images on Pinterest and scrolling through home tours on … Read more

What’s the problem?My Euphorbia ritchiei sprouted a leaf, but it was accidentally knocked off and now it’s bare. Will it grow back? DiagnosisPlease don’t panic, this east African succulent is unusual in that it grows fleshy leaves along its ridged stems during its growing season, then often sheds them in winter. In its native Kenya, … Read more

Tristen Cannell, a garden specialist at Stanmore public school in Sydney’s inner west, said she didn’t expect the newest members of her weekly gardening lessons to be so vocal. “They critique my lessons and will make these honking noises as we’re talking,” she said of the ibis population, which increased dramatically after the creation of … Read more

When I was 18, I bought a heavily reduced MiniDisc player. This wasn’t even what you could charitably call “fashionably late”, given the format was already on its last legs, but I loved it, and because nobody else was interested, blank discs were dirt cheap. I have a vague recollection of grabbing packs at Poundland, … Read more