Secateurs are the single most valued tool in the gardener’s trug, an implement as personally prized as the bricklayer’s trowel. With time, their weight and shape wear familiarly into the hand, becoming a companionable tool for all garden tasks, from pruning woody shrubs and cutting back perennials to slicing twine and preparing cut flowers. The … Read more
Six years ago, the Royal Horticultural Society drew attention to the escalating challenges faced by independent plant nurseries. Citing pressures such as an ageing customer base, fewer skilled workers and the arrival of new pests and diseases, the gardening charity warned that nurseries – the “lifeblood of gardening in the UK” – were becoming increasingly … Read more
Re Chris Smith’s article (I don’t want to die with a freezer full of seeds. Biodiversity and preservation need rethinking, 2 April), the Heritage Seed Library (HSL) based at Ryton Organic Gardens in Warwickshire has been encouraging its members to conserve seeds in their own gardens since the 1970s. The HSL, set up by Lawrence D Hills, … Read more
The airplane’s cabin doors closed hours ago, you’re fastened into your seat and you’re still on the ground, going nowhere fast. What gives? Tarmac delays may be routine, but that doesn’t make them any less of a nightmare. And these instances of passenger purgatory only seem to be getting more frequent for airlines flying in … Read more
The only people I know who speak glowingly about house shares are the ones no longer living in them. When I hear someone describe their house-sharing era as the “best time of my life”, I know they have had at least two years to forget their trauma. That is not a luxury afforded to me – … Read more
President Trump has vowed that he wouldn’t cut Social Security benefits, but his administration’s actions, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, have upended the agency, leaving many beneficiaries concerned that the popular program and their payments may be imperiled. Several players from the private equity world are now embedded inside the Social Security … Read more
Trump administration officials made the rounds this weekend to try to answer the nearly unanswerable: Why tank the stock market by starting a trade war? And are you subtracting trillions of dollars in unrealized losses out of people’s savings on purpose? Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” was particularly odd. “Most … Read more
At the Filter, we test a LOT of products. We’ve put everything from mattresses to treadmills through their paces to try to help you make better-informed shopping decisions. However, that means our expert testers can accumulate a lot of products. After all, you can’t find the best air fryer without taking a few for a … Read more
Nestled in a classic Haussmannian building in Paris’s 17th Arrondissement, Tiphaine Verdier’s apartment is a feast for the senses. This large duplex, perched on the top two floors, is not just a home but a canvas where colour and creativity collide. With a fearless approach to bold hues, Tiphaine has transformed what was once a … Read more
I went to Costco on a tariff run, and did not stock up on anything. It was tempting. Mark Cuban was on social media telling people it was not a “bad idea” to stock up on consumables as President Trump’s trade war unfolded. I love beating the system as much as the next person — … Read more