BUSINESS

Having made it through January, I’m wishing for the swift arrival of spring. After a long winter (they always feel long) seasonal change starts to loom. Yet I remind myself why, for many of the plants and crops we love, a sustained cold period is essential. While little plant growth takes place in winter, important … Read more

Moving home can be incredibly stressful. How should you make sure you get everything from A to B without breakages or injuring yourself? Removal professionals share the secrets to a smash-free, smooth move. The more time, the less stress Manny Sahmbi, director of Happy2Move, a removals company in Slough, says he and his team can … Read more

I am sorry to see Crowborough involved in another controversy (Thousands march in Crowborough over asylum plan for former military camp, 25 January), but at least it removes the spotlight from the one that used to concern me as a Marilyn bagger. (A Marilyn is any hill in Britain surrounded by a 150 metre drop.) … Read more

Name: The potato bed. Age: About two months. Appearance: The cosiest way to achieve spinal distress. Is this sleeping on potatoes? Is it sleeping like potatoes? Neither, really. A potato bed is a hot new method of sleep that is huge on TikTok. Fine. Explain. To make a potato bed, you have to place a … Read more

The problemYou brush past a favourite plant and hear that horrible snap as a stem bends or breaks. The break is rarely clean enough to propagate, yet not detached enough to ignore. You are left with a drooping limb and a sinking feeling. People on Reddit swear by a first-aid kit of drinking straws and cinnamon … Read more

The Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled emergency plans to protect its gardens from major water shortages in the future. The environmental charity, which owns and operates five renowned public gardens in England, said on Saturday it will invest in more water-capture and water-management projects in 2026 after severe droughts last year. In response to increasingly … Read more