I’m fortunate enough to work from a posh outhouse in the back garden. Known as The Hut, it could grandly be called A Studio, but is, in reality, a large shed with better-than-average insulation, some bookshelves and a fan heater. I get to have a potter in the garden as part of the “commute”, but recent weather has … Read more
What’s the problem? I’ve tried growing a maidenhair fern three times, but every time it ends up shrivelled and almost bald. Where am I going wrong? Diagnosis Maidenhair ferns (Adiantum) are notoriously fussy. Their delicate, ornate fronds are stunning, but they demand consistent humidity, warmth and moisture. They’ll quickly turn crispy and brown if their … Read more
“I never thought that Medicaid would become an issue in my family, but it has.” That was the first line of a note I received this week from a retired investment industry veteran whose autistic son receives coverage from the program. A similar email arrived from one of the most affluent towns in California. Yes, … Read more
I sit in my front garden, which is surely a contender for world’s smallest meadow – a tiny square, rich with native grasses, primroses, lungwort, crocuses and the last of the snowdrops. Leaves poke through the soil, telling me that scabious and knapweed will soon bloom, along with betony, meadowsweet and viper’s bugloss. The one red … Read more
Whether you’re 16 or 60, shopping for your own mum or someone else’s, Mother’s Day gifts needn’t be formulaic. In fact, we’d argue that they should be thoughtful, fun or useful (but possibly not too useful), or provide a moment of escape. There’s no worse gift than one bought out of obligation, unconsidered and, therefore, … Read more
Deciding where to live has always been a high-stakes financial decision, but a changing climate makes it even more critical. Just ask any of the millions of Americans who have already experienced the destruction that a warming planet can deliver to your doorstep. For them, a theoretical risk has already become an all too personal … Read more
Name: Bathroom divorce. Age: New – although tensions may have been simmering for years … Appearance: Two sinks, two mirrors, two toilets. That’s what my bathroom looks like when I’m drunk. It is, in effect, two bathrooms – one for each half of a married couple. One whole bathroom per person? This is a thing? This is … Read more
I must have passed it 100 times. Until one day in 2022, stuck in Melbourne traffic, I glanced towards the park in Bayside and saw mist rising from the trees, as if they had just exhaled into the dawn sunlight. This sight cheered me, lifting the pall of the workday grind ahead. Right then I … Read more
When Eleanor H., 66, called the Social Security Administration last month seeking details about her retirement benefits, she didn’t expect to comfort the representative who answered. The woman started sobbing. “I asked her what was wrong, and she said she and her co-workers were informed by email to accept a taxable $20,000 payout or risk … Read more
For Hayleigh Austin-Richards, it is a place to have a cry, breathe fresh air and remind herself there is something magical about butterflies. As often as she can, the ward manager of Chapel Allerton’s stroke rehabilitation unit in Leeds visits the hospital’s “Garden for Recovery”, originally created for the Chelsea Flower Show and installed last … Read more