What’s the problem?My mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis) thrived for more than five years, but recently started to brown, with strands falling off. I repotted it into a slightly larger pot with no drainage holes and a layer of gravel at the bottom, but it continues to decline despite weekly watering. How can I save my plant? … Read more
Split it, sell it, or find a way of keeping it in the family? That’s the question three sisters asked themselves when they inherited a property, built by their parents in the 1970s, on a plot of land near Home beach on Minjerribah/North Stradbroke Island. The sisters had been holidaying at the house since they … Read more
As any gardener knows, we share our outdoor spaces with a vast array of creatures. This is mostly a wonderful and necessary thing. The majority of beasts are beneficial and ought to receive the warmest of welcomes. And given the biodiversity crisis, we must reconsider who we regard as a “pest”. Having said that, there are organisms whose presence can imperil our … Read more
It’s Time for That Often-Dreaded Task: Buying Back-to-School Supplies
As regular readers of this column may have noticed, I am no taxonomist. I’ve never quite got on board with Latin names, but have gardened long enough to grudgingly accept that they are quite useful. For all that common names can be poetic (love-in-a-mist), intriguing (bladder wrack) or plain entertaining (goat’s beard), they can lack … Read more
We want to hear from people who’ve moved house only to discover the previous occupier has left behind something unexpected. Perhaps you have found an heirloom with an untold story? An unusual oddity? Or something so bizarre it defies all explanation. Share your experience Share your most memorable, weirdest and wildest discoveries in the form … Read more
El Capricho Park, Madrid El Capricho, on the outskirts of Madrid, is one of the city’s lesser-known parks. It was built in 1784 by the Duke and Duchess of Osuna, and visited by 18th-century artists such as Francisco de Goya. Its 17-hectare gardens were designed by Jean Baptiste Mulot, who also worked on the Petit … Read more
I’m not sure who Zainab Johnson’s been talking to, but she’ll have no problem finding vegan/plant-based food here in Edinburgh during the fringe (‘I spent a month sleeping in a cupboard’: comedians on the true cost of the Fringe, 27 July). We have thousands of restaurants, the vast majority offering plant-based alternatives.Siobhan McGovernEdinburgh I too … Read more
What to Know About Medical Insurance When Traveling Abroad
What’s the problem?My Hoya carnosa cutting, taken from my father’s treasured plant, bloomed once, in 2022, but has not flowered since. How can I encourage it? The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. DiagnosisHoyas, often known as wax plants, have a reputation for … Read more