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My mother, Shirley Cargill, who has died aged 89, made a name for herself by creating beautiful surroundings at her large family homes in Norfolk: first at Alby Hall near Cromer and then at Elsing Hall near Dereham. The interiors she created in both places were bold, original and constantly evolving, while for their gardens … Read more

Anna Kilpatrick doesn’t have a bedroom. Or even a bed. The a 52-year-old content creator from East Sussex sleeps on a wide shelf in her hallway so that her two children, 21 and 18, can have their own rooms. And yet, she says, she has “enough”. She doesn’t hanker after a bigger house or shinier car. … Read more

Sylvia Grant-Dalton was the custodian of a grand Victorian house that she never liked and never modernised, failing to replace peeling wallpaper, fraying carpets or broken shutters. Nor was she able to sort out rampant rising damp or multiple pest infestations. For all of that, English Heritage is profoundly grateful. “She never did modernise, thank … Read more

Until relatively recently the only shrub in my new garden was a buddleja the size of a van. We’ve not done much out there since we moved last August; the house has been a near-permanent building site and, frankly, I was overwhelmed by it all. So I’ve been grateful to local gardener and designer Charlie Chase … Read more

My “wilderness years” began when I lost a job I loved hosting a daily radio show in Melbourne, then spent a decade slowly rebuilding my broadcasting career. That meant most of my on-air appearances went back to being unpaid, and the rent wasn’t going to cover itself. To survive financially, I spent 10 years saying … Read more

In the kitchen ElderflowerPick on the sunniest May days, when their scent is heady and sweet, to infuse for cordial. For a truly special tipple, pour a litre of gin into a large, shallow dish, and stand as many elderflower heads, florets down, as fit for two hours. Drain, bottle, and enjoy with tonic and … Read more

The problemRepotting indoors is always so much messier than we imagine. Weeks later, you’ll find compost on the floor and grit in the skirting boards, and one rogue perlite bead will impale itself in your bare foot. Newspapers slip, bin bags tear, and if you rent or have carpet, the fear of a spilt bag … Read more