It’s easy to tie yourself in knots trying to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift – but I’m here to tell you that a decent bunch of blooms is still hard to beat. Take it from me – the very tired mum of three young children. All I really want is a long lie down … Read more
Star/Steer is a masterpiece from 1968 by the Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2006). What you see can be simply described. The word “star” appears a dozen times, screenprinted in silver on deep grey. They graduate down the page in a swaying column. Right at the bottom is a 13th word, “steer”, as if tethering … Read more
When Marine Koprivnjak and Victor Chabaud, founders of interior design agency Maison MAVI, bought their home in the south of France in 2020, they wanted to renovate everything themselves in their spare time. “It was an adventure that lasted longer than expected,” Marine says. They found the house online. It’s a 1920s villa in the … Read more
Full marks to Adrian Chiles (20 March) for starting the campaign to eliminate bedspreads and scatter cushions. I have been campaigning on this for many years. How much time have I wasted removing them from beds in hotels and rented accommodation and trying to find somewhere to put them? Once a holiday cottage owner caught me … Read more
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