What’s the problem – is it rust?My 10-year-old dragon tree has been happily growing in a bright attic room, but recently the leaves have developed brown splotches. DiagnosisIt’s unlikely to be rust (a fungal infection). Dragon trees (Dracaena marginata) are not particularly prone to rust infections – the splotches are more likely caused by under-watering, … Read more
I can’t stop thinking about the flower market. I make idle plans to get up early and sneak out into the dark, returning to the house as dawn breaks and filling the sink with flowers and stems as the kettle brews for the first cuppa of the day. I can live without flowers in the … Read more
David Hessayon, who has died aged 96, was a chemist who became the world’s most successful gardening writer. His no-nonsense, populist Expert guides are jam-packed with information and were produced to his own design: instructive text supported by deftly organised charts, pictures and diagrams. Hessayon once said that people were not interested in reading about … Read more
There’s no such thing as gardener’s block, I once read. This from, I believe, a famous writer who was making the point that if you’ve got writer’s block, you should just go and do something else for a bit. Point taken. There is no such thing as gardener’s block because if you get stuck doing … Read more
What’s the problem?I’ve tried everything to get rid of these pests but they just keep coming back. DiagnosisThese tiny, sap-sucking insects reproduce rapidly and often hide under leaves and within new growth. If they keep returning, it’s likely that some eggs or larvae are surviving treatments, there are hidden thrips in soil or crevices, or … Read more
There are two dates that herald the beginning of spring. The one determined by astronomy is the vernal equinox, when the sun is exactly over the Equator and day and night are of equal length – that falls on 20 March this year. But I’m more of a fan of the meteorological calendar, which marks spring’s return sooner, on 1 March – … Read more
I sympathise with Adrian Chiles’s struggles in the garden (What I have learned in my filthy, bloody, sisyphean quest to tame my garden, 26 February). The basic problem is that the classic English garden was designed to be labour-intensive and for show. A different approach, working with nature rather than against it, gives a happier … Read more
Letters about washing versus laundry (11 February) reminded me that when I researched the public washhouses of Manchester, the public called them “washhouses”, but the men who worked there on the machinery called them “laundries”. The original council committee of the 1870s was the Wash House Committee, but by the mid-20th century this had changed … Read more
In an age when we should be reducing, reusing and recycling, the retro look is more relevant than ever. How can you fill your home with timeless treasures and your wardrobe with “pre-loved” clothes? Here, secondhand specialists share the secrets to sourcing vintage, bartering for a bargain – and avoiding overshopping. Embrace a sense of nostalgia … Read more
The prosecution: Meera I’ve been collecting art from all over the world for years, and cheap frames don’t fit or look good I’ve been living with my boyfriend Raf for a year now, and we’ve been putting off framing our art. I am a writer and Raf is a designer. We don’t struggle financially but … Read more