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What’s the problem?I moved my spotted begonia from the kitchen windowsill to the bathroom. It’s had a massive growth spurt, and one of the stems has grown really long. Does it need repotting, or is something else going on? DiagnosisIt sounds like your begonia is responding to the increased humidity and lower light in the … Read more

When I saw the two little blue stripes on the pregnancy test, the first person I wanted to tell was my mum. The only person as excited as a new mum-to-be is her mother. Not only is she becoming a grandmother, she gets to experience one of the happiest and most life-changing events of her … Read more

One of my favourite ways of celebrating whatever vegetable is in season is by turning it into pakoras. Cooking them quickly allows the vegetable to sing, and a simple pakora batter is light enough to let spring onions and spinach do just that. With just enough gently spiced chickpea flour to bind the chopped veg, … Read more

For years, I loved smoking, slurping large glasses of wine and gobbling wings from overlit chicken shops. I tried to be healthy: I would make overnight oats; get only the small mixed sushi from Wasabi; and drink prosecco because someone said it was keto-friendly. I even did Veganuary back when it was such a gruelling … Read more

The UK has an extraordinary collection of gardens open to the public, from the manicured grounds of grand estates to more intimate green spaces where the owners have made their mark. Whether it’s a “secret” walled garden, a favourite urban green oasis or an unheralded horticultural wonder, we’d love to hear about it. The best … Read more

Name: Stubby lashes. Age: Genetically? Ancient. Done deliberately? New. Appearance: Dead tough. Unattractively short eyelashes? I’m finally in vogue! Steady on, hotshot. Are your eyelashes naturally short? Unfortunately, yes. Then I’m afraid it doesn’t count. If you want true stubby lashes, you have to have them shaved off by a hairdresser. With an electric razor? … Read more

You can’t go wrong with crisp, panko-fried chicken, and this version with zhoug is an absolute winner. You could describe zhoug as a green chilli sauce, but that wouldn’t quite do justice to this amazing Yemeni condiment, which is packed with flavour from preserved lemons, cardamom and garlic. Use some to stir through the hot, … Read more

The sun warms my face as I pause between the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies to gaze at the rolling hills of Dumfries and Galloway beyond. I am not, surprisingly enough, in outer space. I’m at the Crawick Multiverse, a cosmos-themed land art installation in the south of Scotland that was built on the site … Read more

Many of us tend to diminish ourselves and others with some snappy, reductive phrase rather than dig more deeply in search of understanding. Enter the idea of the “people pleaser”. The term has a ring to it; it rolls off the tongue and its meaning seems self-evident. It feels comfortable and anodyne. We know where … Read more

I wasn’t especially good at basketball, but I loved it. One day while playing, I broke my ankle. I needed corrective surgery and would be on crutches for months while I recovered. Getting to and from work, and running errands, was suddenly a huge struggle. I could order groceries online, but there were still a … Read more