Tim Dowling: our garden is identical to next door’s – only with added weeds | Life and style

A tall hedge – a privet – marked the boundary between our front garden and our neighbour Marianne’s. The hedge afforded both a measure of privacy and an illustrative contrast in maintenance regimes: Marianne’s side is always neat and straight; ours shaggy and bulging into the walkway. A couple of years ago the hedge started … Read more

The best coffee machines for your home in 2025: your morning brew made easy, according to our expert | Coffee

When it comes to something as earth-shatteringly important as coffee, everyone has an opinion. Some crave a single perfect shot of espresso, while others seek the milkiest latte; some love Starbucks and others, well, don’t. This is why the idea of there being a single best coffee machine is fanciful – everyone’s idea of the … Read more

Don’t avoid romantic destinations: 15 solo travel tips from Lonely Planet’s women writers | Travel

Learning to get comfortable being by yourself can be challenging. Here, the Lonely Planet team share their advice for women traveling solo. Covering everything from making friends to personal safety to crying in public, most of these tips work well for anyone who finds themselves adventuring unescorted. 1. Ease into it, even for an afternoon … Read more

SpaceX Dragon Capsule Lands in Pacific Ocean

new video loaded: SpaceX Dragon Capsule Lands in Pacific Ocean transcript Back transcript SpaceX Dragon Capsule Lands in Pacific Ocean After more than five years of landing its returning vessels off the Florida coast, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule splashed down off the California coast for the first time. “We are expecting the main parachutes to deploy … Read more

The best walking pads and under-desk treadmills, tried and tested to turn your workday into a workout | Fitness

Various guidelines suggest we all try to walk at least 10,000 steps a day to improve our overall health and wellbeing. Public Health England encourages a slightly more manageable target of just 10 minutes of brisk walking daily to introduce more moderate-intensity physical activity and reduce your risk of early death by up to 15%. … Read more

My latest garden fantasy? An elegant table covered in flower pots | Gardens

Recently, my garden fantasies have extended to a table. Specifically, one of those substantial, move-it-if-you-dare stone tables, weathered beautifully with some mottling and moss, standing on gravel beneath the dappled shade of a tree. I long for this table because, in the similarly fantastical small urban garden in my head, it is the answer to … Read more