My earliest memory of kitchen duties is sitting on a stool in our courtyard in Kenya with a sack of peas that was bigger than me. I spent hours coaxing them from their pods, munching as I went; the result was a red plastic bucket brimming with peas like gleaming green marbles. As with asparagus, … Read more
The light in the bookstore bathroom was dim. Even so, I could see the blood on the toilet paper. I wiped some more to make sure I wasn’t just seeing things, and then I stood up, grabbing on to the porcelain sink so I wouldn’t fall. Suddenly, I understood. I didn’t want to lose my … Read more
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2025/may/06/met-gala-2025-pinstripes-capes-and-pouring-rain-in-pictures
In an age of climate crisis, decreasing biodiversity and heightened awareness of water consumption, an immaculate, weed-free lawn is becoming as taboo as an outdoor heater. However, provided we take a more sustainable approach to their upkeep, embracing beneficial “weeds” and long grass, the lawn still has a place in our gardens. The Guardian’s journalism … Read more
What unexpected things can I make with asparagus?“The goal is to do as little as possible to it,” says Ben Lippett, author of How I Cook (published in September). “If you start dressing up asparagus with fancy cooking techniques, you lose its magic.” That’s not to say you should just boil the spears and be … Read more
If you study a map of Spain, in the south-east corner you’ll see a strip of empty space along the edge of the Mediterranean. It contains no major towns and barely any roads. Its coastline is equally barren – no ports or resorts; just a few tiny villages tucked away in intriguingly named coves – … Read more
When EA Hanks was 14, her mother announced she had bought a Winnebago and they were going to drive across the US in it. It was 1996, and Hanks (her initials stand for Elizabeth Ann), had recently left her mother, Susan, to go to live with her father, the actor Tom Hanks, in Los Angeles. … Read more
The hardest part of any new habit or activity is starting it. Do you need special equipment? How do you know if you’re doing it right? What are the basics you need to master before you can take your practice to the next level? In the series How to start, we ask experts to break … Read more
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