Country Ideas, Tips & Guides

It’s fair to say that landscape architects and garden designers like to talk an awful lot about the bone structure of a garden. Not that they literally mean high cheekbones, the perfectly tip-tilted nose, or a sculpted jawline. Instead, they’re referring to those qualities of a garden’s design that help it to look good no matter what the time of year. For example, beautiful, expertly constructed pathways. A well-groomed hedge. Handsome walls. A perfectly positioned, well-chosen specimen tree. Timeless paving. Plus an attention to scale and proportion, and an understanding of space that includes a nod to the notion of the golden mean or golden ratio, sometimes also known as the theory of divine proportion.

From representing celestial aspirations to embodying the purest forms of love, this enchanting bloom invites you to discover its deeply rooted meanings. Could this be the flower that encapsulates your life’s milestones or personal ideals? Keep reading to explore Stargazer Lily Meaning across different cultures.

As September comes to an end, it is important to recognize that this month is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. In the past 30 years, obesity rates have tripled among youth in the United States. There are many factors that contribute to obesity in children, including genetics, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, and other lifestyle factors. Being obese at a young age increases the risk of developing chronic diseases in adulthood. Some of those diseases include high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Fortunately, simple lifestyle changes can go a long way in helping your child maintain a healthy weight now and throughout their life.

Decor styles like modern farmhouse and cottagecore are classic for a reason, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. So it's not too surprising that a more rustic version of these aesthetics is gaining popularity: Appropriately deemed farmcore, the trending style inspired by slow-country living gives a more earthy, rural feel to your space. While not as mainstream as other nature-inspired looks just yet, you're about to see it take over homes everywhere—big cities included. Here's how to get ahead of the trend.

Chalk cliffs define the coastline of East Sussex, where fossils from the Jurassic period are regularly revealed on the beaches, not least at Beachy Head, site of one of the country’s most famous lighthouses. Inland, the South Downs, rolling chalk hills bounded to the north by a dramatic escarpment, stretch for roughly 70 miles. 

The impressive topiary-framed Italianate formal gardens at Mapperton

Nerine ‘Sparkle’ is a hybrid derived from the more tender N. sarniensis, the original Guernsey Lily. Ideal for growing in a conservatory or glasshouse, the sarniensis hybrids have a wider colour range than the hardier species, and typically their flowers appear before their leaves, on a tall, elegant steam.

In Utah, kids moving through the school cafeteria line at lunchtime can come across the Elliott apple, a yellow-gold fruit with a light blush of red. Discovered in-state and hard to get elsewhere, it’s a uniquely Utah product.

Just like seasoned gardeners rely on their trusty tools, kids embarking on the start of their gardening adventures need the right gear to protect themselves. A pair of kids’ gardening gloves is the perfect accessory for the job.

Have you ever been captivated by the mysterious hoot echoing through the Maryland woods at dusk, and wondered what winged enigma is behind that evocative sound? You’re not alone! Maryland offers birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts an exciting array of species to discover. Curious to know which owls you can spot in your backyard or during your next forest hike? Keep scrolling to know about the common Owls in Maryland.

Dive into the captivating world of coconuts and uncover the age-old question: Is Coconuta fruit or a nut? In this text, we’ll unravel the fascinating botanical puzzle behind the coconut’s true identity. Stay tuned for the juicy details that will forever change the way you see this tropical wonder.

On the last Tuesday of August, a vehicle pulled into Providence Farm in McLeansville, North Carolina. Joy Combs had been expecting these guests—they were from the Carolina Great Pyrenees Rescue (CGPR), and they were there to drop off a five-year-old Anatolian Shepherd named Max. Combs planned to work with the rescue to evaluate his behavior with farm animals and help place him in an appropriate home.

Unveil the mystery behind Cuba National Flower — a captivating bloom imbued with historical significance, cultural heritage, and stunning beauty. Beyond its elegant white petals lies a tale intertwined with revolution, folklore, and Cuban identity, this isn’t just a flower; it’s a symbol of resilience and national pride. Ready to dive into the intriguing journey of the Mariposa and explore how it became a living emblem of Cuba’s spirit!

Q: I don’t know the name of these trees but they seem to be dying, with casting of leaves getting worse and worse. Can you help? BMcW, Co Donegal

Less than one percent of the US is covered in pavement. Although it may feel like roadways, highways, back lanes and city streets are omnipresent—inevitable, in some ways—they actually cover a shockingly small portion of the country. 

John Pyle | Design: Better Homes & Gardens

Planting, weeding and seed sowing are all enjoyable jobs, but they can be the cause of sore knees and stiff joints, even after short periods. Thankfully, garden kneelers come to the rescue. With a thick foam core and plenty of padding a kneeler or strap on knee pads allow you to garden in comfort and help keep your knees in good shape and your clothes clean. From simple rubber blocks to carefully shaped pads you wear as you work there are three main types of kneeler to choose from:

Q: I have an unknown plant in my garden. I’m not sure if it came in on the wind or bird feeder. I first noticed it two years ago. It never flowers, it self-seeds and it grows to about 110cm. Please advise any details on its name and care. Hopefully it is not some invasive weed. DD, Co Dublin

Could you please help to settle an argument between my friend and I about whether it’s a good idea to feed garden birds? My friend is of the opinion that they’ll survive just fine without our help, and that feeding them only increases the risk of spreading disease. RS, Dublin

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If you’ve never heard of Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea), you probably don’t live in the tropics off the coast of Mexico or the American Southeast. In these locations, the Caribbean pine is known as an important timber tree and a useful tree to combat erosion. If you are interested in learning something about this tall, fast-growing conifer, read on.

Being persistent is not always seen as a desirable attribute. Sometimes, those who are persistent are seen as being like a dog with a bone that they just won't give up. Some mistake the concept of persistence with that of pushiness. They think that giving in can lead to a more harmonious existence.

Herein in lies part of its charm. Tiny coastal villages, lazy rivers, reed beds and their narrow, watery channels, sandy beaches and the wide horizons for which the region is renowned make this a place of glorious escape. The region is studded with gardens to visit, too, be they aristocratic estates or smaller country houses.

Hailing from South Africa, agapanthus can be evergreen or deciduous; the deciduous varieties are the most hardy in this country. The evergreen varieties grow in the southern Cape in milder areas, so will need frost protection in the UK – or they can be grown in pots and brought inside.

Steep sand dunes punctured by clusters of beachgrass, frothy sea depositing razor clams and small conches for the eagle-eyed to eagerly gather along tranquil stretches of beach, and towering pines that buffer peerless coastline from swathes of parkland, a trip to Norfolk has long been de rigueur for holiday makers who appreciate its quaint chocolate box villages, abundant countryside and proximity to the sea. 

I didn’t know whether the Bookazine was going to be available on Amazon – so you can imagine my delight this morning on finding out that it is!

Ryan and I were on holiday in Devon last week (yes, we did have lovely weather, thank you!). One of the places we like to go when we’re in the West Country is the little set of shops that used to be the Dartington cider centre. It’s usually relatively quiet, the shops are a bit quirky, and you get a nice lunch there. Last year a new addition was The Restore, a branch of a Devon-wide network of ‘remakeries’, social enterprise projects sharing skills to allow people to refurbish, restore and recycle, and reduce the amount of ‘stuff’ we send off to landfill.

Part of my dissertation involved immersing myself in the history of plants that have been adopted as crops outside their country of origin – novel crops, as I referred to them. It’s a long history, with recorded attempts to move plants from one place to another going back as far as the ancient Egyptians. Even before that, probably for as long as we’ve been human, we have been moving plants around, whether by accident or design.

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Ahoy there, me hearties! ‘Tis the day of the year when land lubbers talk like ye scurvy dog pirate of old, shiverin’ their timbers, and the like.

Header image: Down House: the home (and garden) of Charles Darwin. Credit: <a href=«https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kent-england-october-25-2015-history-667797409?src=» http:>Shutterstock

It was snowing on Saturday, and as the snow cancelled some social plans, I had some unexpected time to myself. I decided to tackle the issue of my seed box.

Sixty years ago today, Yuri Gagarin launched us into the era of human spaceflight. The Russian cosmonaut achieved a major milestone in the Space Race when he orbited the Earth in the Vostok 1 capsule. This amazing achievement came less than four years after the launch of the first satellite, Sputnik 1.

I haven’t been feeling well this week, so in lieu of eating food, I have been reading about it. A while ago, whilst I was pondering what a resilient UK garden would look like, blog reader Audrey asked me if I had read Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which is somewhat of a classic in the local good genre. I hadn’t, so I bought a secondhand copy and started reading.

Trevor George, King’s College London

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