How Our Test Kitchen Makes Toaster Tortilla Pockets

It seems that everyone wants to get away for summer, ditching their routines for a blissful retreat abroad. But the key to a relaxing mood all summer long might just be doing the opposite—by bringing the vacation atmosphere into your home. There are so many ancient design legacies across the world that can enhance your abode and turn it into a space you’ll never want to escape. 

Although spider plants are quite hardy and can survive a lot of abuse you throw at them, there are time when these beauties start to show splitting foliage, that takes away the charm off its show. We’ll tell you how to keep it in pristine condition!

If you’re like me as soon as you plant your seed potatoes you’re already anticipating the harvest of tender tubers. However, potatoes are a long season crop and you’ll have to practice patience. So how long does it take for potatoes to grow? Generally the potato growing season is three to four months, but there are a few strategies you can do to encourage an early harvest. In this article you’ll learn about the different types of potatoes, which ones grow the fastest, and discover six ways to speed up the homegrown harvest. Types of potatoes Potatoes are categorized according to the length of their growing season. To ensure the longest season of homeg

May is historically the hungry gap in the vegetable garden, because it is the time when the winter crops run out and before the summer crops get going. If you have been well organised, you may have some early crops of salad leaves, broad beans, radishes and even strawberries to harvest towards the end of the month – as well as asparagus, which is at its prime now. But the main focus this month is the sowing, nurturing and tending of your crops, as growth accelerates. Potatoes should be earthed up so the tubers are not exposed to light, while peas and broad beans need supporting with pea sticks or canes and twine as they get bigger. Weeding must be done regularly (little and often is my motto) and, if the weather is dry, watering is essential. It is best done as a thorough soak every few days rather than a scant daily sprinkling. At the start of May, I sow tender crops like tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes in seed trays and individual pots. I keep these in the greenhouse until later in the month, when it has warmed up and they can go outside. As the month goes on, the focus shifts to planting out. I find it very satisfying to be able to plant a neat row of seedlings along a garden line, rather than try the lottery of direct sowing into the ground, then thinning out. Using the no-dig method, I will have already prepared my beds with a layer of well-rotted compost. Just before planting out, I will rake the bed to break down any larger clods and give the seedlings a better chance of establishing.

Better Homes & Gardens / Dylan Chandler

Madeline Tolle. Interior Design: Mandy Cheng

One of the biggest changes in the Gardening Advice we provide over the last few years is in relation to lawn care. The focus is now on creating lawns with low nitrate fertilisers, monitoring soil pH and using bacterial products to reduce thatch rather than mechanical scarification and in lawns with heavy ware from children etc we are introducing clover to create a greener lawn surface in both the summer and winter

Bridgerton is coming to Chelsea this month, as Netflix makes its debut at the flower show, with a garden themed around its popular TV show. First time Chelsea designer Holly Johnston has created a garden based on the personal journey of the show’s main character, Penelope Featherington. The Bridgerton Garden is part of the Sanctuary Gardens area at the show.

Appliances tend to be the last thing we think about when we’re cleaning our home, but that also means they end up collecting the most dirt, dust, and grime—all as we continue to cook with them.

Towels are a household item that certainly get plenty of use each and every day, and with that, you may be wondering if it's time to replace your set of go-tos.

Any home garden should be able to provide a respite from the outside world. From enjoying a sunny day with the family to entertaining a group of friends after a long week at work, these environments can transform any house into a home. However, what about functionality? Why not also equip your garden with a handful of practical accessories that can make life even easier? If you are hoping to think outside of the proverbial box, the suggestions outlined below should provide a much-needed sense of inspiration.

Pale brick pavers, laid in a herringbone pattern, run from the open-plan ground floor out into the garden, creating a seamless transition between the two spaces.