These Are the Secrets to Keeping Flowers Fresh, According to My Florist Dad

Chelsea is always inspirational but there are some years when the excitement ramps up a notch, and this is one of those years. There are so many superb show gardens to steal ideas from, so many important messages to absorb, that it has been difficult to narrow it down. The plantsmanship is breathtaking, the designs imaginative and the themes thought-provoking, many of the gardens demonstrating how we can garden more sustainably in this era of climate change. From Cleve West’s atmospheric ruined house to Chris Beardshaw’s immaculately planted woodland glade, there is so much at the show to learn from. Here is my pick of the crop.

The beloved pizza: a classic comfort food that nearly everyone has a soft spot for, no matter your age. But whether you’ve been to Italy or have an authentic pizza shop nearby, it’s almost impossible to create something even remotely similar at home. And while we’re not here to advise you on how to make classic Neapolitan pizza at home, we do have a tip that may take your at-home pizza game to the next level: pizza oil. Pizza oil is an emerging secret ingredient to make your homemade pie even more delectable. But what is it, where can you get it, and is it worth seeking out? Let’s find out.

Bacon is, without a doubt, one of the most delicious and addicting breakfast foods out there. It’s probably not a daily dish for many of us, but every once in a while, bacon just hits the spot. The next time you go to make bacon, we have a hack for you to try—and it may just get you the best bacon you’ve ever had. If you’ve always cooked bacon flat, letting it crinkle on its own, listen up: Twisting bacon might be the secret to your best-ever bacon.

Bringing the outdoors inside has been a major trend in recent years, and perhaps nothing reflects this more than the botanical wallpaper trend. Several large wallpaper brands, including Chasing Paper and Graham & Brown, along with emerging ones including Katie Kime, have introduced gorgeous botanical prints and murals (and even some woodsy wallpapers, the more rugged sub-trend of botanical wallpapers) into their collections.

When we talk about native plants, we’re often referring to landscaping, but what about growing your own edible native plant garden? Native plants have adapted to where you live, after all, and unlike, say, your usual tomatoes and strawberries, native edibles have new flavors and scents to try. Meanwhile, planting edible native plants helps to forge a connection between the way we live now, and the way communities in the West have existed for thousands of years. “Just growing these plants is a way to tap into the continuum of time,” says Evan Meyer, the executive director of the Theodore Payne Foundation. “By growing edible plants, your garden can become a much more meaningful place.”   

Sustainability is such a buzzy (and important) topic in so many industries, especially in the architecture and design world. Like the fashion industry, there is a movement towards “slow” design, investing in things that are timeless and long-lasting. Many firms and brands are prioritizing materials and manufacturing/build methods that are eco-friendly and sustainable.

Pantries are generally understood to be the spot where dry goods and non-perishables are kept. However, as it turns out, not all dry goods should be stored in the pantry.

Among the various types of bees, Leafcutter Bees have garnered attention due to their unique behavior and distinctive nesting habits. So, Do Leafcutter Bees Sting? Are they good or bad? Time to find out!

The Most Beautiful Object at the Hampton Court Flower Show Lucy’s Smith’s exquisite stoneware Kingfisher Pool stopped me in my tracks.  Look closely and you will see that not only is the watchful kingfisher perched on the rim, lurking in the depths there is a fish.  It’s not often that I covet an object quite as much as this – but with a price that justifiably reflects that it is a work of art rather than a garden ornament, I’d better start saving.

Enjoy the look of a bunch of flowers in your room by growing these Indoor Plants that are as Beautiful as Flower Bouquets!

We’ve probably all heard the horror stories about severe skin burns from Giant Hogweed exposure (all Putin’s fault according to the Daily Express), but not many people realise that there are many other plants in the Apiaceae family capable of causing the same damage. At my allotment site earlier this year a fellow plot holder was quite badly burned after strimming her overgrown plot. I believe her arms and legs were exposed and as a consequence, when she cut through the weeds, she was covered in tiny bits of toxic sap which burned her skin. This was not caused by giant hogweed (as she first hypothesised) but by common hogweed which grows in abundance all over our allotments in Dorking. It grows quite large, sometimes up to eight feet tall with big thick stems, but not as tall as its giant cousin Heracleum mantegazzianum.

The peony, Paeonia spp., is a flowering perennial for USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8 that thrives in full sun. It blooms in springtime, and sometimes early summer.The blossoms are big and flouncy, and are a