What All Gardeners Need to Know About the New USDA Hardiness Zone Map

I visited The Lake District with my husband in September last year. We’re fortunate enough to own a timeshare lodge on The Langdale Estate, situated between the Great Langdale Valley and the Little Langdale Valley, and not too far from Grasmere, Ambleside and Windermere. People have questioned “why go to the same place every year?”, but there’s so much to do, and we love a good walk and get competitive with our step count for the week!

As the year comes to a close and we look back on the biggest pop culture moments, Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album Guts is top of mind. After the success of her debut album Sour, expectations were high—and Rodrigo delivered.

There’s a Christmas tree hack working its way through TikTok and promising to make your tree grow healthier and happier but, as is the case with many rumors online, there's not much truth to it.

One of the best things about using the Freyr trellis and compostable strings to support your crops: end of season cleanup! All you do is cut the strings, bundle up your debris and toss it into the compost. If you’ve ever spent hours detangling vines from metal mesh or plastic netting, you may understand what a game changer this can be! Below you’ll find a few videos of us cleaning up tall, vining crops from the Freyr trellis at the end of the season.

YOU NO DOUBT have seen news that the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was just updated, and that half the country once again got reclassified a half-zone warmer just as many of us did after the previous update of the map in 2012. But what does it all mean to gardener’s practically speaking?

There are a bazillion bigleaf hydrangeas out there. So when a new one comes out, it really needs to stand out from the crowd. Meet Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea—a unique selection with dark purple leaves that hold their color throughout the gardening season. In summer the dramatic foliage is accompanied by striking cranberry blooms with white centers.

The Isles of Scilly are like an idealised version of England – where the sun always shines, the food is wonderful, there’s no traffic and no one locks their doors! To say the sun always shines is an exaggeration, but they’re among the sunniest and mildest places in the UK – sea breezes mean it’s never too hot or humid and thanks to the Jetstream, they almost never have frost.

Dreaming about a snake can be a startling and vivid experience, often leaving many of us wondering about its deeper meaning.

With an industrial heritage based on coal mining, County Durham wasn’t always the tourist destination it is today. Coal production took off here in medieval times, peaking in 1923 when 170,000 people were employed in the pits. 

Boasting some of Britain’s most beautiful countryside, the Lake District, in the north-west corner of England, is a draw for anyone with a love of the outdoors. Its hills and mountains, including England’s highest, Scafell Pike at 978m, attract walkers and climbers, while in the valley bottoms, vast lakes, such as Windermere and Ullswater, invite quiet contemplation.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly—or don’t. Decorating for the holidays the traditional way, with lights, wreaths, and a tree full of ornaments, isn’t for everyone.  If you want to bring the seasonal spirit into your home without dragging boxes of holiday knick-knacks out of storage, you’re in luck. There are plenty of ways to get your home feeling festive, and not a single bough of holly is necessary.  To learn how to execute a holiday-inspired home design—one without Santas or stockings—we tapped designer Gideon Mendelson for his expert advice.

Words by Phil Clayton