Homes & Gardens

Alan Titchmarsh balancing life. Gardens.

Alan Titchmarsh at 70: 'I'm trying to balance my life'

He may be 70, but gardening expert, broadcaster and novelist Alan Titchmarsh shows no signs of slowing down.

He’s recently been seen transforming forlorn plots into beautiful gardens in ITV’s Love Your Garden, is an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust and has just brought out his first book of poetry, Marigolds, Myrtle And Moles.

He and his wife Alison live in Hampshire and...

elderly couple checking their home finances

Feeling the pinch? Ten ways to save money in the home

As if the threat of catching a global virus wasn’t bad enough, millions of households are also dealing with a huge cut in their household income.

The average family is £515 a month worse off because of coronavirus, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), which has calculated there’s a monthly fall of £14.2 billion in UK disposable incomes due to job losses...

man worried about repossession of his home lockdown

Property repossessions could soar due to pandemic

Research by leading peer to peer lending platform Sourced Capital has found that the UK property market could see a double-digit rate of property value decline, with the market taking over five years to recover, while the number of property repossessions could also soar as a result of a COVID-19 induced recession.

Currently, the market has ground to a halt as both buyers and sellers...

How much do you really know about cats? (iStock/PA)

15 bizarre things you never knew about cats

We feed them, stroke them, and live alongside them – but how much do you really know about your cat?

While dogs are fairly up front about things – when they look like they’re happy to see you, they actually are – cats can be a lot more mysterious, and their private lives extend far beyond the knowledge of their owners.

Here’s a few nuggets you probably never knew about the...

Boxtree-caterpillar-RHS-gardens-pest-critter

Box tree caterpillar: What is it and how can it affect your garden?

The box tree caterpillar has been announced as the top critter in the 24th RHS annual pest and disease ranking – for the third year running.

It’s based on thousands of gardener inquiries, and the pesky caterpillar has brought more inquiries than the rest of the top five combined.

But what does it look like, how does it damage plants and is there anything we can do to...

How to declutter and detox your home (Habitat/PA)

How to make your home calmer and less cluttered in 8 simple steps

Spring is almost here – and the start of this new season often makes us yearn for clean, calm, refreshed spaces at home.

Amy Brandhorst and Athina Bluff, aka interior design duo https://www.topologyinteriors.com , have teamed up with Habitat to share expert tips on how to banish your home’s winter hangover and make it warm weather-ready and fabulous.

The stylish pair have...

Marigolds, Myrtle And Moles by Alan Titchmarsh

Alan Titchmarsh: Keep getting out there and keep getting mucky

Self-confessed romantic and gardening expert Alan Titchmarsh has combined his horticultural passion with his love of words in Marigolds, Myrtle And Moles, his first book of poetry aimed at the green-fingered.

Written mainly in a barn next to his house, overlooking his garden in Hampshire, the book is not full of pretentious prose, but more his own gentle, meandering thoughts about...

Thinking of hiring a cleaner? Here is what you need to know

Busy lives and longer working hours mean today’s householders have even less time for domestic chores, and many are turning to professional cleaners for help.

A third of adults struggle to find time to take care of their home, according to research by home appliances brand Beko, and other polls suggest the popularity of domestic cleaning services has risen substantially in recent...

From closet chaos to serene storage: Seven simple steps for making the most of your hanging space

Who wouldn’t want their own personal wardrobe wizard?

Someone who isn’t fazed by messy stacks of sweaters and shirts caught up with strappy tops. Who will put an end to the shocking pink dress that’s never seen the light of day yet always manages to get snagged by the little black sequin number as you rustle through your crowded closet (and then bemoan the fact you have nothing to...

Six of the smallest spring-cleaning hacks that will have the biggest impact on your life

It may be a good few weeks before the clocks spring forward, but with daylight soon to be streaming through the windows in the early hours, things we’ve been turning a blind eye to are suddenly in the spotlight… namely dust and grime.

We will soon all be turning into Mrs Mops and dedicating any spare time we have to cleaning.

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. To help you...

Stephens Scown - Employee Owned law firm
SW Comms - Voice, Data, Internet
Astley Media - PR, Design, Marketing