Page 23 - News

Hands wiping a wooden dresser with a white cloth beside a spray bottle and bowl in natural light.

Revive Wooden Furniture with White Vinegar, Olive Oil and a Microfibre Cloth

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

The varnish had turned cloudy, the arms were covered in scratches, and a lifeless film caught the afternoon sun like...

Person adding vegetable scraps to a worm compost bin in a garden with raised beds and leafy greens.

Worm Bin Guide: Turn Scraps into Potager Gold

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

A gentle, earthy scent drifted up - nothing like a rubbish bin, more like a woodland track after rain. Red...

White portable power bank with wrist strap and phone stand on wooden table, smartphone and charging cable nearby.

Xiaomi to launch six upgraded portable chargers for the 2027 national standard

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

Xiaomi has officially confirmed that, following the adoption of a new national standard for portable chargers, it intends to launch...

Person pruning a budding tree branch with secateurs in a garden on a chilly morning.

Prune These Four Fruit Trees Before Mid-March for a Better Summer Harvest

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

Leave pruning a few days too late, and your fruit bowl could be half-empty in summer. Four especially popular fruit...

Person tending pink flowering plant in terracotta pot on sunlit balcony with white chair and other potted plants.

Mandevilla: the climbing plant for a flowering sunny patio

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

When planters are filled with the same flowers every spring, mandevilla offers a more vertical and more abundant alternative. Native...

Hands potting a succulent in a terracotta pot with soil and broken nutshells on a balcony table.

Sedum drainage: kitchen waste that prevents succulents drowning

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

Many amateur gardeners are surprised: one type of kitchen waste prevents Sedum and other succulents from drowning in water in...

Person sprinkling baking soda into dirty sneakers on wooden floor in bright bedroom.

Bicarbonate of Soda for Shoe Odour: Works in Five Minutes

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

The smell crept up gradually. First there was a faint whiff as I untied my laces, then that familiar, slightly...

Sparrow flying above a raised garden bed with lettuce and tomato plants in a sunny garden.

Why Sparrows Are Valuable Allies in the Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

With the first sunshine, swelling buds and drifting pollen, the garden is busy again. Anyone looking closely will spot another...

Person kneeling on a patio removing weeds from between paving stones with a knife, a steaming kettle nearby.

How to Remove Weeds Between Paving Slabs

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

Small shoots emerging between paving slabs can quickly make outdoor spaces look neglected, particularly after several spells of rain. Patios,...

Hands holding a glass jar filled with water on a kitchen counter near cleaning supplies and jars of food.

How White Vinegar Removes Sticky Label Residue from Jars

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

The jar seemed harmless enough on the worktop, freshly rinsed and catching the morning light. The tomato sauce had been...

Woman picking ripe apples from potted trees on a sunny urban balcony garden.

Columnar fruit trees: grow your own fruit on a small balcony

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

No garden, hardly any room, but keen to grow your own fruit? One particular type of fruit tree makes it...

Person picking ripe berries from a small tree in a sunny, potted garden patio.

Serviceberry: the small tree for compact gardens

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

At the end of a narrow path, between a slim patio and the neighbour’s wall, there is often a patch...

Person kneeling on gravel removing weeds with gardening tools and a yellow spray bottle nearby.

Gravel Driveway: Three Natural Ways to Control Weeds

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

Many homeowners know the routine: in April, the gravel path still looks tidy; by June, they are spending hours kneeling...

Man making a bed in a bright bedroom with folded linens and fans on bedside tables.

How Often Should You Change Sheets? Your Bedroom Temperature Has the Answer

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

The notification appears on your phone: “Change sheets.” You glance at the bed, think about the week you have had...

Two men measuring a tree trunk and reviewing notes in a garden with houses in the background.

Neighbour’s tree: what French law says about distance, branches and roots

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

One Saturday morning, you open the shutters to the familiar scene: your neighbour’s branches stretch over the fence, leaves cover...

Hands arranging a white orchid plant in a glass pot on a wooden table with ingredients and a blender nearby.

Save a Phalaenopsis Orchid with the Cooked Sweetcorn Trick

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

When leaves droop limply on the windowsill, the flowers have long since fallen and the stem is dry, many households...

Person placing firewood into a wood-burning stove in a cosy living room with an armchair and kettle.

How to Save Wood and Keep Your Home Warm This Winter

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

The first log ignites with a gentle “whoomph”, bringing that small burst of satisfaction that comes only when a fire...

Woman in a straw hat adding soil to a raised vegetable garden with chickens and gardening tools nearby.

Chicken Coop Compost: Turn Bedding into Garden Black Gold

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

Many amateur gardeners buy expensive fertiliser, yet an overlooked treasure in their own chicken coop can give beds and trees...

Hands harvesting ripe tomatoes from a garden with basil plants in a wooden raised bed labelled Tomato & Basil.

Tomatoes and Basil: A Helpful Pairing in the Vegetable Garden

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

In the vegetable garden, a neighbouring plant can help tomatoes cope better with summer and ripen under favourable conditions. Gardeners...

Person spraying cleaning solution on a yellow cloth to clean a stainless steel kitchen sink.

How One Product Keeps a Stainless Steel Sink Spotless

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

The sink is the first thing I look at when I enter a kitchen. It is not the worktops or...

Person wearing gloves planting a small shrub in a garden bed beside a bag of potting soil and garden trowel.

Feed Hydrangeas Before March for More Summer Flowers

Harriet M. Ashford • October 11, 2026

Those who act properly in late winter will be rewarded in summer. The scene is repeated every year: vigorous hydrangeas...