Making Your Home Naturally Cosy

More from Home and Gardens

• Blooming Times: Winter Wonders

  Flowering in the coldest months may seem counter- intuitive, but from a plant’s perspective, there is a distinct advantage – a lack of competition. Flo Whitaker picks six of the best winter- scented shrubs

• Blooming Times: The Answer Lies in the Soil

  Soil is the gardener’s greatest asset. Understand it, look after it – and many of your horticultural problems will resolve themselves, writes Flo Whitaker

• How to Cover Up Shabby Garden Walls and Fences

  If your garden fences or walls are looking a bit shabby it might be time to find a cover up solution. Read on for Sara Whatley’s transformation ideas.

• Homes Extra: Shed Space

  Are you thinking of a new shed, greenhouse or garden room? Sara Whatley gives you some food for thought on all three

• Gardening: Choose a Clematis for Every Month of the Year

  The clematis family offers flowers in a wide array of colours and shapes, and there are varieties for nearly every month of the year, says Flo Whitaker

• Blooming Times: Top of the Pots

  How are your patio pots? Show-stopping, or lacklustre? Time to try some different planting combinations, suggests Flo Whitaker

• Kids Zone: Get the Kids Growing

  Read on for some green fingered ideas to get the kids involved in the garden from Sara Whatley

• Blooming Times: Wisteria Hysteria

  With its exquisitely fragrant, show-stopping blooms, wisteria is the queen of spring climbers – yet it can be frustratingly sulky and thuggish. Flo Whitaker offers a quick troubleshooting guide to floral success

• Blooming Times: Dahlia Mania

  Inexpensive, hardworking plants with blooms in a vast array of colours and shapes - no flower is perfect, but dahlias come pretty close, says Flo Whitaker

• How to Create 3D Walls in Your Home

  Create walls that look incredible and feel amazing too with the use of 3D wall panels. Sara Whatley looks at this feature wall phenomenon.

• Blooming Times: Spring Fever

  February is often labelled the cruellest month in the horticultural calendar. However, Flo Whitaker suggests there is still plenty of opportunity for growth

• Blooming Times: What's in a Name?

  Botanical Latin may seem daunting, but it’s designed to be helpful and informative, says Flo Whitaker

• Top 10 Garden Birds to Spot on the Isle of Wight

  Alice Johnson from the RSPB describes some of the species of birds you might see during the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch this January.

• The Best Christmas Gifts for Gardeners

  Thinking about a Christmas present for a gardening friend? Or perhaps you’re anticipating a gardening gift voucher and fancy treating yourself? Flo Whitaker suggests some essential hand tools that won’t break the bank.

• Gardening: The Benefits of Hedges

  Gardeners are a flower-obsessed lot, greedily seeking out the latest, brightest blooms. That’s all very well, but ephemeral flowers need a stage to perform on. Plant a hedge - they add structure, benefit wildlife and look good all year round.

• How to Create a Happy Home Workspace

  Getting the right home office set up can be key to productivity and happiness. Sara Whatley shares her workspace ideas.

• Now's the Time to Plant Alliums for a Spectacular Display Next Year

  Easy-going and beloved by bees – now’s the perfect time to plant allium bulbs for a spectacular display next year. Flo Whitaker picks some of her favourites...

• Gardening Facts or Fictions?!

  The horticultural world abounds with bad advice and old wife’s tales, but some pronouncements are scientifically sound, says Flo Whitaker, as she asks, “True, or false?”

• Fill The Gaps in Your Garden With Stunning Shrubs

  If your garden’s looking parched and bare, why not invest in a few shrubs to fill the gaps. Flo Whitaker picks six of the best for late summer colour.

• Summer in the Garden: The Alan Titchmarsh Column

  This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses an array of wildlife we may not expect to see in our gardens over the summer months.