Category: Features

It can be hard to get through the day without a snack or two, and all too often those snacks come in the unhealthy form of biscuits, cakes or crisps. A handful of nuts, however, could curb those snack-cravings – and boost your health at the same time.

With the Wimbledon Championships well underway, spectators thirsty for some top-seeded tipples should try one of these tennis-inspired cocktails or speciality serves to toast some terrific grass court action.

We all want to be picking plenty of veg from our allotments, borders and containers – but there are ways to maximise the chances of a better harvest. Companion planting works on the premise that planting certain things together will free one or the other plant from pests, or boost productivity. Scent and sacrifice play… Continue reading Protect your crops with plant partners

It’s nearly time for many families to escape the miserable weather and jet off to sunnier climes. But for a lot of parents, a sunshine break brings the same childcare and child entertainment responsibilities they have at home – and that doesn’t make for holiday relaxation.

If Daniel Radcliffe is smarting about the mediocre reaction to his latest film Swiss Army Man, he’s doing a good job concealing it. Admittedly, his character Manny is a tough sell. A gassy, talking corpse found washed up on the shore by a despondent Hank, played by Little Miss Sunshine’s Paul Dano.

1. Where your garden gets the sun at different times of the day could make a big difference to how much you’ll use your new deck or patio. The usual place to put it is near the house, so it’s convenient for alfresco dining and entertaining, but there might be a better spot elsewhere. While… Continue reading 5 tips for planning a deck or patio

Trying to get your kids to turn off their phones and come outside during the summer holidays can turn into one endless nag. You want them to get some fresh air and exercise, try new things and share some experiences with you in the real world. They don’t care what you want. PGL are known… Continue reading Action packed adventures for kids and parents

If your kitchen units have seen better days and you don’t want to go to the expense and hassle of replacing them, give them an instant makeover by changing the doors and drawer fronts. This will transform the kitchen and needn’t be too expensive.

Do you have a tall space you’d like to fill with fragrant blooms? Or perhaps an eyesore you want to mask? The answer may be in a carefully chosen climbing plant, whether it’s roses around the door or velvet blue wisteria dripping from the house wall, fragrant sweet peas in a pot to enjoy as… Continue reading Time to climb – get the garden you want!

Now it’s summer, it’s time to really show off your garden – but it’s also a time when it’s particularly attractive to thieves. Research from Co-operative Insurance found two-thirds of households have been the victim of green-fingered thieves in their gardens at least once.