The vampire diaries

The best of the season to inspire and admire

Toby explains how plants and trees set up natural defences and outlines what we can do to help

From Regency medicine men to the technicolour world of The Beatles, the history of psychedelic mushrooms is richer than we might expect, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee

Jenny Whitmore had one priority in mind when she started designing her West Sussex garden: the view. “It was what captivated me when we first came to look at this house and I knew immediately that any

Fallen branches and rotting stumps may look forsaken, but deadwood plays an essential role in the woodland

They might not be especially striking to look at–if you can see them at all–but seeds are among the natural world’s most awe-inspiring marvels, says John Lewis-Stempel