Life almanac

Keep bird baths and greenhouse trays clean. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the difference between healthy visitors and winter woes. A quick scrub keeps plants and wildlife happy – and disease at bay. ●

October brings the first of the frosts, bewitching mist, the turning of leaves and a host of otherworldly visitors, finds John Lewis-Stempel

Though the cheerful chest of a robin can be seen throughout the year, this friendly bird has become synonymous with the festive season. This largely dates back to Victorian Christmas cards depicting p

Take your time with festive decorating this year – dressing your rooms can happen gradually, bringing a new layer of beauty to your home week by week

the winter solstice has a magic for me that other pagan festivals don’t quite hit. It’s the one I actively celebrate rather than simply nod to, as I do the equinoxes, the summer solstice and the sprin

Right now, I’m pruning the roses. I hate them looking so straggly and forlorn, and he-who-has-opinions can’t bear their wayward stems trying to snag him as he makes his way to the shed. I feel the ros