From us to you
This week, spotting rare plants, a seasonal tip and boys in petticoats
FEEL THE MAGIC
Take flight with the wonderful touring production of Aladdin, which is coming to Milton Keynes. The glittering show, based on the much-loved 1992 Disney movie, includes new songs, fabulous costumes, singing, dancing – and of course, a magical flying carpet.
✱On at Milton Keynes Theatre, from 24 April to 19 May. To book, visit aladdinthemusical.co.uk
Bumblebee boost
With their fluffy bodies and distinctive hum, bumblebees are a welcome sight in our gardens. Vital for pollinating crops like apples, tomatoes and peas, a queen bumblebee emerging from hibernation needs nectar and protein-rich pollen to feed herself and her developing larvae.
That’s why the RHS is asking us to help them by recording which flowers bumbles are enjoying the most in our gardens and parks until 31 May, giving a clearer picture on the plants that best support them.
✱ Visit rhs.org.uk/bumbles-on-blooms
Did you know?
If you’re not 100% sure how long that egg has been sitting in your fridge, check whether it’s OK to eat by popping it in a glass of water. An old egg will float, while a fresh egg sinks.
On this day in history
6 April 1843: Queen Victoria appointed the post of Poet Laureate to William Wordsworth. The writer of I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud was almost 73 years old and accepted on the understanding that he wouldn’t need to compose any further verse. The post included ‘£100 and a butt of sack yearly’.
PLANT HUNTERS
Is there a rare or unusual plant, or special named cultivar in your garden that you don’t think is currently available to buy? If so, you could be the winner of 2024’s Threatened Plant
