The house next door had stood empty for many months and the weeds in the overgrown garden were spreading into my flower borders, becoming a nuisance. I’d taken early retirement when Jack became too il

It took Sarah Biddulph a while to work up to tackling the long borders at Rodmarton Manor. Not just because of their sheer size, but also because they are the centrepiece of an Arts & Crafts garden th

WASN’T it you who used to work behind the bar at the Frog and Lettuce?” Susan Tallboys looked up. She’d been fastening the buttons of her overcoat, suppressing her dislike of its worn fabric and its m

HELEN anxiously closed her curtains. The wind was tearing around the house, slamming rain against the windows and harassing the trees. The rain hadn’t stopped since lunchtime. She’d spent this first d

JANUARY 1. Hazel sat in the quiet cottage. It was one of two, semidetached, on the outskirts of the village, completely surrounded by fields. When she looked out of the window, all she saw was unrelen

PIPPA woke early and went down to the shop as soon as she was dressed. She had big plans for today. Along with her usual duties, she was going to make a start on clearing the back room, and she wanted