Upcycling for the garden

COVER STORY

8

UK attractions to visit Check out our guide to the oldest and most beautiful castles in the UK

PROPERTY

13

Stamp duty holiday We explain what the announcement means for sellers and buyers

Our latest instructions Take a look at a selection of our latest properties on the market

20

About us Get to know our team a little better and see why we are your agent of choice

FOOD

10

Jams and chutneys

Some fantastic jams, preserves and chutney recipes to make at home This month, on pages 4&5, we have a guide to help you lose any weight you may have put on over lockdown. We also have fantastic upcycling ideas for your garden using materials readily available. It may not have been as hot as expected so far, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look after your skin in the sun – check out page 6 for our handy tips. Has the Stamp Duty Holiday got you in a muddle? On page 13 we have a breakdown of what it means for you… Looking for interesting days out with the family now the school holidays are here? Check out our article on the most interesting

LIFESTYLE

2 6

Upcycling for the garden Household cast-off’s can be transformed into great garden features

Protecting yourself in the sun Top tips for staying safe during the hotter months

7 12

Fruit foraging It’s time to hit the hedgerows and roadsides for nature’s free feast

Inspirational Books We’ve picked five books, of the 21st century that are worthy of comment

14

Online distance learning A look into the endless possibilities of distance learning

HEALTH

4

Lose the lockdown weight We take a look at some workouts and exercises to

WELCOME TO THE AUGUST ISSUE!

Where has this year gone?

get you fit for the summer castles to visit in the UK this year.

We have also put together some recipes for stunningly simple preserves and chutneys.

At the end of the day, when you’ve had enough sunshine, you can relax with our breakdown of the most inspirational books of the 21st century and a guide to online distance learning.

So, sit back and relax with your copy of this months magazine…

As we are all getting used to the new normal, remember to Stay Safe and Stay Alert at all times.

Jonathan Wheatley Editor I t doesn’t work now. There’s a hole in it. It’s not fashionable. I don’t need it anymore… bin it. No, hold that thought. Whatever ‘it’ is probably doesn’t need to be dumped in a skip, it could become a decorative feature to brighten the backyard.

Thousands of inventive gardeners have been breathing new life into household items by rescuing them from an uncertain future at the local dump by upcycling to create practical – and whimsical – focal points among the shrubs.

For instance, an old chest of drawers can be repainted, the drawers lined and filled with potting soil to show off just about everything from trailing bedding plants to flowers and ferns.

Got a lot of paint pots leftover from those DIY projects during lockdown? Why not paint them and use them as colourful planters for spring bulbs or herbs?

And if you are having a new kitchen or bathroom fitted, why not rescue the porcelain pieces? There’s nothing quite like a cluster of phlox or geraniums in a white cistern, shower tray, or basin to brighten even the shadiest of corners in your plot.

You could also, quite literally, throw the kitchen sink at the garden to make a quirky – and colourful talking point. Although

Why one man’s household cast-off is another man’s upcycled feature for the garden

recycling the loo might set the neighbours solar-powered lights and positioned at chattering for all the wrong reasons… strategic points to bring added But the thing is any household item can be given a new lease of life with just a For those at their wits’ end desperate to little thought. add a little colour and life to their minute Old wellies which don’t fit or leak can Stand it on end, cover the back with a become planters and would be particularly piece of landscape fabric, fill it with soil effective with a trailing plant such as ivy or and there you go… a vertical garden lobelia cascading from them, while those ready for herbs, alpines and dainty old Crocs you wished bedding plants. you’d never bought can be filled with soil, hung Or you could scour your on the wall and filled Thousands of local recycling centre for with winter pansies to inventive gardeners a wooden stepladder, provide a bit of have been breathing paint it a nice winter colour. new life into Cambridge Blue or grey, household items fix it to a wall, attach Take the handle off a some pots and it’s a plastic colander and tiered garden, while potentially you have a planted wheelbarrows hanging basket, complete with drainage and rusty bikes with a basket on the front points, while a battered tin bucket, which add colour and a certain industrial cum has rusted and leaks like a sieve, could rustic charm to barren spaces. make a new home for a dramatic hosta and give the slugs that dine off it And if you think those old dining room something to think about. chairs are past their best, think again. There’s no need to fork out for a bamboo protective varnish, remove the seat and windchime because you can drill holes in attach some chicken wire to create a the handles of that old stainless steel basket-like shape. Line that with sheet cutlery set great aunt Nora bought you as moss, inlay some landscaping fabric or a wedding present, thread them with even newspaper, fill with soil and plant twine, and hang them from a stick to away with Alpine leeks, Saxifraga and create a less clunky alternative. other ground-coverers.

Old glass containers, particularly Mason jars, can be painted to use as planters or, more effectively, filled with twinkling brightness to borders. courtyard garden, find yourself a pallet. Simply give it a coat of wood stain or DIY projects, failed or just past their use-by dates, can also be revitalised with a little sympathy rather than a sledgehammer.

A brick-built barbecue, for instance, can be painted and have planted trays inserted instead of wire shelves while yesterday’s old kettle barbie, which has been sitting at the back of the garage gathering dust and rust since the arrival of the new gaspowered toy, can also be upgraded with a lick of paint to become tomorrow’s must-have garden accessory.