Of course, before you start figuring out how to grow cucumbers vertically, you’ll need to research how to grow cucumbers to ensure that you give your crop the best start in life. One of the easiest vegetables to grow, they are a great addition to vegetable gardens. How to grow cucumbers vertically Before we get to the ‘how’, we need to tackle the ‘where’ to ensure you have the right growing conditions for growing cucumbers vertically....

And if you’re in the process of planning and rethinking your backyard landscaping, a patio could provide the ideal visual centerpiece. This exterior ‘room’ often adjoins our main home, leading off from the kitchen to create an informal dining and entertaining area. There are a wealth of clever patio ideas to suit every taste and budget, and having a smaller backyard needn’t limit the scope of your ambitions for this space....

There is something so irresistibly comforting and cozy about a candle. Creating inviting pools of soft, flickering light, the best candles can help you feel more relaxed, make your home smell amazing and can serve as stylish decorations and styling tools. Here, with the help of Angela Maynard, author of The Art of Gifting Naturally (opens in new tab), we will take you through how to make your very own beeswax-dipped candles, which make great, sustainable gifts, and can add a more meaningful, natural and hand-crafted decoration to your home....

Peach trees, Prunus persica, are self-fertile and can be planted as part of a backyard orchard, trained as fan, espalier or step over fruit trees, or dwarf specimens are ideal for pots. It’s easy to learn how to grow peach trees, and these natives to China thrive in full sun and slightly acidic soil. Whether you are growing freestone or clingstone peaches you will want to get the most out of your peach tree, so maintenance of the plant is key to success....

Perfect for traditional designs, wood stain can be used to create various color tones, as the stain soaks into the wood, allowing the natural knots and grains to show through. ‘Staining kitchen cabinets shows off both color and texture,’ says Lucy Searle, Global Editor in Chief of Homes & Gardens. ‘It’s a great way to refresh old or dated furniture and can add warmth and character to the kitchen. It also makes it easier to touch up in the coming years if any marks or blemishes appear....

Kitchens are the heart of the home and spaces where we spend lots of time, so it’s important they are spaces we enjoy being in and color can play a huge role in this. An instant mood-enhancer, color has the power to transform the look and mood of a space, so when it comes to choosing shades for your kitchen island it’s worth thinking carefully about how you want the space to feel and function....

Lighting kitchen cabinets can be a practical solution so it is easy to locate items when preparing and cooking food, but they can also make a display of items such as stemware or china in glass-fronted cabinets, so they’re always worth considering as an element of your kitchen ideas. We’ve collected lighting ideas for kitchen cabinets to inspire along with advice from experts that will assist in realizing its practical and aesthetic benefits....

Adding a sofa in this welcoming, earthy hue to your living room ideas is a classic choice that can easily be given a modern twist – and we have plenty of suggestions to hand on how to do just that. ‘Brown is one of the most popular colors chosen for living room furniture thanks to its unparalleled versatility,’ says Patricia Gibbons, a member of the Design Team at Sofa.com (opens in new tab)....

Utility room ideas often have to serve additional functions as well, from providing space for a pantry and extra food prep through to floristry. And if there’s no space for a separate mud room, the utility serves as an area to store boots and coats. They’re increasingly used for pet care, too, with dog showers and built-in dog beds proving increasingly popular. Whether you’re embarking on a new utility room design, looking to update an existing space with some clever utility room storage ideas, or just want to make the decor more up-to-date, these modern utility room ideas are packed with inspiration....

See: Best design hotels in London – relax in luxury in the heart of the capital The exhibition will be held in The National Portrait Gallery from 27 February to 28 June 2020, after which the gallery closes for three years for a major refurbishment. This is the first major exhibition devoted to David Hockney’s drawings in over 20 years, and features around 150 works from public and private collections across the world, as well as from the David Hockney Foundation and the artist....

Scandinavian kitchens are undoubtedly one of our favorite kitchen ideas, however it is a difficult look to perfect. The design prioritizes practicality, with the space’s function defining its form and appearance. There are even differences among the looks favored in different countries that make up the region. ‘Scandinavian interiors rely on layers. They are functional light-filled spaces, primarily made up of neutral colors but with bursts of character and plenty of textures,’ says Julia Miller, Creative Director of Yond Interiors (opens in new tab)....

It is perhaps no surprise that your list of fall garden jobs differs from those who live in another climate. But how do you know what is best for your butterfly bush? Here, the experts help you decide whether you should prune this season – for a strong and healthy butterfly bush (also known as the buddleja) long into 2023. Should butterfly bushes be cut back in the fall? It depends....

Color is a wonderful way to bring personality to kitchen cabinet ideas, and while many of us have an idea of the kitchen cabinet colors we like, finding the right color combinations for walls and cabinets can be tricky. When it comes to kitchen palettes there are so many variables for combining tone: dark walls with dark cabinets, light walls with dark cabinets, light walls with dark islands… the choice can be baffling....

Walk down the average street and you might well detect the first stirrings of a quiet, but distinctive, design revolution this springtime. The spring front porch, that most practical but often overlooked element of our homes, is undergoing a transformation each season. Unsurprisingly, bold paint hues and imaginative lighting are ensuring that the entrance to our home is no longer a decorative afterthought, left to the last phase of a building project, but an integral part of both the look and feel of the whole property....

‘Opting for natural fibers should be the first step when it comes to looking at sustainable textiles,’ she says. ‘Man-made fabrics (polyester, nylon or acrylic) take decades or more to biodegrade; naturally grown ones do not. ‘You’ll know that at the end of their life, the fibers will decompose, and the process can remain circular.’ How to shop sustainable fabrics From cotton to wool, this is what to buy and what to look for when researching sustainable fabrics for your decor project....

Having lived with a minimalist and plain white backdrop for years, the pair were driven by the urge to create a new interior setting more appropriate for their exquisite possessions. The apartment is situated alongside the city’s famous linear park, the High Line, and upon his first encounter Paul, a property developer and glass-blower, was immediately enamored. ‘The location was fantastic and while the apartments were clean and bright, they also incorporated more traditional architectural elements like the casement windows,’ he says....

This two-bedroom condo, built in 1997, has had a major redesign which, along with the dramatic setting, makes it one of the world’s best homes. The designer responsible for the apartment’s stunning new look is Toronto-based Sabrina Albanese (opens in new tab) who spent time getting to know her clients - and their home - to understand how to rework the space. ‘The clients had owned the condo for quite a while, and it was extremely dated....

Having children in the house is a recipe for endless tidying, meaning storage ideas that are well thought through, effortlessly neat and easily accessible for both parent and child are crucial to a harmonious home. Your storage also needs to make organizing toys, and keeping them neat, is super easy not just for you, but for kids, too. The need for toy storage isn’t just confined to the kids’ bedrooms either – living rooms, playrooms and even hallways are often in need of clever nooks and crannies to hide the playthings that inevitably make their way across the home....

Surrounding yourself with greenery and reconnecting with nature has long been proven to ease stress and lower heart rates, so it’s no surprise that the sales of majestic indoor plants with diverse types of foliage have increased rapidly in the last few years. However, choosing tropical plants is not just a matter of selecting on looks alone, as horticultural writer Veronica Peerless, author of How Not To Kill Your Houseplant (opens in new tab) explains: ‘There’s a horticultural saying of “Right plant, right place” and this certainly applies to houseplants as well as those in the garden....

Bathroom lighting ideas not only offer functional illumination, they are also vital in bringing much-needed atmosphere to the space. However, the humidity of the space makes it a little more complicated to choose fixtures than in other rooms. That said, there is a formula to follow when choosing the combination bathroom lighting types every space needs, and it’s this: ceiling lighting + wall lighting + task lighting. So whether you are looking to brighten a primary bath or family space, discover the best and different types of bathroom lighting below....