The man who dared to plant a shrubbery

OVER the past few decades, there have been regular declarations in the gardening media that shrubs are making a big comeback

Wave power

A modern kitchen extension was the catalyst for a bold new flower garden

A county of contrasts

Location, location, location… three properties currently on the market in Cheshire highlight the contrast in style, taste and price of a country house

The benefit of hindsight

Hugh Petter’s transformation of a house in Jersey demonstrates how a deep understanding of local architectural traditions is the secret to creating a seamless blend of old and new

Of fish and men

Visionary fisherman Mick May set up a charity to give cancer patients the opportunity to find some peace in fishing. A year after his death, our correspondent joins the trustees for a day in pursuit of trout to honour his friend’s memory

Nothing but sunshine and a sea breeze

A game of beach cricket with captains and kings leaves Steve King with hazy memories, but the all-encompassing glow of a perfect game despite losing by three wickets)

A question of balance

In the age of industrialised agriculture, can our intervention ever truly nurture ecological harmony? We cannot better Nature, but we can enhance it

'Deer need to be managed'

WHEN asked how many wild deer there are in Britain, British Deer Society (BDS) chief executive David McAuley replies ruefully: ‘Too many.’ The charity, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, aims to ‘educate and inspire’ the public about deer, but also to impress upon them that they need management

Swiftly does it

The one bird you might never see at rest, swifts feed, drink and socialise on the wing, flying thousands of miles and almost never touching down. Yet the future of these near-perfect birds is up in the air

'There's something regal about them'

Once the scourge of gamekeepers, lurchers have since leapt to dizzying heights of desirability and w make endearing family pets

Eel meat again

Once a sought-after delicacy, a miraculous remedy and even a way rural Britain paid the rent–is there anything the eel couldn’t do

Are we too eager for beavers?

Valuable eco-engineers or destructive pests? The busy beaver is a friend to biodiversity, but can pose a threat to farmland. The key to reaping the benefits and avoiding the drawbacks lies in sensible management plans

Native breeds Dartmoor pony

THE handsome Dartmoor resembles a mini hunter and is one of the best children’s riding ponies: sturdy and muscled, yet not too wide in frame, and with an arguably less combative temperament than some other breeds

Rooted in tradition

A landscape previously used for intensive farming has been turned into the setting of an idyllic new country house in a classical idiom

Sex, drags and pottery roll

When a bid to map his own identity morphed into a quest to trace the essence of Englishness, Sir Grayson Perry set out on a white-van journey across the country. He tells Charlotte Mullins what he found and why he's showing it in Scotland

Another bite of the cherry

A triumph of scarlet temptation, cherries seduce both eye and palate with their lush curves and glorious juices. Even better, after years in the doldrums, British growers are back in the game with old native varieties

Painting the landscape

This rare example of an 18th-century Anglo-French Baroque garden has not only been sensitively restored, but wonderful new plantings have greatly added to its wilder parts

Jurisdiction of the saints

Holly Kirkwood explores divine properties for sale on the island, by the coast and inland

Joyous Jersey from A to Z

Antonia Windsor has combed the beaches and surfed the shores in search of Jersey's finest elements, from beautiful ballet to secret bays

Seas the day

On Jersey, you're never more than 10 minutes from the sea. Adam Hay-Nicholls explores the beauty of her coastline

I've (not) got a little list

Take the pain out of planning with these unlisted delights

Charm of the uncluttered east

An estate home as rare as hen's teeth and the stables of a legendary horse breeder are some of the highlights of the market this week

The designer's room

When Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham were asked to redecorate a country house in Berkshire, the first task was to turn a dark space into a colourful sitting room

Preserving the past

Antique rugs uphold both the decorative and artisanal traditions of the past. When restored, they also make and provide a much-loved legacy for the future

Jewels of the downs

Every summer, England's chalk downlands are embroidered with a patchwork of wildflowers-from the horseshoe vetch's yellow plumes to sainfoin's pink spikes-all serenaded by an army of butterflies

Tales from the echoing green

For the writers of the interwar years, the English village became the perfect stage for tales of community, where the homes were snug, their inhabitants friendly and even the murders were cosy

Shining a light on moths

Often overshadowed by their more glamorous cousin, the butterfly, most moths might only be seen at night, but we should better appreciate their intricate markings, muted shades and pollinating prowess

Renewal and Wrenaissance

In the second of two articles, Roger Bowdler looks at the evolution of the Royal Hospital as a working institution to the present day and, in particular, at the contribution of Sir John Soane

In fair weather and foul

You'll never find a farmer who is overjoyed with the weather, but it's surprising how it balances out in the end

A world within a world

Revealing the history of this breathtaking 18th-century landscape, with its views out to sea, informed the garden’s latest reincarnation, says George Plumptre