As we walk in fields of gold

In a scene straight out of a Constable painting, John Lewis-Stempel luxuriates in a wheat field embroidered with wildflowers, as noughts and crosses of swallows and starlings traverse the mellow May skies

Let's stick together

The countryside is for everyone and the problems facing it—and farming and the environment—will not be solved if the different factions continue to squabble, points out Julian Glover

Native breeds Hereford

THE docile Hereford cow, with its kind white face and striking mahogany coat, is probably the native breed that has spread most expansively across the globe-the first exports to the US were in 1817 and importers have included the King of Norway and the Sultan of Oman.

A rare place to rest

A modest farm steading has been stylishly transformed into the heart of a magical landscape and garden. John Goodall admires the sympathy and humour of the project

The money's on the wall

Charlotte Mullins imagines how best to spend a spare £10,000 on art and takes a look at five artists worth investing in right now

My favourite painting Beatrice Grant

The Annunciation, detail from the Polyptych of St Anthony by Piero della Francesca

A case of mistaken identity

A painting has been misattributed not once, but twice, and British dealers head for New York

The end must be good

ABATTOIR closures are causing chaos to farming and food businesses across the country, a survey has revealed

Farming to the fore

A LANDMARK food summit intended to tackle issues such as foodprice inflation, supply-chain issues, domestic investment and self sufficiency in food production has received mixed reviews

Where the wild orchids sing

The enchantingly beautiful native orchid is, tragically, one of Britain’s most endangered wildflowers, but it’s still possible to see them if you look in the right places

Stop the clock

THE best gardening days start with many possibilities, but no fixed plan

Move over Mrs Beeton

Credited as ‘the mother of the modern wedding cake’, the 18th-century housekeeper, caterer and confectioner Elizabeth Raffald should be better remembered for her great contribution to British cuisine, contends Neil Buttery

Making a modern castle

Castle Drogo, Devon, part II A property of the National Trust, In the second of two articles, Clive Aslet looks at the challenges of building a 20th-century castle and the recent work of the National Trust to restore it

Give it a west

Devon, Cornwall and Somerset are as desirable as ever

The kraken wakes

After what seems like the longest winter ever, the West Country market has suddenly gone into overdrive

Let's pull together

We all love to see a heritage train chugging through the landscape, but without the extraordinary volunteer dedication, many would be rusting in the sidings. Melanie Bryan selects some nostalgic journeys and Kate Green finds her local Somerset line thriving

The original Nature boy

Shakespeare wasn’t only the greatest playwright of our history, he was an avid ornithophile, a green man and a master of transposing the true power of Nature onto the page

The American way

The collection of a successful and sophisticated couple lit up Sotheby's New York, with paintings, torchères and a Tiffany chandelier

Homing instincts

Before artist and gardener Cedric Morris died, he had wisely appointed a plant executor to ensure his precious plants went to good homes. Without such foresight, many gems might have been lost, says Christopher Woodward, director of the Garden Museum in Lambeth

Many rooms with a view

Three homes have received new life thanks to some sensitive and extensive renovations

Lessons from the past

On June 13 at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, two leading interior designers will share the enduring design principles that never go out of date

Will the hot tub lose its fizz?

Why the outdoor bath offers a more discreet, less expensive alternative

Gnome alone

Vertically challenged, bearded and rosy-cheeked, cheerful gnomes might make for unlikely cover stars, but-says Ben Lerwill-they've long graced books, album covers and even The Queen's private garden

When I am feeling blue

With a cobalt cap, white cheeks and tiny wings, the blue tit might be a picture of songbird sweetness, but its morals leave much to be desired, says Stephen Moss

Here's looking at you, kid

What pygmy goats lack in size they more than make up for in personality, says Julie Harding, who meets the owners who have fallen for their charms

Baronial dreams

Castle Drogo, Devon, part I A property of the National Trust In the first of two articles, Clive Aslet reveals how a fascination with ancestry encouraged a wealthy Edwardian businessman to enlist the help of Sir Edwin Lutyens to build a new castle

Let's celebrate gardening

WHAT is the point of the Chelsea Flower Show? Is it a highlight of the social calendar and the start of the Season?

Delightful delphiniums

We may not all be able to grow show quality delphiniums, but even in ordinary gardens these statuesque plants still turn heads, says John Hoyland

Time to sit and stare

The West Sussex home of Harriet Anstruther and Henry Bourne Non Morris discovers a garden that has been brilliantly designed to make you want to stop and simply enjoy its loveliness

The impossible made possible

Kathryn Bradley-Hole anticipates a confident return to form at Chelsea, with mouth-watering designs for productive gardens, aromatic Mediterranean planting and even a reinterpretation of the rock garden