Evergreen holly with marbled leaves can bring year-round light and interest to a sombre site. Plants are male or female, and, generally, the females produce the attractive scarlet berries when they are fertilised by pollen from a male plant. To ensur

Yellow flag irises are marginal plants, best for larger ponds. They are easy to grow and will provide lots of buttery yellow flowers from late spring. Divide the rhizomes every two years, after the plant finishes flowering in June. Another easy-to-gr

✣ Garden Editor Teresa Conway ✣ Cover Design Ian Cave ✣ Art Director Billy Peel ✣ Picture Editor Karen Whitehead ■

HARROGATE SPRING FLOWER SHOW NORTH YORKS, 25-28 APRIL Take inspiration from show garden features, talks and workshops – and the biggest exhibition by florists and flower arrangers in the country. ✱ Adult £25, children under 16 free, bookings online.

Spring has sprung! And this issue contains all the inspiration, essential advice and marvellous events to watch out for. So whether you’re sowing sunflowers, starting an ornamental veg garden, or planning a garden path, it’s time to get outside and f

There’s something quite remarkable about Dame Maureen Lipman. During her almost eight decades, the actor has had more than her fair share of grief. Her husband of 30 years, the playwright Jack Rosenthal – father to children Adam and Amy – died of can

Q Why does my hand tingle in the night? A Tingling, or pins and needles, prickling or numbness on the skin happens when the blood supply to the nerves is temporarily cut off. This is usually when you sit or sleep in a way that puts pressure on that

Do you tend to wash and go when it comes to caring for your hair? If so, it’s time to upgrade. All the powerful ingredients that are good for your skin can also help it. And while we’re not suggesting that you should use all these products for a comp

Jennifer Young, 54, is founder of Beauty Despite Cancer, and lives in Cheshire with her husband Martin, 50. The smell of spices floods my senses as I crush pods and seeds with a pestle and mortar. I glance over at my husband Martin and grin. What a g

Around 550 new cases occur in the UK annually. It’s a separate condition from much commoner secondary bone cancer, which is cancer that has spread to the bones from cancers in other tissues. Bone cancer can affect any bone but usually appears in the

Fainting (vasovagal syncope or neurocardiogenic syncope) occurs when your body overreacts to certain triggers, such as the sight of blood. This causes vagal nerves to respond by slowing heart rate, dilating blood vessels in your limbs, and dropping b

Britain’s impressive spa towns owe their magnificence to mineral-rich natural springs. Developed largely by the Romans, Georgians and Victorians, they attracted people searching for cures for everything from gout and rheumatism to sciatica and back p