Ginger lilies are disgustingly straightforward to grow, which is satisfying when one considers their fabulously exotic appearance. Hardy gingers from the genus Hedychium produce lush foliage on robust stems, topped by clusters of fragrant flowers during the summer and autumn months. Ginger lilies…
In his famous poem “In Memoriam”, Lord Alfred Tennyson included the verse: Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. As 2015 dawns who…
Few places in the world conjure up a more romantic image than Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Like Mandalay, another city with poetic associations, the reality is somewhat different. A bustling, dusty, and increasingly modern city, taken at face value Kathmandu could be almost anywhere…
Last night, as we lay in bed, it was almost as if a BBC special effects man was standing outside the bedroom window chucking buckets of water at the window. The sea roared, the wind howled and the freezing rain came down in sheets. By…
