SOLOMON HUGHES recommends Sunjeev Sahota’s recent novel set in a trade union election campaign for its fresh approach to what unites and divides workers, but wishes the union backdrop was truer to life
MODERN varieties of celery aren’t too hard to grow, but you’ll improve your chances of success considerably if you prepare the soil in advance.
Last autumn was arguably the best time for that, but if you’ve had to sell your time machine to pay the gas bill, then late winter or early spring will do fine.
In the wild, celery is a marshland plant, and our cultivated types have inherited that need for constant moisture. It’s a crop that must never be allowed to dry out completely, even at the height of summer. The ground it’s grown in should be rich, deep and moisture-retentive.
MAT COWARD takes a look at some of the options for keen gardeners as we enter 2026
Commiserations if you failed this year, MAT COWARD offers six points which, if followed religiously, will ensure you succeed next year
MAT COWARD presents a peculiar cabbage that will only do its bodybuilding once the summer dies down
MAT COWARD rises over such semantics to offer step by step, fool-proof cultivating tips



