Dear Mrs Danvers, I am going on holiday to Italy this spring and would like to bring some plants back. What do you suggest? There are all sorts of regulations about taking plants between countries (potatoes are particularly dangerous, being classed with firearms and explosives). So you should read up about the restrictions on moving plants and also about the possiblity of having a bureaucrat make a follow-up visit a few months later. Having said that, seeds are easy: no regulations, no problems about keeping them alive, no extra weight. In fact, foreign seeds make excellent presents. If you are in Italy, virtually every market has a stall full of the sort of seeds grown by locals?artichokes, lettuce, herbs, rocket and zucchini?and these will be good and cheap. Live plants, if you bring those you are allowed (cuttings are probably safe) should be firmly packed with wadded- up newpaper wetted under the tap and kept in a sponge bag or dustbin liner. We once had to buy an entire new suitcase to bring back about a thousand chive plants given by an organic farm in Ireland, and they are doing well.
-
If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future tooIt's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
-
How to prepare your house for winterAs winter approaches, experts advise that preventative measures are crucial for our houses to weather hard winters
-
Ten house tips for the winterNow is the time to put your house in ship-shape for the winter months ahead. Chartered surveyor Tom Grillo shares his ten top tips
-
Choosing an interior designerFinding the right skilled interior designer for your period property requires some dedication; in particular you need to make sure you share the same vision
-
Maintenance tips for Victorian housesThere are a number of aspects to look out for when viewing or indeed owning a Victorian house
-
Best cooking pansMrs Danvers suggests the best makes of pots and cooking pans to hunt down when shopping for a special friend's wedding present
-
How to save old floorboards
Lots of care and elbow grease can help old floorboards gleam again
-
Buying bellowsMrs Danvers recommends where to find a new or antique pair of bellows
-
Removing chocolate stainsMrs Danvers tackles readers' household queries: this week's are chocolate stains on a linen suit and screen doors
