Country House

I may be a dyed-in the wool country bumpkin, but sometimes I envy the urban gardener. Life on a town-centre vegetable plot is so pest-free.

There is a widespread myth that to be a successful trapper you need to have inherited generations of skill, learnt at your father’s knee. My father, by whom I was…

I read that Sir John Mortimer has a glass of champagne a day and describes it as “penicillin for the soul”. What a wonderful idea. As I’d only have a…

On a shoot recently I was given a snifter of 1997 orange gin, a great change from sloe gin. I would like to have a go at making this. Have…

In this day and age you can plant a fruit tree at any time; pot-grown plants are available all year at garden centres.

Billiard table restoration

We have a tired and battered billiard table which we would like to have re-baized and restored for our growing grandchildren. The table has been stored in a barn with…

How to make lavender sugar

Last year I dusted my mince pies with vanilla sugar, which I had made myself. Earlier this year I read an article saying that lavender sugar was also good, but…

How to store salami

It's a real joy to be able to buy a large selection of salami on the market, but I find I am given different advice on the best way to…

Make your own cider

Cider's now rosy. Thanks to the clever marketing of the Magners brand, cider is a tipple to be seen with. Robert Gore-Langton tells you how to make your own cider

How to make rowan vodka

Last year I made rowan jelly but had copious numbers of berries left over. This year I would like to try making something else using the berries. Can one make…