Some wall-climbing shrubs can be pruned at this time of year. One such is the Virginia creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, whose thrilling autumn glory has by now peeled away to reveal its inevitable tendency to climb into spaces where it's unwelcome, such as windows, gutters, roofs and lofts. It attaches itself to wall surfaces by ingenious sucker pads, so a firm but well-directed hand is required to cut the shoots back to a yard away from the exclusion zone. Brush away cobwebs and debris, and prepare to do this each year. The result will be lovely and your conscience will be clear.
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Chelsea Flower Show 2025: What else to do in SW3 if you're coming to the world's greatest flower showThere's more to Chelsea than just the Flower Show so we've rounded up some of the best places to eat, stay and shop.
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Uniquely unique? The Yorkshire grain silos transformed into a home that's a symphony in glass, steel and curvesAmid the beautiful countryside of North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Castle Howard Estate, The Silos is a property for which the word 'house' simply doesn't cut it. And that's not the only way in which it's made us throw out the dictionary.
