The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith review – unwinding with nature
A life-affirming study of the pleasures of tending a plot or garden and soothing your mind
The Well Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith; The Natural Health Service by Isabel Hardman – review
A fascinating pair of books on the therapeutic potential of the natural world
Which novels or memoirs will help prepare me for motherhood?
Francesca Segal recommends literary explorations of new emotional territory
Like a marathon, the thrill of painting is the finish
I can appreciate the calming sensations of a watercolour, but slathered fat waves of oil and acrylic are my drugs of choice
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s lockdown listening: ‘Doing handstands, that’s the time for music’
The LA ambient composer shares what she’s been listening to while upside down, from Caribou to Zimbabwean polyrhythms
The Easy Bit review – how men get to grips with IVF
This well-intentioned documentary about the first step in fertility treatment has moments of humour but is too emotionally hectoring
Touch saved me from loneliness. What will we become without it?
Touch is essential to our wellbeing, from the time we are babies. It’s how we transmit meaning, care, love and community. Our sudden loss of it has been agonising
How we made the Keep Calm and Carry On poster
‘When I’m asked why it’s so popular, I always say the same thing: it’s cheaper than antidepressants’
Sitopia by Carolyn Steel review – big questions about food
An ‘all-you-can-eat buffet of thoughts’
Isabel Hardman: ‘One of my most exciting botanical finds was in a Glasgow car park’
The journalist and author on how nature can boost mental health treatment, even on lockdown