Skip to content
 
Search

Latest Stories

Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2019

Sarwar Alam
By Sarwar AlamJun 11, 2019
Sarwar Alam
See Full Bio

By Rashmita Solanki

The Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, set in the grounds of the historic palace, runs from July 1-7. Visitors can see the newest innovations in gardening and pick up conservation and foraging tips.

In a first, visitors can discover the delights of foraging with the Wild Garden, designed by Rosana Porta. Expert forager Kerry Bowness will help visitors distinguish wild edibles such as wild garlic, sorrel and flowering nettles.

A Wild Garden Banquet tops off this foraging experience (booking is essential) and includes a bespoke five-course meal put together by the UK's youngest chef to be accredited with a Michelin Star, Merlin Labron-Johnson.

Growing your own herbs and vegetables is also being championed this year, in association with the new RHS Community Allotments. Three local groups will design their own allotment-style gardens with herbs, fruits, vegetables and flowers. These will be judged by Raymond Blanc who is an avid grow-your-own connoisseur.

Other celebrity chefs and TV presenters will also be present at the festival, highlighting cooking with ingredients from the garden, healthy eating and using herbs for health.

Among those attending will be James Wong, RHS ambassador and TV presenter; Gregg Wallace, BBC One's MasterChef presenter, as well as Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley, best-selling authors, TV presenters and chefs.

One highlight will be a garden designed by the Duchess of Cambridge in conjunction with Landscape architects Davies White. Her first garden collaboration was at the Chelsea Flower Show in May, also with Andree Davies and Adam White. That garden’s main feature was to create a woodland setting, to be enjoyed by all generations – called 'The Back to Nature Garden'. It will be interesting to see what the duchess will feature at Hampton Court Palace.

Rose lovers will enjoy the Festival of Roses featuring roses from growers such as the late David Austen, Peter Beales and Harkness, among others. Visitors can also enjoy afternoon tea in the rose garden.

Gardeners can shop for plants and gardening gadgets in the Plant Village and also check out the Floral Marquee.

Related News

Saif Ali Khan Bhopal inheritance
Entertainment

​Saif Ali Khan loses £1.4 billion Bhopal inheritance as Indian court labels estate ‘enemy property’

Brothers deny assaulting police during Manchester Airport brawl
News

Brothers deny assaulting police during Manchester Airport brawl

More For You

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches

The chain had also gained a following for its themed brunches

iStock

Ping Pong restaurant chain shuts all UK branches after 20 years

Key points

  • Chinese dim sum restaurant Ping Pong has closed all its UK locations
  • The chain made the announcement via social media
  • Founded in 2005, the brand thanked customers and staff for their support
  • Loyal diners shared memories and disappointment in the comments

All branches are permanently closed

Chinese restaurant chain Ping Pong has permanently closed all its branches in the UK, the company confirmed in a social media announcement.

Founded in 2005 by restaurateur Kurt Zdesar, the dim sum chain had become popular for its stylish interiors, creative menus, and Asian-inspired cocktails. The company did not provide prior notice of the closure but said the decision marked the end of an “unforgettable” 20-year journey.

Keep ReadingShow less
New Covid strain

Experts have raised concerns about the immune-evasive nature of the Stratus strain

iStock

New Covid strain Stratus spreads in UK with unusual hoarse voice symptom

Key points

  • A new Covid strain known as Stratus is spreading across the UK
  • The variant is marked by a distinctive symptom: a hoarse or raspy voice
  • Sub-variants XFG and XFG.3 now account for 30% of cases in England
  • Experts say there is no evidence of more severe disease
  • Lower immunity levels may make more people vulnerable to infection

Covid variant Stratus on the rise in the UK

A new strain of Covid-19, known as Stratus, is spreading across the UK and drawing attention for its unusual symptom — a hoarse or raspy voice. According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Stratus and its two sub-variants, XFG and XFG.3, are responsible for around 30 per cent of Covid cases in England.

Of the two, XFG.3 is currently the more dominant. The UKHSA confirmed that monitoring of all circulating Covid-19 variants is ongoing as part of regular surveillance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Human brain continues forming neurons

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain

iStock

Human brain continues forming neurons well into old age, study finds

Key points

  • New neurons continue forming in the brain’s hippocampus into old age
  • Study confirms presence of neural progenitor cells in adults
  • DNA carbon dating and single-nucleus RNA sequencing were used
  • Research shows variation in neuron production between individuals
  • Findings could aid treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

Human brain shows ongoing neuron formation into older age

A new study has confirmed that the human brain continues to produce new nerve cells well into late adulthood, challenging previous assumptions about age-related decline in neurogenesis. The findings, published in the journal Science, provide fresh insight into how adaptable the brain remains over a lifetime.

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain, is known to occur in the hippocampus — a region involved in memory. While previous research has suggested that this process continues throughout life, there has been limited concrete evidence of the presence of neural progenitor cells in the adult brain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sri Aurobindo

Heehs’s biography is grounded in extensive archival research across France, England, India and Israel

AMG

Sri Aurobindo and the rise of the Asian century

Dinesh Sharma

My friend and colleague, the American historian Peter Heehs, who has lived in Pondicherry, India, for decades, recently published a compelling new biography, The Mother: A Life of Sri Aurobindo’s Collaborator (2025). Heehs previously authored The Lives of Sri Aurobindo (2008), which remains one of the most balanced and scholarly accounts of Aurobindo’s life.

According to Heehs, most previous biographies of the Mother were written for devotees and relied on secondary sources, often presenting her as a divine incarnation without critical engagement. “Such biographies are fine for those who see the Mother as a divine being,” Heehs said, “but they can be off-putting for readers who simply want to understand her life – as an artist, writer, spiritual teacher, and founder of the Ashram and Auroville.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Black women cancer risk

Serious public health challenges in the decades ahead

iStock

Study warns of rising uterine cancer rates, with Black women hardest hit

Key points

  • Uterine cancer cases and deaths are projected to rise significantly in the US by 2050.
  • Black women are expected to experience the highest increase in incidence-based mortality.
  • A new model predicts incidence rising to 86.9 cases per 100,000 for Black women and 74.2 for White women.
  • Researchers stress the urgent need for improved prevention and early detection strategies.

Sharp increase in uterine cancer predicted over next three decades

Uterine cancer, currently the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, is projected to see a substantial rise in both cases and deaths by 2050, particularly among Black women. A new study led by researchers at Columbia University warns of worsening racial disparities in outcomes if preventative measures are not introduced.

This year alone, around 69,120 new cases of uterine cancer and nearly 14,000 deaths are expected in the United States. However, projections by the Columbia University research team, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, indicate a significant increase in both incidence and mortality over the next 30 years.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025 Garavi Gujarat Publications Ltd & Asian Media Group USA Inc