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Berlin (dpa) – Usually it comes in the dirty thirties – in some cases a bit earlier, sometimes the following decade – but the sight of those first flecks of grey more often than not brings with it the despondent realization that ageing is kicking in. But according to scientists at the University of Tokyo, grey hair should probably be regarded as a welcome sight as it "may reflect a natural defense against cancer risk." The cells, which are in hair follicles, seem to change color and "exit the system" rather than to continue dividing, which brings with it the risk of tumours forming. "Somatic tissues undergo functional decline with age, exhibiting characteristic ageing phenotypes, including hair greying and cancer," the researchers say in a paper published by Nature Cell Biology. Hair-greying, like melanoma, is possibly down to "how pigment-producing stem cells respond” to the damage inflicted on DNA as people get on in years, the researchers say, clarifying that there is no indication that greying hair prevents cancer. ”While such DNA damage is known to contribute to both ageing and cancer, the precise connection—particularly how damaged stem cells shape long-term tissue health—has remained elusive," the team says. “These findings reveal that the same stem cell population can follow antagonistic fates—exhaustion or expansion—depending on the type of stress and micro-environmental signals,” says the University of Tokyo’s Emi Nishimura. "It reframes hair greying and melanoma not as unrelated events, but as divergent outcomes of stem cell stress responses,” she says. The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr arw

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Berlin (dpa) – A brief moment of inattention, and suddenly you step in dog poo. Yuck. When this happens, most of us want to remove it as quickly as possible. A specialist explains how. When you're out and about, your options are limited. "Remove the worst of it straight away – ideally with a tissue or, if it is autumn, using large, sturdy leaves," says Claudia Schulz from the German Shoe Institute. But without water, the smell remains. If you're lucky, you'll find a tap or a toilet with a sink. "Then carefully take off your shoe and clean the sole," she says. You might also find wet wipes helpful. Back at home, you'll have a better chance of cleaning your shoes thoroughly. Schulz recommends an unusual but effective tip, especially for shoes with deep treads. "Put the shoes in a freezer bag and place them in the freezer. The cold hardens the residue, making it easier to remove from the grooves." A beneficial side effect is that the unpleasant odour also disappears after time in the freezer. After freezing, scrape them out. But be careful: this requires a delicate touch. "It's best to put on rubber gloves and use a tool that isn't too sharp, such as a knife without a point," she says. That allows you to remove the residue from the tread bit by bit without damaging the shoe. Sprays are then a quick remedy. Shoe deodorants, special odour removers or even your own perfume all work, says Schulz. If you prefer home remedies, use lemon or bicarbonate of soda. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn nam xxde arw

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The most banned book in the United States (about growing up LGBTQ+) is getting a new expanded edition. The anotated version of Maia Kobabe's award-winning graphic memoir "Gender Queer" with commentary by Kobabe and other comic creators and scholars comes out next year. Los Angeles (tca/dpa) – A new expanded edition of Maia Kobabe's award-winning graphic memoir "Gender Queer " will be released next year. Oni Press has announced that "Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition" will be available in May. The special hardcover edition of the seminal LGBTQ+ coming of age memoir includes commentary by Kobabe as well as other comic creators and scholars. "For fans, educators, and anyone else who wants to know more, I am so excited to share 'Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition,'" Kobabe said in the news release. "Queer and trans cartoonists, comics scholars, and multiple people who appear in the book as characters contributed their thoughts, reactions, and notes to this new edition." The new 280-page hardcover will feature "comments on the color design process, on comics craft, on family, on friendship, on the touchstone queer media that inspired me and countless other people searching for meaningful representation, and on the complicated process of self-discovery," the author added. Released in 2019, "Gender Queer" follows Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, from childhood into eir young adult years as e navigates gender and sexuality and eir understanding of who e is. The books is a candid look into the nonbinary author's exploration of identity, chronicling the frustrations and joys and epiphanies of eir journey and self discovery. "It's really hard to imagine yourself as something you've never seen," Kobabe told The Times in 2022. "I know this firsthand because I didn't meet someone who was out as trans or nonbinary until I was in grad school. It's weird to grow up and be 25 before you meet someone who is like the same gender as you." Since the publication of "Gender Queer," the political climate has been increasinglyhostile to the LGBTQ+ community . Right-wing activists and politicians havepushed for legislation to restrictqueer and trans rights , including how sexual orientation and gender identity can be addressed inclassrooms . Caught in the crossfire of thisconservative, anti-LGBTQ+ culture war , "Gender Queer" has become one of the mostchallenged andbanned books in the United States. In addition to commentary by Kobabe, "Gender Queer: The Annotated Edition" will feature comments from fellow artists and comics creatives Jadzia Axelrod, Ashley R. Guillory, Justin Hall, Kori Michele Handwerker, Phoebe Kobabe, Hal Schrieve, Rani Som, Shannon Watters and Andrea Colvin. Sandra Cox, Ajuan Mance and Matthew Noe are among the academic figures who contributed to the new edition. "It's been almost seven years since I wrote the final words of this memoir; revisiting these pages today, in a radically different and less accepting political climate, sparked a lot of new thoughts for me as well," Kobabe said in the news release. "I hope readers enjoy this even richer text full of community voices." The following information is not intended for publication dpa tca arw

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The conflicting, conflicted story is messy, lacking the moral clarity popular today and with neither a hero nor villain or antihero. But as audience responses evolve over time, “Rocky Horror” remains a living document rather than a static piece of art. New York (tca/dpa) – “God said: ‘Let there be lips!’” So the audience shouts as Patricia Quinn’s disembodied, stop-sign-red mouth appears on the big screen, the luscious sneer crooning the opening number of cult film/movie musical “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” First-timers to a “Rocky Horror” midnight screening, which occur regularly at many places in the Pacific Northwest and around the world, would be forgiven for thinking they’d stumbled into an actual cult. Loyalty pledge: check. Special outfits: check. Initiation rites and unison chanting: check and check. Luckily this cult’s primary tenets are about having fun and being yourself, which undercuts the idea of a bad cult in a major way. These popular screenings often feature a shadow cast (more on that later) and both new and veteran attendees filled with rambunctious enthusiasm. How has this 1975 film retained such relevance and resonance for five decades? “Even today you see younger people who maybe aren't able to be their full or true selves at home or in school,” said Aaron Colter , co-owner of Portland’s Clinton Street Theater , which has hosted “Rocky Horror” screenings weekly since April 1978 . “(‘Rocky’) brings outsiders together, shows them community and opens them up to new experiences. That's why we keep it going.” Time warp Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman’s stage musical “The Rocky Horror Show” opened in London in 1973, and a film adaptation — rechristened “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” — came out in 1975. Tim Curry reprised his stage role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a “sweet transvestite” from the planet Transylvania, a mad scientist who wears fishnets and a corset under his lab coat and dedicates his lab to building the perfect man. Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon star as Brad and Janet, a naive young engaged couple who stumble on Frank-N-Furter’s creepy manse when their car breaks down in a rainstorm. The film, a campy tribute to rock musicals and the sci-fi and horror B-movies of the 1950s, opened with a thud (as did the stage production’s transfer to Broadway , also in 1975). That all changed when the producers started late-night screenings at the Waverly Theater in New York City’s Greenwich Village . Audience members began showing up dressed as the characters and talking back to the screen, and these callbacks, many of which cannot be printed in this paper, became a kind of secondary script over the years. Soon fans in costume, including a meaningful presence from the LGBTQ+ community, were miming and lip-syncing characters’ lines in front of the film, and the concept of the shadow cast was born. “Don't dream it, be it!” What happens when you attend a shadow cast screening of “Rocky Horror?” Let’s start with what will not happen. You will not just sit quietly and watch the movie. You may not even be able to hear the movie, but that’s hardly the point. Audience participation is encouraged (but optional) and props are plentiful (and often available for purchase). Expect toilet paper flying, newspapers rustling and handfuls of rice raining down. Expect to get on your feet and do “The Time Warp,” a spaced-out sort of line dance, with dance instructions in the lyrics. A shadow cast isn’t a shadow cast without virgin games, said Rin McLaughlin , the stage manager and a performer with Vicarious Theatre Company . The long-running Seattle -based shadow cast performs the first Saturday of every month at the Regal Meridian movie theater in downtown Seattle . These initiation rites, good-natured onstage hazing rituals for first-time attendees, are limited only by a shadow cast’s imagination. (Newcomers under 18, McLaughlin clarified, will recite the Rocky Pledge, a parody of the Pledge of Allegiance that promises dedication to decadence and self-expression.) “We want people to feel as welcome as possible from the very beginning,” said McLaughlin, who first attended Vicarious performances as a middle schooler in the early 2000s and then joined the group as a high schooler. Longstanding relationships with “Rocky Horror” seem to be the rule rather than the exception. Joshua Wood , founder and director of Riff Raff’s Street Rats, a shadow cast troupe that performs all over the Northwest and calls the Tracyton Movie House in Bremerton its home, first saw a “Rocky Horror” shadow cast as a tween in Tacoma , and a lifelong connection was born. For some 15 years, Wood worked with the Blue Mouseketeers at the 100-year-old Blue Mouse Theatre in Tacoma , which still hosts “Rocky” screenings every second and fourth Saturday of the month. He formed Riff Raff’s Street Rats after moving out of Tacoma , and intentionally made it a nonauditioned company. “The beautiful thing about ‘Rocky Horror’ is that there aren't really any barriers to getting involved,” Wood said. More than half of Riff Raff’s shows in recent years, as well as its ongoing monthly shows at West Seattle’s Admiral Theater , raise money for nonprofits or charities. A plaque in the company office, Wood said, reads: Using what we love to make the world a better place. One night after a show in Portland , Wood said, a young man in tears threw his arms around him. He told Wood that he was gay, something he couldn’t tell his strict religious family. “That night shifted my meaning as to why I do this,” Wood said. As might be expected from a film released in 1975, there’s some, shall we say, questionable content in “Rocky Horror,” like some language and sexual trickery that would not pass inspection from a 2025 cultural perspective. The conflicting, conflicted story retains all of its 1970s messiness — Frank-N-Furter, in particular, lacks the moral clarity popular today, and is neither a hero nor a villain or antihero, while also being a genderqueer pioneer. But because audience responses can evolve over time, “Rocky Horror” can remain a living document rather than a static piece of art, in a way that most films can’t. “Just asking questions like, ‘Is this still a fair portrayal of queer people?’ is really healthy,” said Ethereal Rosenblum, a Vicarious performer and the company’s PR manager, who is currently writing their master of fine arts thesis on the horror genre (including “Rocky Horror”) and its impact on the trans community. “There's a lot of open dialogue now,” they said. “If people have a hard boundary about something, we listen, and there are certain jokes that we know not to make.” For example, McLaughlin added, there’s the character of Dr. Scott , who is a wheelchair user in the film. If a company doesn’t have a wheelchair user in the cast, McLaughlin said, they allow that character to be ambulatory, to positive response from their fans from the disability community. That malleability, which applies offstage as much as on, is what keeps “Rocky Horror” alive. As an audience member, your experience is entirely up to you. You want to scream at the screen? Go for it. Prefer to just soak it all in? Also fine! All you have to do is come as you are, whoever that is today, and you’re part of a worldwide community that has been gathering to celebrate self-expression for 50 years. As the show demands, in its lyrics: “Don't dream it, be it!” The following information is not intended for publication dpa tca arw

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Berlin (dpa) – Timing is everything when it comes to dough. This is especially true if you're thinking of freezing your pizza base, bread dough or cinnamon rolls before baking. Dough that uses yeast as a leavener can generally be frozen without problems, but this kind needs some extra care when being taken out of the freezer for spontaneous use. Here are three tips for successfully baking with frozen yeast dough. 1. Freeze before letting it rise Once all the ingredients are kneaded together, the yeast dough should be frozen straight away before it has a chance to rise. "If you let it rise first and then freeze it, the dough often becomes sticky during baking," says nutrition expert Katharina Holthausen. Your final result will then often be dense and compact rather than light and airy. It’s worth noting that baked goods made from frozen yeast dough may be slightly less fluffy than usual, particularly with sweet doughs. "Freezing works especially well with savoury doughs like pizza or bread dough," Holthausen says. 2. Allow extra time for rising On the day you want to bake, you'll likely need to remove the dough from the freezer a few hours before baking. That's because it needs to thaw first, meaning it will take about twice as long to rise compared to freshly prepared yeast dough. A mildly warm temperature of no more than 25° can help speed up the rise. Avoid defrosting in a microwave since it can dry out the dough. 3. Save time with flat packaging To save time, try freezing your dough as flat as possible in freezer bags. This reduces the time it needs to thaw while also making it easier to store in the freezer. "For pizza dough, you can even roll it out beforehand and freeze it in layers with baking paper in between," says Holthausen. Wrap the layers in cling film to keep them airtight and prevent freezer burn. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn bac yyzz n1 amc

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As dainty and delicious as they are simple, mug cakes are a great way to satisfy a spontaneous cravings for a baked treat. To help stop things from getting dry or chewy, these few tips from baking pros will come in handy. Berlin (dpa) – Their fame comes not from recipe books or cookery shows, but emails. Some time in the mid-2000s, viral recipes started popping up in inboxes and calling for people to ditch the long-winded baking slog for something simpler. Mix, bake and eat the ingredients in a mug. About two decades later, the art of the mug cake has been well refined. "They’re ready in just a few minutes, making them perfect for busy days — especially when you’re in a hurry," says food blogger Angelina Antal. "The biggest difference between mug cakes and traditional cakes is the small quantities of ingredients." Recipes are typically designed for one or two servings, so they’re not intended for feeding a large group of guests. "In my opinion, mug cakes are perfect when I need a small, sweet moment for myself," says Antal. "For example, as a quick break while working from home or in the evening on the sofa." If unexpected guests arrive, you can whip up a mug cake and serve it to them in just minutes. What you put on top of them is what makes the biggest impression. "The topping is important because it turns a simple mug cake into something special," says Antal. "Whipped cream or a cream cheese frosting with a slightly salty note balances the sweetness of the cake. Add some berries, chocolate or nuts for texture, flavour and a nice look," she suggests. Simple recipe, endless variations Cookbook author Kathrin Runge, who showcases various versions of mug cakes on a food blog, says their speed is what allows you to experiment with them. "Because mug cakes are so quick and easy, you can try out new variations all the time," she says. The basic recipe can be enhanced with different spices such as cinnamon, vanilla, tonka beans or orange zest. It’s also nice to fold in small amounts of berries, apple pieces, chocolate chips, nuts or shredded coconut. "The key is to use small quantities," Runge says. Most basic recipes include egg, sugar, oil or butter, flour and baking powder. Additional ingredients depend on the type of mug cake you want: chocolate, lemon, berry or caramel. Once the ingredients are mixed in the mug with a fork, the microwave settings are crucial — and some trial and error may be needed. The right mug and microwave settings "Depending on the microwave, the cake might initially taste a bit rubbery," says Runge. She recommends setting the microwave to 800 watts and experimenting with the timing: "Mug cakes take between one and two minutes. For the first attempt, I suggest starting with a shorter time and then increasing in 20-second intervals. A quick taste with a spoon will tell you if the cake is done." What kind of mug should you use? "It must be microwave-safe, with no metallic elements, and preferably not overly decorated, as the design could be affected in the microwave," says Runge. Depending on the recipe, mugs with a capacity of at least 250 ml are suitable. It’s important not to overfill the mug, as the batter rises significantly. The mug should only be half to three-quarters full. "For the first attempt, I’d recommend placing a small plate under the mug and staying near the microwave," Runge advises. "This way, you can quickly see if the batter overflows," she explains. Mug cakes rise significantly in the microwave, often spilling over the edge, but they also deflate slightly as they cool. Best enjoyed fresh One distinct feature of mug cakes is that they taste best immediately after baking. "You should eat mug cakes right away because the texture suffers if they’re left for an hour or more," says Runge. It’s also possible to bake mug cakes in the oven. At 180°C (top/bottom heat), they take about 20 minutes. However, this eliminates the main advantage of mug cakes — the extremely short preparation time for when you’re in a hurry. "If you have that much time, you might as well bake muffins or a quick tray bake," Runge suggests. These will stay fresh longer but will also require more equipment than just a mug — and if you’re baking for yourself, you’ll likely have leftovers. When asked about favourite mug cake recipes, Runge opts for lemon mug cake. "With or without a small lemon glaze — this cake is wonderfully refreshing." Antal, on the other hand, says: "A true underdog is the vanilla mug cake: simple but incredibly delicious." For colder seasons, the blogger recommends warming spices like cinnamon or gingerbread spice. "You can also experiment with peanut butter or almond butter. For a fruity twist, try strawberries or apricots," Antal adds. "The possibilities are endless." The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn jfa yyzz a3 bzl cwg sw

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Berlin (dpa) – Mug cakes could not be simpler. You prep the ingredients in a mug, bake in the microwave and eat the cake straight from the mug you started in. If you don't have the patience for traditional baking, but want a warm fluffy sponge without the clean-up, then this mini cake is just the thing. For a fluffy caramel mug cake conjured up in just minutes, baking specialist Kathrin Runge uses this recipe in one of her cookery books. Ingredients for one heatproof mug (approx. 300 ml): 4 pieces of white chocolate 1 tbsp milk or cream 1 medium-sized egg 1 tbsp sugar 1.5 tbsp neutral oil 4 tbsp wheat flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 soft caramel toffees or fudge Preparation: Chop the white chocolate and melt it with the milk in the microwave at around 300 watts for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Whisk the egg and sugar in the mug. Add the oil, melted chocolate, flour and baking powder, and mix everything together with a fork. Cut one caramel toffee into small pieces and fold it into the batter. Bake in the microwave at about 800 watts for 40 seconds. Add the second caramel piece on top and bake for another 50 seconds. Let it cool briefly and enjoy warm. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn jfa yyzz n1 xlt cwg sw coh

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If you are a first time cheese-maker, try these easy recipes for a home-made treat for guests. Quark, yoghurt balls and Indian paneer are all great ways to find your way into the joys of cheese making. Berlin (dpa) – If you are a first-timer at cheese making, there are some easy ones to start with. For sure, to make Pecorino or blue cheese, you need to know a little more about cheese-making and have the necessary equipment at home. But beginners can easily make simple cheeses such as quark or yoghurt balls in their kitchens. Even Indian paneer is easy for amateurs to make themselves. For those unfamiliar with it, quark is a soft, fresh dairy product similar to a thick yogurt or mild sour cream, originating from Germany and Eastern Europe. You make it out of soured milk that is warmed to curdle, the whey strained to create a a soft, creamy, and high-protein cheese you can use on sandwiches, in cakes or even with potatoes. But why go to all that trouble when you can buy cheese, quark and the like? "It's the joy of doing it. And you have something special and unique on the table when you eat," says Sibylle Roth-Marwedel, a qualified agricultural engineer and consultant for farm cheesemakers. She has also written a book on cheese making, together with Anja Schnellbeck. Start with yoghurt cheese, or labneh, as an easy way to get started, although strictly speaking it is not cheese, says Ingeborg Hanreich, a nutritionist who has written two books on cheese, together with her mother. "This way, you can conjure up something exquisite with very little effort," says Hanreich. She would use yoghurt with a fat content of 3.5%. "Because fat always adds flavour." Eye-catcher: make an impression with yoghurt balls The yoghurt – it can simply be one from the supermarket – is hung in a cloth over a bowl. You can use old, boiled cloth handkerchiefs or nappy cloths, for example. "It's best to boil them several times beforehand," she says. The liquid drips off the yoghurt for a day or overnight. "It's best to turn the cloth contents occasionally," says Hanreich. This is because "the cloth will eventually contain a firmer mass, to which a little salt is added before processing." This can be shaped into small balls, which can then be rolled in sesame seeds, pepper, caraway seeds or herbs. These yoghurt balls are a colourful eye-catcher on any dining table. For a longer shelf life, the balls – without toppings – can also be preserved in oil. "Sealed in an airtight container, they will keep for up to three months," says Hanreich. Make your own quark with sour milk bacteria The next stage, quark, is a little more complicated as the milk has to be soured. If you haven't bought it directly from the farmer or if it has been heated, you need to add sour milk bacteria. These are found in yoghurt, butter or sour milk, for example. If you take half a litre of milk, for example, add two to three tablespoons of buttermilk. Leave the mixture at room temperature for about a day. The acidification time depends on the temperature, says Hanreich. The longer you wait, the more acidic it becomes. The milk is then slowly heated, causing it to flocculate, and then strained through a cloth overnight. What remains is quark. You can use the drained liquid from yoghurt or quark – drinking it or adding it to bath water. "It makes your skin beautifully soft," she says. Other suitable cheeses for beginners are cream cheese and Indian paneer Cream cheese is also easy to make at home. However, it requires more acid than quark – for example, lemon juice or vinegar. And to make it creamier, you need cream. Anything that does not need to mature is suitable for beginners. So if you plan to have guests in four weeks, try out the cheese recipe beforehand to get the hang of it. "Well-drained cream cheese offers many possibilities," says Roth-Marwedel, because it can be served in many different ways. You can mix it until it is creamy and pour it into a glass, alternating layers of cream cheese and green herbs. Or drain it directly into a heart-shaped mould during production and sprinkle with red paprika powder after turning it out. Roth-Marwedel and Schnellbeck also recommend paneer, a cheese that originates from India and is eaten hot from the pan. "You can get it in restaurants, but not necessarily in shops," says Roth-Marwedel – so it's something unique. When you need pasteurized milk, cheese mould or rennetWhile other types of cheese require pasteurised milk that has not been heated above 75 degrees and is labelled "traditionally produced," you can use milk from the supermarket refrigerated section to make paneer. It doesn't matter whether it has 1.5% or 3.5% fat. Here, too, the milk must be acidified, for example with yoghurt. Lemon juice is also added. You need tools such as a cheese mould when making cheese if the end product is to have a specific shape. Hard cheese is also pressed in a mould. You don't need it for paneer, but for cream cheese and other types of cheese, rennet is also required, an enzyme that ensures that the cheese holds together better. Rennet is available from specialist retailers and you usually only need a few drops for one cheese. The small bottle will keep in the refrigerator for about a year. Next level: soft cheese, Camembert or semi-hard cheese Once you've practised making quark and cream cheese, you can move on to soft cheese, says Schnellbeck. Crescenza, for example, tastes good even if you haven't quite got it right. "The only thing that can happen is that it becomes a little firmer and squeakier," she says. After that, Camembert or simple semi-hard cheeses are a good choice. "If you continue, you'll move on to Tilsiter or Gouda, and at some point you might even be able to make an alpine cheese," says Schnellbeck. In the end, it takes a lot of time as well as skill. "Cheese maturation can take anywhere from one day to five years," says Hanreich. Don't bake bread in the cheese room – otherwise the cheese will crackEven when making a simple hand cheese, you need to pay attention to the environment in which you are making it. "When it comes to proper cheese making, you shouldn't bake bread in the same room," says Hanreich. "This releases yeast into the air, which can cause the cheese to crack, taste bad or even spoil, making it inedible." Pollen count can also affect those making cheese at home. "It's said that when first trying your hand at cheese making in your own kitchen, it is best to make cheese from May to autumn," says Hanreich. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn bac xxde arw

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Now's the time to think about planting bulbs for spring. Gardening expert Sarah Raven offers her favourite mixes. London (PA Media/dpa) – Every spring, gardening expert and author Sarah Raven relishes the fruits of her labours as her container tulips bring a riot of colour to her garden at Perch Hill Farm, East Sussex, Britain, where visitors can see the glorious combinations of bulbs during open days from mid-April. She has now collaborated with renowned creators and designers, including Kim Murray and "Gardeners’ World" presenter Arit Anderson, to release a new edition of "The Collective," featuring their own autumn planting tulip choices to celebrate the colours they are passionate about. Whether it’s soft pastels or vibrant oranges, velvet reds, purples and pinks, there is a tulip combination which will brighten up your containers, says Raven, author of "A Year Full Of Pots," who runs courses and workshops at Perch Hill and beyond. Here, she suggests three of her favourite combinations. 1. Pretty pastels “If you want a pastel palette you probably want them to flower all at the same time. We have a ‘Shells on the Beach’ collection including gentle colours with types like ‘Sanne’, the most amazing pink to apricot, ‘Silver Cloud’, which is a wonderful mauve, and ‘Mango Charm’, again an apricot colour. These come later so if you want something which comes earlier, try a variety called ‘Mystic van Eijk’, then with that collection you will get a succession of colours that really work.” 2. Pure white “If you have a shady spot you could go for almost a pure white. I would go for ‘White Valley’, which is one of my favourites, mixed with ‘Purissima’ which are really early and will give you a succession, maybe planted with something like the later flowering ‘White Triumphator’.” 3. Bold and brilliant “For an incredibly beautiful, bold and brilliant collection of colours, with orange, pink and crimson, a great combination is ‘Mariette’, ‘Sarah Raven’ and ‘Ballerina’, the most lovely scented orange.” She also recommends ‘Unique de France’, a red variety with glossy leaves which look fantastic in a pot. Should you mix your plantings? Some people prefer their pots to contain just tulips to display their true brilliance, others mix them with other plants. “We tend to plant tulips with something to keep the grey squirrels from eating the bulbs underneath. So we overplant either with edible crops like flat-leaved parsley or hardy salad leaves like rocket or mizuna. “You could do wallflowers or pansies. In our trials here we found that by over-planting, the grey squirrels don’t smell or notice the bulbs underneath. “The other thing that works really well is Iris reticulata, the little irises, which flower in February so they precede the tulips but if we are going to do those we put our rose prunings in a noughts and crosses grid over the top of the pot to guard against grey squirrels. “If you don’t have roses in your garden, take some holly or brambles and use those instead.” Raven also plants a lot of earlier flowering snowdrops and crocus in her pots which will emerge long before the tulips and lift the garden in February, when low light levels can bring on the winter blues. “As soon as the snowdrops are done, I take them out of the pot complete with leaves and plant them in the garden. “With the iris, I take them out with the tulips once they are all done and store them in an onion bag in a barn until the next autumn.” Planting tips Unlike some spring bulbs, tulips fare better when planted later in the year, she suggests. “Compared with alliums, hyacinths and narcissi, tulips start putting down their roots very late. They don’t start putting the bulb under the strain of growth until later than all the other species. The physiology of the plant means that you can plant it last. “The second reason is that historically when we used to have frost, which with climate change we don’t have so much, it was always thought to be good to have a few hard frosts, which would then kill the tulip blight spores which sit on the surface of the soil. “That is no longer so relevant because here we don’t get a frost until January in Sussex. With our wet, mild autumns, winters and springs like we had in 2023 and 2024, tulip blight is becoming more of a problem because of the lack of frost.” Container advice When planting tulips in containers, plant the bulbs closer than you would in the border, Raven advises. “In a border you tend to space them one-and-a-half times the diameter of the bulb. In a pot, I would do one times the diameter.” Don’t worry about watering because it will rain over the winter and they are not coming into growth straight away, she advises. Be careful about pot hygiene, she adds. If you know you’ve had blight in the pot the previous season, give the pot a wash with a disinfectant to kill the spores. The following information is not intended for publication dpa pa arw

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