Kate Walker's stories:
Every summer I get scaly patches on the backs of my hands. It starts with the first major heatwave, and finally disappears around Bonfire Night. I refuse to use steroid creams to treat it, instead making do with not itching it and using a lot of E45.
But having read this piece in The Times, I’m going to give balloon vine a whirl this summer. Also known as cardiospermum gel, balloon vine gel is a traditional Pakistani method of treating dry and irritated skins. While the evidence of its success is more anecdotal than scientific, I’m happier with word of mouth non-steroid creams than I am slathering myself in ineffective hydrocortisones for the rest of my life.
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Now, I know a lot of you will be apprehensive at the prospect of inviting stinging-type flying things into your garden, but hear me out. Bees do an awful lot of good, and the bumbling ones will only attack when provoked. So no poking them with sticks. And if it weren’t for bees busily cross-pollinating, we wouldn’t have beautiful gardens to enjoy.
Which is why you should think about getting a Pollinating Bee Log. The £15.95 logs can be hung from walls or trees, and provide safe shelter for bees and other insects.
Product page
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