Whether visiting gardens or sitting within your own, many of the beautiful plants you’ll see represent nature’s medicine box. Their properties are harnessed to create medicines as far-ranging as analgesics and antibiotics. Our expert, Timothy Walker, reveals why plants as diverse as the foxglove and rosy periwinkle can, for many, prove to be a life-saver

The name ‘Silk Road’ conjures camel caravans laden with exotic goods, braving inhospitable terrain. It was the route that introduced the Western world to silk. Yet, far more than that, it disseminated inventions, ideas, food and fashion, weaponry and more. Our expert, Chris Aslan, looks at key strands from the story of silk and the routes it has travelled

With eyes soon on Westminster Abbey for the May coronation of King Charles III, we’re reminded once more of the remarkable architecture and history of our key ecclesiastical sites. But what about the treasures they hold? Our expert, Janet Gough, reveals the stories behind five very special artefacts held in cathedrals across England and Wales.

Modernist artists pushed boundaries, not least with their sizzling designs for textiles, which played a key role in the story of modern art. Our expert, Ashley Gray, reveals the top things to know about those fabrics and their makers

Snow laden branches; a frozen lake in twilight; gleeful skaters on the ice… winter paintings are one of the joys of art history. They are also one of the most challenging genres to represent – with snow being difficult to capture convincingly. Our expert, Stella Grace Lyons, examines how artists have captured our frostiest season