Who wouldn’t want to turn their garden into a whimsical space straight out of a fairytale?! That’s exactly what adding mushroom solar garden lights, the latest garden lighting trend, to your outdoor space will do. And the best part is how affordable they are, with prices starting at just £8!

Adding whimsy to both interiors and outdoor spaces has been a major trend this year – and garden lighting ideas are the perfect way to do that as we’ve seen with the likes of Nigella Lawson creating magical garden lighting set-ups. Paired with the ever-popular mushroom motif, you have a match made in whimsical heaven.

The mushroom microtrend has grown in popularity over the last couple of years, taking over interiors at Christmas and becoming a hugely popular garden trend too. While you can add little metal mushroom stakes to your garden or even grow your own sculptural mushrooms, these little lights are one of the best ways I’ve seen this motif displayed in the garden. It feels very Alice in Wonderland without being gimmicky.

I have spotted mushroom garden lights all over the high street, but Habitat and Lights4Fun have my favourite models that are both solar powered. Each set has a little solar panel that comes attached to the lights, so you can just leave the lights to do their own thing, and they’ll automatically glow in the dark once the sun sets.

One reviewer of the popular Habitat mini mushroom solar stake lights, selling for £10 at Argos, wrote, ‘I bought these lights to go round our new pond. The effect at nighttime is lovely as the lights are reflected in the water. This is my third set of lights and all are still working perfectly. Two sets are now over 3 years old and left out all year round.’

Another customer that purchased the Lights4fun mini mushroom solar stake lights, currently on sale for £7.99, wrote, ‘These little solar lights are perfect. They give a soft white light and I have grouped them around large potted trees on the patio near the house. A real talking point!’

However, they’re not the only retailers selling these charming decorative lights. Here are my top picks to add some magical flair to your plant pots and borders.

My top picks

Whether you place these mushroom solar lights along your fence, in your borders or by a pond, they are sure to make your outdoor space look like an enchanting garden that’s out of this world. The only question left to answer is, which one of these mushroom lights will you be adding to basket?

Experts have revealed the five household appliances to switch off during a heatwave to help your home stay cool and save money on your energy bills,

If you’ve been wondering whether you should switch off appliances during summer, the answer is yes, you should. Not only do vampire devices cause your bills to add up, but many appliances emit excess heat, which is never a good thing in periods of hot weather.

Turning off household appliances you’re not using is a great, free way to cool your home. These are the five the experts say to turn off now.

1. Countertop appliances

While the best air fryers, microwaves, blenders and perhaps the viral Ninja Creami (£199.99 at Amazon), considering the weather, are great appliances to have on your countertops, they do produce unnecessary heat if not unplugged.

‘The kitchen can easily become the hottest room in the house, especially when cooking or with larger appliances such as washing machines or dishwashers running. This can become unbearable during heatwaves, so there are some small steps you can take to help reduce room temperature,’ says appliance expert at AO.com, Katie Lillywhite.

‘Start with smaller worktop appliances, like microwaves, kettles, toasters and coffee machines. Some more modern varieties feature digital displays which can generate more heat alongside internal components. Switching them off at the outlet when they’re not in use can keep the space cooler.

2. Tumple dryers

You should also be avoiding your tumble dryer and drying clothes outside where possible. If you have a small garden or balcony, Argos Home’s £11 retractable line is great for small spaces.

‘Tumble dryers are among the greatest sources of indoor heat generated in UK households. Using tumble dryers produces a lot of warm air in the immediate environment, quickly making utility rooms, kitchens, and adjacent rooms very warm in no time,’ says Max Wilson, co-founder at Pocket Storage.

‘During times of heatwaves, it is worthwhile to make use of the weather and dry clothes outside whenever possible. It not only keeps your house cooler, but it also cuts back on your expenses.’

3. Standby electronics

Another big culprit for excessive heat is standby electronics. From TVs to game consoles, these all emit extra heat you don’t need during a heatwave.

‘Many people underestimate how much heat everyday electronics generate, even in standby mode. Smart TV’s, games consoles and streaming boxes continually draw power and release low-level heat which can subtly raise room temperature when combined with other appliances,’ says Katie.

‘Try to keep them unplugged when not in use on hot days, as this will not only cut energy consumption but also reduce heat that can make a room feel stuffy.’

4. Chargers and adapters

During the most recent heatwave, I was kind of worried my phone was about to explode whilst charging. It is an old model, but I couldn’t believe the heat coming off it – and experts say you should avoid leaving them plugged in when you don’t need them.

‘Mobile phone chargers, laptop chargers and adapters tend to remain connected to the wall socket at all times. If you’ve ever picked up an adapter that wasn’t in use, only to find out that it was still hot to the touch, it’s because it was still using some electricity,’ says Max.

‘As insignificant as the effect is by itself, their cumulative effects lead to energy wastage and generate unwanted heat. Unplugging them would be one way of saving some energy.’

5. Lights

Lastly, your lighting can be generating excess heat and wasting lighting. While layered lighting might be a popular lighting trend, ask yourself if you really need it during hot weather.

‘Lighting is something that is often overlooked as a means of generating unnecessary heat. Older bulbs, in particular, can give off a lot more heat when compared to LED alternatives. Be sure to keep lights switched off as much as possible throughout the day and consider swapping incandescent or halogen bulbs for LEDs,’ says Katie.

If you want to stay cool and save money, make sure you keep these appliances switched off when not in use.

Here’s something I didn’t expect to see on my TikTok feed this week: an electric toothbrush being used on a tomato plant.

That’s right – gardeners are now using electric toothbrushes to vibrate the flowers on their tomato plants. I first saw the trick on @farmhouseinthefield’s TikTok video. It’s said to encourage the plants to produce more tomatoes – so if, like me, you’re growing your own tomatoes, you’re probably wondering whether this trick can actually produce a bumper crop.

I asked the experts whether an electric toothbrush can really make a tomato plant produce more tomatoes. There’s more credit to the idea than you’d think!

I asked pro gardeners to share some of the lessons they learned about growing tomatoes recently, and ‘vibrate the plants with an electric toothbrush’ wasn’t on the list.

It’s curious, then, that gardeners are now shouting about the trick on social media. In a nutshell, they’re holding an electric toothbrush (sometimes wrapped in a plastic bag) against the stems of their tomato plants so that the plants vibrate, too.

‘I believe the toothbrush trick is designed to mimic what’s known as buzz pollination – the vibration that bumblebees create when they land on flowers,’ says horticulture expert and The Plant Pod host Ross Dyke.

‘Tomatoes are self-pollinating, but they still need their pollen to be shaken loose and transferred within the flower. Outdoors, wind and insects usually take care of this, but in greenhouses or more sheltered conditions, an electric toothbrush can provide the gentle vibration needed to improve pollination. It won’t encourage the plant to produce more flowers, but it can help more of those flowers develop into tomatoes.’

So, it isn’t a case of making the plant flower more – it’s more about making the most of the flowers that are already there and, crucially, encouraging them to turn into tomatoes.

‘To do this effectively, turn the toothbrush to its highest setting, and gently press the non-bristle side of the head or the base of the brush against the stem behind a flower,’ says Richard Barker, horticultural expert and commercial director of LBS Horticulture. ‘You should see a small cloud of pollen puff out from the flower. Do this every few days as new flowers open on the plant.’

There are more reliable ways you can encourage a tomato plant to produce more flowers and tomatoes, though. Pinching out tomato side shoots is one of them, but it’s also a good idea to feed them this month.

‘Focusing on plant health and nutrition is likely to deliver far greater results than reaching for an electric toothbrush,’ Ross says. ‘My go-to product is Maximato from Envii, which has been specifically developed for tomatoes and provides the nutrients and beneficial microbes needed to support strong growth, abundant flowering and healthy fruit development.’

Ross also cites plenty of sunshine and consistent watering as key stepping stones to plenty of harvests (especially if you’re growing tomatoes in hanging baskets or pots).

Tomato growing essentials

If you’re growing tomatoes in a greenhouse, the electric toothbrush trick is a brilliant way to keep them pollinated (and more tomatoes!).

Ninja’s most stylish colourway, Stone Gold, is having a serious moment right now with the extension of the sellout colour across a huge range of bestselling products. From the Swirl to compact, small-kitchen friendly best Ninja air fryers, the kitchen giant has really outdone itself with this effortlessly luxurious shade.

First released this time last year, this gorgeous neutral shade went seriously viral on TikTok. I was watching out for more stock of the Ninja Dual Zone in this exact colour for months and months until it finally reappeared in October.

If you were one of the lucky few who picked up that stylish colour way back then, or if you just love the look of the range now, then you can finally shop Ninja’s other bestsellers in it too, including brand new products thanks to these exclusives that debuted just for Amazon Prime Day. Here’s a look at what’s available.

Since working on Ideal Home, I’ve seen Ninja release many special-edition colours to coincide with Prime Day and Black Friday. The most memorable include the range with copper accents which is now a permanent fixture on Amazon due to its popularity.

There’s even more colour choice on offer for Ninja’s most fun kitchen buys – notably the Slushi and the Creami, which got a pastel make over last year as well as two-tone options inspired by frozen drinks and desserts.

It’s not clear yet whether this beige colour will become a permanent addition to Ninja’s colourway line up or whether it’s only available during Amazon’s sales events so if this is the shade for you, I’d recommend snapping it up fast!