Expert Gardening Tips

Charles Quest-Ritson: English gardens are the envy of the world, but the countryside is even greater

Reminiscing on an encounter with a group of garden tourists gives our columnist pause for thought about the nature of horticultural beauty.

Monty Don: The point of gardening? It's to find solace, to be happy, to make beauty, have fun and muck about. How you do it doesn't matter.

Monty Don, gardening writer and broadcaster, speaks to Country Life’s Tiffany Daneff about dogs with film presence and the lockdown recording process.

Alan Titchmarsh: 'Gardeners always think that next year will be so much better than last year; farmers always fear it will be worse'

Alan Titchmarsh on the joys of the flowers that come to our late summer gardens — and the anticipation of starting to plan for next year.

'The Spitfire made everyone who sat in the aircraft’s tiny cockpit feel great, feel godly': A eulogy to the Spitfire, 80 years on from its Finest Hour

Outnumbered yet never outfought, The Few buckled on their Spitfires and rode into the Battle of Britain like knights on their chargers. Eighty years on, their true memorial is the freedom in the air we breathe.

How to grow squash: What to plant, where to plant it and the advice that is 'gardening gold, pure and simple'

In years of growing all sorts of different types of squash, Mark Diacono has formed strong opinions on the best varieties to try. Here he shares his wisdom.

Keith Weed: The new president of the RHS gives a tour of his own garden

Keith Weed, the aptly-named new president of Royal Horticultural Society, spoke to Country Life's gardens editor Tiffany Daneff about his love of plants, his new role — and showed her around his own garden.

Charles Quest-Ritson: Why every gardener in Britain should be growing philadelphus

Charles Quest-Ritson's list of flowers that every garden should own includes the usual names — rose, daffodil, clematis. But he'd also add the less-well-known philadelphus. Here's why.

Alan Titchmarsh: The unwritten rules of choosing planters for your garden

Gardener, writer and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh shares the secrets of what planters to buy — and what plants to put in them.

How to grow your own peaches: The best varieties to choose, where to plant them, and how to keep them safe

Yes, you can grow peaches in Britain — so long as you know a few simple tips. Mark Diacono explains more.

Mary Keen: How to plant your own wildflower meadow

The gardener, plantswoman and writer Mary Keen shares her experience of planting a spectacular wildflower meadow.

Charles Quest-Ritson: What English country gardeners can learn from their German counterparts

Charles Quest-Ritson has spent years making trips to Germany to gather ideas and new plants — but is puzzled that nobody back in Britain has been able to replicate their most famous garden style.

Alan Titchmarsh: The best succulents to grow in your garden, and how to keep them safe in winter

The enthusiasm of a schoolteacher injected a young Alan Titchmarsh with passion for succulents early in life — and it still burns as bright as ever, even if his plants of choice have changed.

How to grow gooseberries: What to plant, how to look after them, and best ways to enjoy the harvest

Mark Diacono explains everything you need to know about gooseberries, the fruit 'that's really two fruits in one'.

Mark Griffiths: The irises that are fit to be the apple of any gardener's eye

Mark Griffiths takes a look at the famed irises of Japan, and how their influence has been felt to Britain — and back.

Charles Quest-Ritson: Moving back to an English country garden has been a joy — but we do miss the cheese

Giving up life on the Cherbourg peninsula to return to England has brought huge happiness to Charles Quest-Ritson — but there are still a few things he misses.

Grow your own courgettes: What to plant, when to plant it... and why size really does matter

Mark Diacono shares his tips on the surprisingly simple yet hugely rewarding art of growing courgettes.

Alan Titchmarsh: The plants which will make you ignore the crazy rules of tastefulness and embrace a riot of colour

Alan Titchmarsh admonishes us all to embrace colour in the garden — and nothing brings it as easily as pelargoniums.

The tale of Britain's 52 native orchids, and the 'maverick miscellany of amateur and professional naturalists, painters and writers' who champion them

Mark Griffiths celebrates the 52 species of native British orchids whose extraordinary history and unconventional beauty have beguiled and intrigued both scientists and amateurs.

Mark Griffiths: The joy and consolation of 'Slow Gardening' in this savage yet beautiful spring

The gardener and writer Mark Griffiths has had to unlearn the habit of a lifetime, put his diligence to one side, and embrace a slower approach to tending his garden.

Everything you need to know about Foxgloves: Beautiful, useful, poisonous — and a dream for bumblebees and plant-breeders alike

Charles Quest-Ritson celebrates one of the most striking flowers of this time of year, and offers his tips on how to make the most of them.