Charles Quest-Ritson reminisces on his younger days and laments the passing years — not least our shared tendency with gardens to become 'rather seedy in old age, which is when they need constant attention to stay looking good'.
Their frothing flower heads and bold structure give a relaxed country feel to any garden, but John Hoyland — gardens advisor at Glyndebourne — says you must choose umbellifers carefully. Here’s his guide to the best.
Between a late start and back-breaking work, Jonathan Self tries his hand at growing the humble spud.
Our columnist takes aim at the plant collectors whose desire to hit bigger numbers overtakes their love of gardening — but he pours praise on the honourable exceptions who manage to balance both impulses.
Charles Quest-Ritson watches the leaves unfurl in one of spring’s most glorious sights — the reawakening of Japanese maples in all their infinite variety — and picks out best acer varieties to grow in your garden.
Our gardens editor Tiffany Daneff picks out her favourite new books on gardening, featuring the likes of Sarah Raven, Arthur Parkinson and her predecessor at Country Life, Kathryn Bradley-Hole.
Monty Don ruffled a few feathers recently when suggesting that we should just let our grass grow as long as it likes. Is he right?
Alan Titchmarsh gives advice for growing this most glorious of horticultural spectacles.
Mark Diacono shares his top tips on how to plant white and red currants, which varieties to choose — and how to make the most of them in the kitchen.
A beautiful country house is as much about its surroundings as its bricks and mortar, something that the best garden designers in Britain all understand. We've completely revised and updated our list of the finest of them all.
Mark Diacono offers his top tips to sow, grow and cut your own salad and shares his favourite varieties.
Mark Diacono has planted dozens of orchards — he shares his wisdom on how to go about it.
The revered gardener Peter Catt — one of a tiny number of people to have won the RHS’s top accolade — has bred and grown some of the finest shrubs in Britian. He told Val Bourne about his ten favourites.
Alan Titchmarsh admits that it's not just gardening's most challenging tasks, but also its the mundane chores that 'give me a deep sense of pleasure'.
Garden designer Noel Kingsbury on the joy of a good bonfire.
Normal black peppercorns need more heat than you'll get in Britain — but there are extraordinary alternatives which will spice up your cooking and even save you a fortune, as Mark Diacono explains.
The gardener, writer and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh reminisces about the gardening letters he's received — and despairs at the thought of what might have become of them if they'd been sent by e-mail.
Joe Sharman started breeding snowdrops before anyone else and, after 10 years of meticulous work, he created the most expensive snowdrop ever sold. Today, he continues his quest for ever more curious and enchanting variations, finds John Grimshaw. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
Vegetable needn't be drab or dull — all you have to do is pick the right varieties. Steven Desmond shares some of his best tips.
Charles Quest-Ritson takes a look at the surprisingly tricky world of growing holly.
