Expert Gardening Tips
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Alan Titchmarsh: The plants that make me smile the most
Alan Titchmarsh admits that the plants that give him most pleasure aren't always the ones he's intended to grow.
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A nursery where you'll come away having spent a lot of money — but you'll be very pleased to have done so
Charles Quest-Ritson takes a look at the incomparable hepaticas of John Massey.
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Alan Titchmarsh: Spring's hoary old clichés might be trite — but they're all true
The phrase 'Spring is a new beginning’ may be a touch trite for today’s tastes, says Alan Titchmarsh, but it is 'a phrase that invades my mind each and every March'.
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Blackcurrants: Easy to grow, endlessly versatile, and why home-grown is way better than you'll find in the shops
Mark Diacono makes a case for blackcurrants being one of the best — and simplest — fruits to grow in your garden.
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Anna Pavord: 'I never quite remember how glorious it is going to be, that first day in spring'
The gardener and writer Anna Pavrod on the joy of rediscovery that is spring.
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Grow your own tomatoes: What to plant, when to plant them and how to make sure they thrive
Nothing beats the flavour of homegrown tomatoes, whether you like them large and meaty or tiny and juicy. Mark Diacono has the lowdown on how to do it and which varieties to choose.
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There are over 1,000 different citrus fruits out there — and you owe it to yourself to try something a little different
Once, there were just four types of wild citrus, but farmers and gardeners over the centuries have selected for wonderful variety and abundance, says Charles Quest-Ritson.
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How to start your own cutting garden, by three of Britain's most successful flower growers
Nothing beats homegrown flowers for beauty, variety and scent. Tiffany Daneff asks three British growers for the best advice on starting your own cutting garden.
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How to grow fritillaries
The exotic snake’s-head fritillary is the only British native of 130 bulbs in this fascinating family, many of which deserve a place in the garden. John Hoyland, garden adviser at Glyndebourne in East Sussex, recommends the best and shares tips on how to grow them, with additional tips from botanical artist and Fritillaria specialist Laurence Hill.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The hardest thing in life is keeping a sense of perspective. In that respect, a garden has no equal
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The place you'll find the world's best roses — and it's nowhere near Britain
Charles Quest-Ritson is man who literally wrote the book on roses — several of them, actually — but he'll openly concede that his best efforts in Hampshire are as nothing compared to the best Australia has to offer.
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Wild Garlic: How to forage it, and how to grow your own
If you are new to foraging, wild garlic is the ideal place to start says Mark Diacono.
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Alan Titchmarsh: I won't hear a bad word about privet hedges, but they're not a patch on my one-off 'country hedge'
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In search of a mutant snowdrop
Charles Quest-Ritson tells the tale of a snowdrop that proved a painfully elusive wintry delight.
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The forest garden in Devon 'with an air of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory'
Mark Diacono on Martin Crawford, the man who has inspired him for decades.
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Your month-by-month checklist of what to do in the garden and when in 2022
Keeping on top of the gardening jobs can be daunting, and it's all too easy to let things slide in one area or another for a month or two.
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Alan Titchmarsh: My favourite books for winter garden dreaming
As the gardening takes a back seat and the sofa and the fire beckon, Alan recommends some of his favourite books to while away the long winter nights.
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Country Life's top 10 garden stories of 2022
Our look at the best garden and nature articles of the last year from Country Life includes some very special gardens indeed.
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The man who was 'by far the most significant breeder of rhododendrons of the 20th century'
Charles Quest-Ritson pays tribute to the great Hans Hachmann, the most important plantsman you've probably never heard of.