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'Gardeners don't get discouraged. If we lose a plant, we look for an even better one to replace it. It's the triumph of hope over experience'The grass might have browned and died, but roses had 'the best season that I can remember', says Charles Quest-Riston — and like all gardeners, he gets knocked down, but he gets up again.
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How can anything so small be so bewitching? The huge joys of the tiny cyclamenCharles Quest-Ritson on the effortless beauty of the autumn cyclamen. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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How to grow your own pharmacy in the gardenThe power of medicinal plants should not be underestimated says Ann Treneman, as she explores the bounty of nature's pharmacy.
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Hydrangea paniculata: The bold, brave flowers that can stand up to whatever the British climate can throw at themNo garden should be without Hydrangea paniculata, which can bloom until the end of October. Charles Quest-Ritson sums up the results of the recent four-year trial at RHS Bridgewater near Manchester; photographs by Clive Nichols for Country Life.
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The expert tips and tricks to creating a tropical oasis in a very British gardenDespite climate change, tropical and tropical-style plants still need to be selected and planted with care. Steven Desmond reveals what to plant, when and where.
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Alan Titchmarsh: 'The best garden gates are a fanfare, an indication of the glories to come'Gardener, writer and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh loves nothing more than a good garden gate. Unfortunately, the one in his new garden doesn't live up to his ideals — not yet, anyway.
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What tulips should you plant this autumn? Alan Titchmarsh, Isabella Bannerman and 10 more of Britain's best gardeners and writers give their answerOverwhelmed by the mass of tulip bulbs on offer? Friends and contributors of Country Life tell us which tulips they will be planting for next spring.
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A slice of heaven for fruit lovers: One of the world's greatest apple displays is about to take place in DevonEuropom — one of the great celebrations of the fruit grown across Europe — will be taking place this year at RHS Rosemoor. Charles Quest-Ritson can't wait.
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Alan Titchmarsh: Beautifying your bordersThe gardener, writer and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh shares his tips on making the most of your flower borders.
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Charles Quest-Ritson: Today’s best young gardeners are well educated, well qualified, and well underpaid. No wonder they're voting with their feetUp and coming gardeners are dotting from job to job like the journeymen gardeners of late-Victorian and Edwardian times, says Charles Quest-Ritson.
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Mark Diacono: The plant that becomes a friend — and it's the perfect thing to put in your Pimm'sBorage is a plant that should be in every garden.
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When is a weed not a weed? When it's a wildflowerIf cultivated plants are a sign of orthodoxy and order, are weeds symbolic of anarchy and wildness? Who really decides whether flora is wildflower or weed, asks John Lewis-Stempel.
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The most demanding, delicious pelargoniums, from the variety that likes it drier than a Martini, to the flower with peppermint-scented leaves 'as soft as mouse fur'Pelar
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Alan Titchmarsh: The easily overlooked factor that's the difference between a beautiful garden and wasting thousands on plants doomed to diePlanting pot-grown trees and shrubs is a quick way to create a mature-looking garden — but unless you get planting depth right, it won't last long, explains Alan Titchmarsh.
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Charles Quest-Ritson: The 'Sir David Beckham' rose is so good that one day he'll be better remembered as a flower than a footballerFrom spectacular South African blooms to a home-grown marvel, Charles Quest-Ritson shares his favourite plants from the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
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The hedge can be a Queen of Puddings, a veritable pie, which could have its uses in all sorts of placesIsabel Bannerman needed to hide some solar panels, so decided that the best way to do it was by planting a hedge full of bountiful fruits.
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'Gardeners at their best, Britain at its best — and tickets are a snip': Alan Titchmarsh on his all-time favourite flower showIf you didn't manage to get tickets for RHS Chelsea, Alan Titchmarsh has a wonderful alternative idea for you.
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Slugs: The good, the bad, and the stomach-churningly disgustingWith anuses right next to their mouths and an ability to produce The garden designer and author Isabel Bannerman shares her feelings about slugs. Suffice to say that those feelings are not positive ones.
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The man who made daffodils the flower of spring in BritainAs the last few daffodils die back across the country, Tiffany Daneff pays tribute to the Reverend George Engleheart, the man who did more to spread the word about these gorgeous flowers than any other gardener in history.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The thrill of raising a plant from a speck of dust or a green leaf can only be learned first-handTheory and study is grand, says Alan Titchmarsh — but it'll never take the place of learning practical skills at the hands of an expert. A new initiative is about to make doing so much easier.
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Pretty little things: How the double primrose continues to hold us in its thrallCharles Quest-Ritson looks into the history and the origins of these delightful flowers.
