Expert Gardening Tips
Alan Titchmarsh, Mark Diacono, Charles Quest-Ritson, Isabella Bannerman and more of Country Life's expert columnists share their advice on what to do with your garden.
-
The trees with fruits so sweet and delectable that badgers have been known to batter their way through iron gates to get to themGarden designer and writer Isabel Bannerman doesn't normally advocate taking plants from one house to another — but her mulberry tree has been with her for years.
By Isabel Bannerman Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh: Terracotta has been used for flowerpots for 2,500 years — and it's still by far the best thing to pot your plants inPlastic pots might have conquered the industry — but look after terracotta pots and they'll last for lifetimes. Literally.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
'That first taste, six months later, was a quiet revelation': Mark Diacono on how he was inspired to grow his own vegetablesOur grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono looks back on the early days of his growing, and how things he'd never heard of such as salsify and scorzonera found a place in his heart. And his garden, of course.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
Asters: what they are, which ones to try and how to grow themThese late blooming plants 'promise future spring', making them essential for any garden.
By John Hoyland Published
-
Charles Quest-Ritson: Winter buddlejas, and the plant that might just cover the VAT on your children's school feesCharles Quest-Ritson on the buddlejas that help see him through the winter — and the plant breeding idea that could help you grow a small fortune.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
-
The best bulbs to plant in your gardens, pots and pathways to guarantee floods of colour next SpringThe anticipation of cheerful spring bulbs can keep the gardener going through the dull winter months. John Hoyland advises on what to plant for every situation, from gravel to orchards, sun, shade or in pots.
By John Hoyland Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh's Compost conundrumsNo, it's not the name of a new quiz show featuring our columnist as host (although that *would* be a hit, surely) but instead it's Alan Titchmarsh on the increasingly tricky issue of getting the right kind of compost for the right kind of planting.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
'A garden should be the cosiest of places, but with some element of awe, menace, and glimpses of the wider landscape'Isabel Bannerman shares her thoughts on making a garden that makes people feel at home.
By Isabel Bannerman Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh: The best flower shows in Britain show exactly where RHS Chelsea gets it wrongThe Chelsea Flower Show might be the most famous in the world — but does it offer the best experience for visitors? Alan Titchmarsh suggests a few others where you might have an even better time.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
Charles Quest-Ritson: 'Gardens of supreme botanical importance are being degraded by new owners and changing priorities'What's in a label? More than you might think, says Charles Quest-Ritson.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
-
The beautiful perfumed fruit that's easy to grow, needs almost no attention, and makes a magnificent Christmas liqueurEasy to manage and extremely versatile to use, quinces should be a staple in any garden says our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
If you sow seeds in June, you might just be putting down bird seed... but it's worth the risk if you love fresh summer saladsOur grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono suggests a string of ideas for what you can plant as summer kicks in.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
Why I try to get rid of the pinks in my garden — and the reason I always change my mind and end up keeping themTo pink or not to pink? John Hoyland on the flowers whose brief cameo is worth the bother.
By John Hoyland Published
-
Autumn olives: The summer fruit that enriches the soil, your lunch table and your lifeA hedge? A crop? A beautiful foliage plant? All this and more come to those who grow Autumn olive, says Mark Diacono.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh on Chelsea 2024: 'We need controversy to make us think... Just don’t expect me to regard slugs and snails as my friend'Alan Titchmarsh looks ahead to the 'matchless spectacle' of the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show, the 'Paris catwalk of the British gardening scene.'
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
'Within a month, one was eaten by a tiger, one was burned alive, five disappeared and the sole survivor emerged with 7,000 specimens': The unique passion engendered by orchidsCharles Quest-Ritson admits that he never fell for orchids the way he has for roses — but the devotion they inspire is legendary.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
-
How to grow lovage — and the reasons why you'd want to botherOur grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono takes a look at the lovely uses for lovage.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh: The boy who left school early with one O-level 60 years ago... and found the perfect careerOur columnist Alan Titchmarsh reflects on 60 years of gardening.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
The house plant I've kept alive for 50 yearsCharles Quest-Ritson on the amazing longevity of his Purpurea.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh: Wordsworth was dead wrong about lonely clouds — but he was on to something with daffodilsAlan Titchmarsh loves daffodils — don't we all? — and shares some of his favourite varieties.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
Betting your hedges: How taking a risk with your garden hedge could be the most rewarding job you ever doAs old as husbandry hedges may be, but that doesn’t mean they cannot be beautiful, too. Charles Quest-Ritson considers the many options.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published


