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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.
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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.'
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'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.
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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.
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The expert guide to growing violets, by the fifth-generation nursery owner who's devoted a lifetime to themGroves Nursery in Bridport, Dorset, has been breeding violets since 1866 and, today, holds a National Collection, as well as offering more than 200 varieties for sale. Tilly Ware paid a visit and picked up expert advice from the latest member of the family to run the nursery, Clive Groves.
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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.
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The house plant I've kept alive for 50 yearsCharles Quest-Ritson on the amazing longevity of his Purpurea.
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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.
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The romance of the rose, and how it became the flower of loveGenerations have sought that unattainable mystical creature, the perfect rose: shapely, dark red and sweetly scented. What is it about this flower that holds us so in thrall, and why are roses associated with love? Charles Quest-Ritson finds out.
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Mark Diacono: What seeds to plant, plus where and when to plant themGrowing your own from see to harvest is highly rewarding, and here are some tips to get the best possible plants.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The art and craft of the head gardenerThere are a healthy number of estates whose gardening staff are a vital part of their continued existence — Alan Titchmarsh pays tribute.
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11 glorious dahlias to plant in your garden, as chosen by the experts at the National Dahlia CollectionThe experts at the National Dahlia Collections told Kirsty Fergusson the best varieties they’d suggest for the typical country garden in Britain.
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Mark Diacono: Chips, mash, roasted or dauphinoise — all better with your own potatoesThe versatile varieties of the potato make it a great crop to experiment with and, no matter what, nothing beats the taste of home grown
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Where art meets biology: How Anne Wright has bred some of the world's most covetable snowdropsAt Dryad Nursery near York, botanical artist Anne Wright has been breeding some highly collectable snowdrops, writes Mary Keen. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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'Giving a gardener a tree for Christmas is akin to offering a kitten or a puppy'Wondering what to give a green-fingered friend or family member for Christmas? John Hoyland, gardens adviser at Glyndebourne, has some advice.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The most spectacular flowers of spring are easy, guaranteed to flower — and now is the time to plant themAlan Titchmarsh doesn't like tulips. He loves them.
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Inside the National Trust's secret nurseryCharles Quest-Ritson was invited in to the National Trust's top-secret plant nursery. Here's what he discovered.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The plants that I simply can't ever growUnless you're lucky enough to have a garden with medium loam soil, chances are that there are plants which you'll always struggle — but you're not alone, says Alan Titchmarsh.
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Plastic pots revolutionised gardening in the 1960s — but field-grown plants are the futureJohn Hoyland always opts for bare-root plants if he can — and here's why you should too.
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The spectacular flowers that will thrive on chalky soilsSometimes, gardening on chalk feels like an unfair challenge, says Charles Quest-Ritson — but there are some beauties which will make it all worthwhile.
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There are 7,000 varieties of apple out there — and you've probably tasted less than a dozen. Here's how to put that right.Our grow-your-own expert columnist Mark Diacono shares his advice on how to branch out in to the wonderful world of apple varieties.
