Gardens
Britain's best gardens, and advice on how to transform your own with seasonal advice from leading gardeners & Country Life experts.
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The 'Rose Labyrinth' of Coughton Court, where 200 varieties come together in this world-renowned garden in WarwickshireVal Bourne finds the award-winning roses flourishing at Coughton Court in Warwickshire, where the historic garden is now in the hands of the latest in many generations of the same family. Photography by Clive Nichols.
By Val Bourne Published
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'None of this would be here had the tithe barn not burned down that night’: How the terrifying destruction of a medieval landmark sparked the creation of the magnificent gardens of Bledlow ManorAfter inheriting the Bledlow Manor in 2018, Lord Carrington has been devoted to the thoughtful renewal and replanting of this historic Buckinghamshire garden. Tiffany Daneff reports, with photography by Clive Nichols.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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'The whole house shook. Everything was white. For four months, it felt as if we were on Mars': The story behind one of Hampshire's most breathtaking gardensWhen Kim Wilkie sculpted a tiered grass amphitheatre behind this 17th-century house, the garden finally settled into place, as Non Morris discovers.
By Non Morris Published
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Myddleton House: The place that 'will help you learn what true gardening is' is open to everyone, and just 30 minutes from central LondonE. A. Bowles created a horticultural playground in the gardens of Myddleton House that was years ahead of its time, and continues to influence even today. Isabel Bannerman takes a look.
By Isabel Bannerman Published
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Wakehurst: 500 years of history, 2.4 billion seeds, 500 acres of planting, and scientists who might just save us allCharles Quest-Ritson takes a look at the amazing work that's been done to update Wakehurst, Kew's trailblazing outpost in Sussex.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Last updated
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A dozen slices of al fresco inspiration from the best designers in BritainAmelia Thorpe shares her pick of the most beautiful outdoor furniture and accessories to help you make the most of summer.
By Amelia Thorpe Published
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Forget catnip, it's all about catmintNepeta, the highly aromatic and pretty perennial beloved of so many country gardens, may be your feline’s favourite fix, but we should be wary of its root, warns Deborah Nicholls-Lee
By Deborah Nicholls-Lee Published
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'Victorian magnificence skilfully simplified and distilled': A peek at the restoration of Somerleyton Hall gardensRecent works have retained the former theatrical splendours of these gardens near Lowestoft, Suffolk, finds Tilly Ware.
By Tilly Ware Published
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One of the most spectacular rose gardens in England has come in to bloom two weeks earlyIt's time to head to Mottisfont — come for the roses, stay for the fascinating exhibition shedding new light on the history of this beautiful Hampshire house.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
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The first new botanical gardens to be created in the UK in almost 200 years is celebrating its 25th birthdayThe National Botanic Garden of Wales helped put Carmarthenshire on the map and its Great Glasshouse, designed by modernist architect Sir Norman Foster, was once the largest single-span glasshouse in the world.
By Matt Collins Published
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'The few days on the show ground are exhilarating, but it’s the garden’s legacy that truly excites us': What happens to the gardens after Chelsea Flower ShowRHS Chelsea is now only a stop along the way, before the gardens end up somewhere where the trees, the structures and the idea have a further life.
By James Alexander-Sinclair Last updated
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Chelsea Flower Show 2025: Take a peek behind-the-scenes of the Country Life standDiscover how interior designer Isabella Worsley and landscape designer Hugo Elwes brought the Country Life Chelsea Flower Show stand to life.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Time for the 'Chelsea Chop': The garden job to do as the Chelsea Flower Show ends which will give you more, better, healthier flowers for the rest of the summerThe day the RHS Chelsea Flower Show ends isn't just a day in the gardener's calendar to start looking forward to next year — it's the ideal time for pruning and trimming, as John Hoyland explains.
By John Hoyland Published
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'If I was a plant, I'd want to be seen at Chelsea': Country Life's Editor Mark Hedges on his favourite things from the 2025 Chelsea Flower ShowCountry Life's Editor-in-Chief has been coming to the Chelsea Flower Show for years. Here are the things he's enjoyed most from the 2025 edition.
By Mark Hedges Published
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Country Life's entirely unofficial Chelsea Flower Show 2025 awardsThe RHS's judges give out awards based on strict criteria rather than vibes — and while there's a place for the former, we think the latter is worthwhile too. With that in mind, Country Life's team at the Royal Hospital Chelsea have awarded their own alternative prizes from the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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Five best things to see in the Great Pavilion at the Chelsea Flower ShowThe show gardens often grab the headlines, but the Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is always full of wonders. Country Life's gardens editor Tiffany Daneff picks out five of her favourite things from inside the marquee at the world's greatest flower show.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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The joy of English stoneSponsored by Artorius Faber
When the interior designer Isabella Worsley conceived Country Life's ‘outdoor drawing room’ at this week’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, she worked with English stone specialist Artorius Faber to lend the space a timeless feel
By Country Life Published
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'It's perfect': The lush and charming RHS Garden of the Year at Chelsea Flower Show 2025Kazuyuki Ishihara's 'Cha No Niwa – Japanese Tea Garden' has won the coveted RHS Chelsea Garden of the Year, the top award at the Chelsea Flower Show. And it's a worthy winner.
By Toby Keel Published
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Monty Don's dog, The King's new rose and the 'perfect' garden: What not to miss at the Chelsea Flower Show 2025Country Life's gardens editor Tiffany Daneff shares her favourite flowers, gardens, clever ideas and nicest surprises from the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show.
By Toby Keel Published
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Chelsea Flower Show 2025: Welcome to Country Life's 'Outdoor Drawing Room'The 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show opens today and with it Country Life's first stand in a quarter of a century.
By Rosie Paterson Published
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Hampnett House: A Gloucestershire garden where an empty, squelchy lawn has been replaced by 'gorgeous flowery generosity'What to do if you inherit a garden that isn’t your style? Tiffany Daneff visits the garden at Hampnett House, Gloucestershire — home of Mr Sanjeev Shah and Ms Mansi Amin — and finds a space that has undergone a major transformation, from high-concept minimalism to flower-filled paradise. Photographs by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
By Tiffany Daneff Published


