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Rip it up and start again: RHS Wisley's daring reinvention of one of its most famous plantingsPiet Oudolf, father of the New Perennial Movement, has dug up his famous double borders at the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Wisley in Surrey and transformed them. John Hoyland takes a look, with photographs by Clive Nichols.
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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.
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Do not fear the Spanish invaders, the English bluebell will reign supremeOur native spring flower, sprinkled across the woodland floor, is quite safe from foreign imposters.
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Rose hips: the perfect accompaniment to the gentle descent into winterStay the hand that itches to deadhead your spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead.
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'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.
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The Anderson shelter: Good for gardening, good for storing wine, and great for hiding from bombsDamp, dimly lit and cramped they may have been, yet Anderson shelters were lifesavers during the Second World War. Russell Higham explores their legacy.
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Growing together: Why the community garden is more than just plants and green spaceThe NGS has begun investing in community garden schemes. The results are more than anyone could have expected and showcase the best of Britain.
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Alan Titchmarsh's garden: No insecticides, no herbicides, just beautiful flowers, lawns, a statue of Repton and a swing seat that's impossible to resistIt’s always fascinating to see what a high-profile gardening personality does with their own home. Tiffany Daneff visits Alan Titchmarsh’s Hampshire garden, to find a place of endless delights and charm. Photographs by Jonathan Buckley.
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The incredible legacy of the 'the only man ever to get away with smoking in the RHS Library'The impact of the trailblazing Walter Ingwersen is still felt today, says Kathryn Bradley-Hole.
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'Prepare to be amazed' by a cathedral of autumn in the heart of HerefordshireThe garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire — home of Edward Banks — is an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson.
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Country Life 30 October 2024Country Life 30 October 2024 takes you behind the scenes of Alan Titchmarsh's Hampshire garden, how Britain bought the world's best art and the secret to hunting ghost orchids.
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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.
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The Dawn Chorus: The Eden Project's rarest plant is destined to take its own lifeOne of Britain's most popular tourist spots has got itself a Madagascan suicide palm, one of the world's rarest plants. When you find out how its lifecycle goes, you won't be surprised that there aren't many around.
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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.
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A English country garden that brings the four corners of the world to one corner of WiltshireEngland, Africa, Italy or China — it’s possible to travel the world without leaving this imaginatively designed garden, which divides into four distinct geographical sections, each with a resonance for the owners. Caroline Donald reports from the garden at Seend Manor in Wiltshire, home of Amanda and Stephen Clark.
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The garden fruit that's a blend of strawberry, blueberry and kiwi — and it grows beautifully in BritainThe Chilean Guava was Queen Victoria's favourite fruit — so why don't we grow more of them, asks Mark Diacono.
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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.
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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.
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The Cotswolds garden that's cleverly designed to defy the worst of the elementsCoates Barn in Warwickshire — home of the Sonneborn family — presented a challenge: how to lay out this exposed north-Cotswold site so as to protect new planting from the elements, and simultaneously provide a garden that three generations of residents could enjoy. Tiffany Daneff explains how they did it; photographs by Britt Willoughby Dyer.
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Alan Titchmarsh: I've been looking for the answer to peat-free compost — and now I think I've found itAlan Titchmarsh delves into the history of compost, and has finally found something that can replace the brilliant but environmentally unsustainable peat-based formulae.
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'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.
