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Bring back the scullery: The forgotten rooms of historic country housesDeborah Nicholls-Lee makes the case for bringing back some long-lost, but very useful rooms — and some new ones perfectly suited to 21st-century living.
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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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The gorgeous collection of one of the founding fathers of English Country House style is up for sale‘It’s bittersweet, but having the collection admired by people feels really lovely,’ says George Oakes’s daughter.
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How to rebuild an old house and make it a modern marvel, using most of its original materialsThis sitting room in a newly built house on Exmoor has been lent a timeless feel by a fossil-stone fireplace.
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'The lowliest material on the earth — mud — becomes something beautiful, valuable and unique': Will Gompertz on the 'incredible alchemy' of potteryLittle beats the alchemy of pottery, which turns humble mud into a thing of beauty, as Will Gompertz tells Carla Passino.
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'People often expect a perfect repair, but we are not about that': The experts taking care of leatherWhether it’s a football used in the First World War or the seats of an early electric taxi, the Leather Conservation Centre in Leicester helps conserve historic objects, as Corinne Julius reveals
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'I’m not after perfection; I’m after feeling. If people walk through here and feel joy, I’ve succeeded’: Matthew Rice on his gorgeous garden at Ham CourtIt’s impossible to resist the charms of the garden at Ham Court, Oxfordshire, home of Matthew Rice. Tiffany Daneff visits this bustling, colourful garden, which reaches its zenith in late summer. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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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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The garden at Mount St John: Tom Stuart-Smith's contemporary pleasure groundThe starting point for making the magnificent garden at Mount St John in North Yorkshire — home of Chris and Jill Blundell — was its awe-inspiring views, writes Kendra Wilson. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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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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If you Focus, you too can be inspired by the wit and wisdom of leading experts in the world of designThis month, events at Focus/26 and beyond will offer an opportunity to see new launches — and pick up some expert tips and tricks.
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How Kew planted an American prairie in the heart of SussexSwathes of American prairie plants are being trialled at Kew Wakehurst in an effort to search for drought-tolerant species for our gardens. Charles Quest-Ritson reports. Photographs by Mimi Connolly.
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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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Where vanity meets art: Before the selfie, there was the mirrorAn indicator of wealth, a tool of either flirtation or restraint and ‘one of the most powerful ways to shape a space’, a grand mirror reflects far more than a pretty face.
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Beautiful, impressive, mature: The high-summer splendour of Cedar HouseNew collections of trees and shrubs, colourful herbaceous plantings and dedication to its development have transformed the six acres of the garden and arboretum at Cedar House in Wasperton, home of David and Sandra Burbidge. Charles Quest-Ritson paid a visit to a place that has become a major showpiece; photography by Clive Nichols.
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Reader event: Reinventing the country house at DaylesfordPresented by Daylesford
Next month, leading experts in architecture, interior design, stonework and cabinetry will share the secret of creating a country house suited to life in the 21st century at Daylesford’s Heritage Barn.
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The art of renovating a house so beautifully, you'd never know it was rentedInterior-design practice Blyth-Collinson has brought a distinctive look to a rented house in Oxfordshire.
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Cuttings not cakes: The sublime story of the Secret Orchard NurseryArthur Parkinson visits a favourite plant nursery in Derbyshire, which has gained a reputation for the quality and range of its plants.
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African Kuba cloth is the antithesis of our increasingly digital and mechanised worldThe intricate textures and graphic quality of Kuba cloth are the antithesis to modern homogeneity.
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Bountiful, blowsy and scented: The gravity-defying walled garden at the Palace of Bishop AucklandThe gardens of the Palace of Bishop Auckland, Co Durham — home of Jonathan and Jane Ruffer — have undergone extensive garden restoration and creation work overseen by Pip Morrison. Mary Keen paid a visit to one of its highlights: the steeply-sloped walled garden, returned to full production since 2024. Photographs by Andrea Jones.
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A summer of prickles and rashes, splinters, scrapes and scratches, a season of stings: Nature is biting backJason Goodwin reflects on a summer of bites, pricks and stings.
