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'Gardeners at their best, Britain at its best — and tickets are a snip': Alan Titchmarsh on his all-time favourite flower showIf you didn't manage to get tickets for RHS Chelsea, Alan Titchmarsh has a wonderful alternative idea for you.
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How to make the most out of small spaces using bright colours, according to interior designersCombat the temperamental British weather and topsy-turvy news cycle with brightly-coloured walls — even in the smallest of spaces.
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The silent extinction crisis threatening vanilla, magnolias — and the world’s tiniest waterlilyThe world's main source of vanilla, smallest waterlily and many magnolia species could disappear entirely, according to scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and others.
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The Duke of Wellington's hearing aid, at the cutting edge of technology 200 years agoJohn Goodall meets the 9th Duke of Wellington to hear the tale of his famous forbear's hearing problems.
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The best of British: How home-grown stone will be one of the stars on the Country Life stand at the Chelsea Flower ShowPresented by Artorius Faber
Country Life's stand at RHS Chelsea will celebrate the beauty of Artorius Faber’s home-grown stone.
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The art of the hand: George Saumarez Smith's design for Country Life at ChelseaPresented by Adam Architecture
George Saumarez Smith will demonstrate the power of pen and pencil when Country Life unveils his hand-drawn design for its stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
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Corinne Julius: Heritage craft is under serious threat because young people are discouraged from working with their handsIf we don't 'save our skills' we will lose them forever — and that would be a crying shame, says Corinne Julius.
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George Saumarez Smith: ‘My sketchbooks are full of measured drawings of buildings from all over the world’The architect talks to Lotte Brundle about the death of his brother, designing the Country Life stand for RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and his Consuming Passions.
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'A grotesque mixture of Frankenstein plants that no nursery has ever nurtured': What happened when an experienced gardening writer turned to AIStuck for ideas on how to plant a new flowerbed, Caroline Donald asked the chatbots for advice. The answers ranged from ignorant to hideous.
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How the late great Lee Alexander McQueen is supporting the next generation of fearless artists with the renovation of two listed townhouses in TottenhamThe two historic Grade II-listed Georgian townhouses are now subsidised studios, exhibitions, and workshops. Grace McCloud reports on the renovation project.
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Timeless, sustainable, and with understated style: Why go to Carrara when you can shop British stone?The time for pearly white surfaces is over, let’s make room for more interesting home-grown limestones in pinks, browns and greys, says Arabella Youens.
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'There is much to be said for decorating slowly and allowing layers to build up gradually': Country Life's Chelsea Flower Show stand designer opens the doors to his own Winchester homeThe architect George Saumarez Smith describes how he created a home by slow evolution, rather than revolution
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Queen Charlotte, Queen Victoria and the bluebells that erupt in a hidden pocket of wilderness at Kew GardensWhen Queen Victoria left an area of wilderness by the Thames at Kew to the nation, it was on condition that it be preserved in its natural beauty. After decades of abandonment, it is now being gently restored, writes Kendra Wilson.
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Slugs: The good, the bad, and the stomach-churningly disgustingWith anuses right next to their mouths and an ability to produce The garden designer and author Isabel Bannerman shares her feelings about slugs. Suffice to say that those feelings are not positive ones.
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Elegant paints and wallpapers for every kind of country homeThere's no shortage of elegant paints and wallpapers currently on the market — so we asked Amelia Thorpe to choose some of her favourites that will work in country homes, big and and small.
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'I am destined to a life surrounded by books with never quite enough shelves': George Saumarez Smith on his design for Country Life’s stand at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower ShowGeorge Saumarez Smith’s design draws on his passions for architecture, drawing, books, and his fiancée Jane Kennerley’s love of plants.
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The Victorian world lost for 140 years, rediscovered and restored in DevonLost until a chance discovery in 2009, the Victorian fernery at Canonteign Falls in Devon has not only been restored, but now houses two National Collections. Charles Quest-Ritson visits; photography by Mark Bolton.
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The man who made daffodils the flower of spring in BritainAs the last few daffodils die back across the country, Tiffany Daneff pays tribute to the Reverend George Engleheart, the man who did more to spread the word about these gorgeous flowers than any other gardener in history.
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What is the secret to choosing colours that are sympathetic to the past?Natural-paint manufacturer Edward Bulmer has teamed up with Laura Cavendish, Countess of Burlington, to produce 24 new colours inspired by Chatsworth House.
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Mount Congreve: The exquisite Irish garden on an unimaginable scaleEven superlatives are dwarfed by the scale and quality of the garden of Mount Congreve, in Co Waterford, Ireland. Charles Quest-Ritson traces its story. Photographs by Jonathan Hession.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The thrill of raising a plant from a speck of dust or a green leaf can only be learned first-handTheory and study is grand, says Alan Titchmarsh — but it'll never take the place of learning practical skills at the hands of an expert. A new initiative is about to make doing so much easier.
