Gardens & Interiors
The finest houses, gardens and interiors in Britain, and how to create the English country house look in your home, with advice from top experts.
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'I was utterly bewitched': The heartwarming success story of one of Britain's greatest rose-growersCharles Quest-Ritson talks to Trevor White, whose Norfolk rose nursery is sought out by enthusiasts for the quality and variety of its stock. Photographs by Richard Bloom.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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William Robinson, the visionary gardener 150 years ahead of his timeA century and a half before the word 'rewilding' entered the gardening lexicon, a pioneering gardener named William Robinson was advocating for a more natural approach to our green spaces. Tiffany Daneff examines his legacy, and his home at Gravetye Manor.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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Is £1.5 billion enough to save our culture?An announcement of capital spending to 'restore national pride' is welcome, but requires further scrutiny.
By Athena Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: I'm always asked about 'creating a sensory garden', and my answer is always the sameFrom the chirruping of the birds to the sweeping of a broom, Alan Titchmarsh shares the sounds that all our gardens have in common.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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This clever interiors trick is the secret to creating multifunctional spaces — and it was integral to the design of many English country houses of the pastBy Giles Kime Published
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'It was a complete wreck': Reclaiming a Hampshire coaching house from the earthGeorgie Wykeham transforms a stable into an all-purpose entertaining space.
By Arabella Youens Last updated
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RHS to run two new touring shows at Badminton and at the royal estate at SandringhamThe King will collaborate with a designer on the RHS Royal Legacy Garden at the Sandringham flower show.
By Julie Harding Published
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A study in sculpture: 10 of the finest pieces from the Royal CollectionA new catalogue in four volumes explores the extraordinary riches of the sculpture in the Royal Collection. Its author, Sir Jonathan Marsden, selects 10 of his favourite works that reflect the diversity of this astonishing collection.
By Sir Jonathan Marsden Published
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How do you add a dash of theatricality to a 1930s house? By taking inspiration from the legendary architect and set designer Oliver MesselThe design of Alice Palmer’s kitchen was influenced by her foreign travels.
By Arabella Youens Last updated
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Beautiful, rewarding, unpronounceable: Chaenomeles, the spectacular shrub that grows happily in gardens where azaleas will never bloomSo many new types of Japanese flowering quince are now available that they have been the subject of a four-year trial by the RHS. Charles Quest-Ritson picks his favourites; just don't ask him to say their names out loud.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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Eileen Soper: The 'schoolgirl among the masters' with paintings in millions of homes, even yoursRenowned for illustrating the ‘Famous Five’ series, the mercurial, motorcar-obsessed Eileen Soper lived a bucolic and eccentric life.
By Ian Morton Published
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A mesmerising portrait in the eerie country house that inspired Charlotte Brontë to write 'Jane Eyre'A dark episode in the family history of Norton Conyers inspired a young Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre — but the hidden attic is just one of many treasures in this grand Yorkshire house.
By John Goodall Published
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Wealthy Boomers collected blue-chip paintings. Gen Z is opting for collectibles. Who will come up trumps?Handbags, jewellery and luxury vehicles are the aesthetic investments of choice for today’s high-net-worth youth, says a report by Art Basel.
By Owen Holmes Published
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Are you a curator, a sympathiser or a conscientious objector? Take our Interiors Editor's quiz to discover your design DNAComplete our quiz to uncover the essence of your personal style, urges Giles Kime.
By Giles Kime Published
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Sin, deceit, art, education: The secret history of playing cards explainedFrom China, through Persia, India, Europe and now in most of our homes. The humble hearts, clubs, spades and jacks have quite the story to tell.
By Matthew Dennison Published
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Three plants to grow in 2026 that are as delicious as they are pretty, from Siberian chives to 'Turkish warty cabbage'Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono has sound advice for those feeling adventurous in the garden in 2026.
By Mark Diacono Published
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‘The pair drove to Belgium in their Mini and returned with the chair wrapped in duvets’: The mother-and-daughter duo that brought a converted Cotswolds barn back to lifeArabella Youens speaks to Laura Berkeley-Hawkes and her daughter Gracy about working together and breathing life back into a converted Cotswolds barn.
By Arabella Youens Published
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Tate-à-tête: The National Gallery’s promise to grow its modern-art collection risks reopening old woundsThe National Gallery's announcement of a new wing and more modern art promises to reignite a historic rivalry with Tate.
By Will Hosie Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: Everything you think you know about ivy is probably wrongThe oft-maligned ivy is no parasite, says Alan Titchmarsh: it's a plant that does little harm and much good.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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The railway station gardens that bring a touch of bucolic bliss to an ordinary train rideGently tended by devoted staff, the railway station garden has become a rural idyll in its own right, says Andrew Martin.
By Andrew Martin Published
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'You should need little reminding that the 1980s are back': Country Life's interior-design predictions for 2026Eclecticism, coloured appliances and chequerboard floors are all in for 2026, says Country Life's Interiors Editor.
By Giles Kime Published


