Finest gardens in Britain

Borde Hill Gardens, and the glory of its incomparable magnolias

As the fifth generation takes on the care of the historic Borde Hill Garden in West Sussex, Charles Quest-Ritson rejoices in the unique legacy of its horticulturally astute owners.

Lukesland: The romantic Dartmoor gardens bursting with exotic blooms and historic shrubs

Set in a steep valley just below Dartmoor, Lukesland Gardens — in Ivybridge, Devon — are romantic woodland gardens filled with exotic trees and flowering shrubs, many of historic importance. Caroline Donald paid a visit; photographs by Mark Bolton.

U2's Adam Clayton: Guitarist, rock god and visionary gardener

The best garden designers and landscapers in Britain

A beautiful country house is as much about its surroundings as its bricks and mortar, something that the best garden designers in Britain all understand. We've completely revised and updated our list of the finest of them all.

The Wild Garden at Doddington Hall: Bright-bulb moments

Sweeps of spring bulbs scatter the lawns of The Wild Garden at Doddington Hall — the Lincolnshire
 home of Mr and Mrs James Birch — in what appears to be an entirely natural show. Yet it is, in fact, a carefully curated selection that flowers in three distinct phases, says Tilly Ware. Photographs by Clive Nichols.

Les Colombières: Ferdinand Bac’s house-and-garden masterpiece on the Riviera

A century after its seven-year creation by the artist Ferdinand Bac, the magnificent cliff-top garden of Les Colombières — at Menton in France's Alpes-Maritimes department — has been brilliantly restored, says Kathryn Bradley-Hole. Pictures by Will Pryce for Country Life.

Curious Questions: Why does Kew Gardens have a giant pagoda?

The Pagoda at Kew Gardens, designed by Sir William Chambers, is one of the most famous, yet most incongruous landmarks at one of the world's most famous gardens. So why is it there? Jack Watkins explains.

Where to see snowdrops: The best places in Britain

The sight of these tiny white flowers peeping through in January or February never fails to cheer us up – here's our pick of where to see snowdrops.

Topiary: The ancient art of transforming nature into cubes, pyramids and peacocks

The garden at Fullers Mill, where 'childhood delight in wild flowers meets the idea of making a garden'

Even in the coldest months, there is much to discover in the garden at Fullers Mill, West Stow, Suffolk. This remarkable plantsman’s garden was lovingly created out of rough ground by Bernard Tickner, finds Tiffany Daneff.

Country Life's top 10 garden stories of 2022

Our look at the best garden and nature articles of the last year from Country Life includes some very special gardens indeed.

Re-wilding isn't new: Britain's best gardeners were inspired by wilderness 300 years ago, and here's what we can learn from them

Gardeners searching for inspiration for natural, low-maintenance havens would do well to look to the late-17th-and early-18th-century wilderness, says Tilly Ware.

A tour of Broughton Hall, home of the Tempests for 1,000 years and the inspiration for Tottering-by-Gently

Broughton Hall is the childhood home of Country Life's cartoonist Annie Tempest, whose family have lived here for 1,000 years. Steven Desmond took a look at this palatial house and gardens; photographs by Val Corbett.

The garden at Blackland House: A tulip-filled sanctuary that shines as bright in Autumn as it does in Spring

The garden at Blackland House, Calne, Wiltshire — the home of Mr and Mrs Ed Nicholson — is famous for its spring bulbs, but really comes into its own in autumn with its crisp underpinning of geometric forms, says Mary Keen. Photographs by Britt Willoughby Dyer.

Thenford Arboretum: 70 acres of spectacular autumn brilliance

The Japanese Garden at Cowden: An iconic Oriental garden in the heart of Clackmannanshire

Described in 1925 as the most important Japanese garden in the West, the Japanese Garden at Cowden in Clackmannanshire — the ancestral home of Sara Stewart — fell into decline and was eventually closed in 1955. Now, it has been magnificently restored, as Caroline Donald explains. Photographs by Clive Nichols.

The Gardens of Greywalls: A Scottish masterpiece bearing the imprint of Lutyens and Jekyll

'Within a mashie-niblick' of the 18th green at Muirfield Golf Club lies a garden of great beauty and history, as James Truscott explains.

Birkhall: The home of The Prince of Wales on the Balmoral estate, Aberdeenshire

Alan Titchmarsh explores the garden of Birkhall, The Prince of Wales's Scottish home on the Balmoral estate.

Low Crag, Cumbria: A garden in perfect harmony within one of Britain's most beautiful places

The garden of Low Crag, Cumbria —  home of Mr and Mrs Chris Dodd — demonstrates a thoughtful approach to gardening that has brought about a great increase in the population of birds and animal life in this two-acre plot. George Plumptre explains more; pictures by Val Corbett for Country Life.

The gardens at Everdon Hall: How an abandoned walled garden was turned into a secluded oasis of outdoor beauty

The gardens at Everdon Hall, Northamptonshire — the home of Charles and Caroline Coaker —show off a clean, green structure balanced by romantic billowy planting. Non Morris takes a look at this beautifully judged garden; photographs by Val Corbett for Country Life.