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'The best bulbs are those that give maximum pleasure for minimum effort — and these are the ones which will keep delivering for years'
Now is the time to decide what bulbs to plant to make the most of next spring. Charles Quest-Ritson offers his advice.
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'Why do I allow the fuchsias in my garden to live on? Because, despite their visual shortcomings, I am a fool for edible pleasure'
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The best flower borders in Britain, and how they work their magic
We may have invented the flower border, but planting them remains one of the trickiest things to get right. Charles Quest-Ritson looks at the secrets behind the very best.
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Alan Titchmarsh: 'I am so weary of seeing Lutyens-style benches and chairs absolutely everywhere'
A strategically placed chair doubles as a focal point and a spot to rest — but we need to move on from Lutyens-style ones says our regular garden columnist.
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The grass isn’t always greener on the other side: Five alternatives to lawn, from fleshy sedums to aromatic thyme
No Mow May and similar initiatives want to inspire gardeners to replace their lawns with pollinator-friendly alternatives — but knowing where to start and what to do is an off-putting minefield.
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The rose that flowers 'from October to summer', and the man who used it to light up a beautiful corner of London
George Plumptre pays tribute to the late Roger Phillips, whose seminal book on trees has been updated almost 50 years after its initial publication.
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Isabel Bannerman: Gardens fade in the heat of high-summer, but it's still possible to plant pockets of joy in shaded spaces
This is traditionally the time of powdery daisies caked in sun, but our writer craves a 'spritz' more likely found among shade-loving plants in damp-holding places.
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Plant once, enjoy for decades: Alan Titchmarsh on the wonder that is the agapanthus
Agapanthus has a special place in Alan Titchmarsh's heart.
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Why a love of gardening will get us all in the end
When it comes to gardening, resistance is futile — especially if you're British — so it's best to give into it and get on with it.
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Alan Titchmarsh: My garden is as pretty as I've ever known it, thanks to an idea I've rediscovered after 50 years
Thinking about an article he wrote almost half a century ago prompted Alan Titchmarsh to get sowing — and he's now reaping summer loveliness.
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Sarah Raven: The flowers I have that are flourishing superbly, despite the battering heat
Gardener and writer Sarah Raven on the flowers that won't wilt in the heat.
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Myddleton House: The place that 'will help you learn what true gardening is' is open to everyone, and just 30 minutes from central London
E. A. Bowles created a horticultural playground in the gardens of Myddleton House that was years ahead of its time, and continues to influence even today. Isabel Bannerman takes a look.
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Alan Titchmarsh: I've tried every slug control known to man, and these are the only things that have ever worked for me
Alan Titchmarsh is as charming, warming and friendly a man as anyone you'll ever meet. Unless, of course, you're a slug... in which case you'll awaken his ruthless side.
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Time for the 'Chelsea Chop': The garden job to do as the Chelsea Flower Show ends which will give you more, better, healthier flowers for the rest of the summer
The day the RHS Chelsea Flower Show ends isn't just a day in the gardener's calendar to start looking forward to next year — it's the ideal time for pruning and trimming, as John Hoyland explains.
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Testing times: Inside the RHS's Trials Garden at RHS Wisley
Nothing is so useful to the gardener as the plant trials that are quietly run by the RHS and judged by a specialist panel that publishes free reports available to all, suggests Charles Quest-Ritson.
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Alan Titchmarsh: 'It’s all too easy to become swamped by the ‘to-do’ list, but give yourself a little time to savour the moment'
Easter is a turning point in the calendar, says Alan Titchmarsh, a 'clarion call' to 'get out there and sow and plant'.
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Six of the best Clematis montanas that every garden needs
Clematis montana is easy to grow and look after, and is considered by some to be 'the most graceful and floriferous of all'.
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'I'm the expert who wrote the RHS's guide to roses — here's why pruning them right now is almost certainly a terrible mistake'
More roses die from over-pruning than any other cause so what’s the reasoning underpinning this horticultural habit? Charles Quest-Ritson, the garden expert who wrote the RHS Encyclopedia of Roses, takes a closer look.
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Forsythia: The spring flower that's a ray of sunshine — and a foolproof option for novice gardeners
Forsythia are often sniffed at for being too brassy, but there is a lot more going for them, says Charles Quest-Ritson, although don’t plant them next to clashing pink-flowering currants.
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Alan Titchmarsh: I went a bit mad ordering bulbs — and I'm not even a little bit sorry I did
Our columnist's splurge in the autumn is now paying off with spectacular irises across his garden.
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How to make a gloomy city garden into a haven of colour and nature
Tiffany Daneff discovers how to transform a typically dark London back garden into a light-filled green haven that is always in use. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
