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The Italians think it's a laxative and the Germans say it leeches your bones, but rhubarb is a true British wonder. Here's how to do it justice
Rhubarb is one of the easiest and most generous plants to grow. Charles Quest-Ritson digs into its history and recommends the best kinds; photographs by Jonathan Buckley.
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I pitted AI against a much-loved 1963 gardening book to see what to do with my little corner of Ireland — here's what happened
Our columnist Jonathan Self has relied on his old gardening books for decades. Can a newcomer in the form of Claude AI take their place?
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Alan Titchmarsh: I'm planting a brand new garden — here's what's going in, what I'm trying out, and the plant that's sending me in search of my axe
Moving to a new house means getting stuck in to a new garden — and even in his seventies that's still a huge thrill for Alan Titchmarsh.
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Growing leeks: What to plant, when to to it, and how to make them thrive
Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono shares his favourite leeks.
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A cheat's guide to bulbous irises and top tips for growing them
Isabel Bannerman is bewitched and bewildered by bulbous irises.
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No garden should be without a winter-flowering daphne, so we've picked the best
There is no such thing as a disappointing daphne, Charles Quest-Ritson
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You don’t need to live in the countryside or have acres of space to start a cutting garden
Amy Merrick consults the expert growers at The Real Flower Company on her new West London cutting garden.
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Alan Titchmarsh: Patience is in short supply today, but learning when to crack on and when to leave well alone will do your garden wonders
Alam Titchmarsh cannot wait to get to work in his brand new garden, but acting too soon could have long-lasting ramifications.
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Beautiful, rewarding, unpronounceable: Chaenomeles, the spectacular shrub that grows happily in gardens where azaleas will never bloom
So 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.
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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.
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Alan Titchmarsh: Everything you think you know about ivy is probably wrong
The oft-maligned ivy is no parasite, says Alan Titchmarsh: it's a plant that does little harm and much good.
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Country Life's top 10 garden stories of 2025, from Alan Titchmarsh's hardy annuals to David Beckham's Cotswolds paradise
We look back at the most-read architecture stories on the Country Life website in 2025.
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The plants to give for Christmas which will keep flowering for years
John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries grows thousands of Christmas plants each year — making him one of our Christmas heroes. Here are his tips for the best ones to give.
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How to create spectacular arrangements for your Christmas table
Candles, crabapples and a Champagne bucket are all your need to transform your Christmas table, says Amy Merrick. Just don't mention cut flowers.
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There are a billion microbes in a teaspoon of soil. Leaving the leaves to Nature feeds and nourishes them
Leaf blowers aren't just futile and polluting — they're actively bad for the health of your garden, not to mention your mental wellbeing. Time to reach for the rake, says Isabel Bannerman.
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What trees taught me about perfect planting — Alan Titchmarsh
Sense and patience is key to growing healthy trees, as a certain Mr Mackenzie showed a young Alan Titchmarsh
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'A dream of Nirvana... almost too good to be true': The sweet peas of Easton Walled Gardens, and how you can replicate their success at home
Ursula Cholmeley, who has spent 25 years restoring Easton Walled Gardens, recommends sowing sweet peas now for stronger plants that will better withstand the weather.
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The trees that are as fine to eat as they are to look at
Mark Diacono doesn't grow many trees for the sake of the bounty they provide — but these are the notable exceptions.
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'My family wore wool at a time when everyone else had cast it off in favour of manmade fabrics': The knitwear pioneer who is one of David Beckham's countryside champions
Julie Harding speaks to Rachel Carvell-Spedding the founder of British knitwear brand Navygrey, and one of David Beckham's countryside champions.
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James Alexander-Sinclair: Making a new garden for someone is 'thrilling', but we need more sensitive and skilled gardeners to look after them
Pay your gardeners properly, says James Alexander-Sinclair as, without them, you will have no garden.
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'Seeing the work that people are doing all around the world has given me hope for the future': The young naturalist who is one of David Beckham's countryside champions
Julie Harding speaks to Ramandeep Nijjar, a young naturalist who has made an impact on the world even before finishing university, and one of David Beckham's countryside champions.
