Expert Gardening Tips

How to grow a giant gooseberry, and other top tips from the 219th Egton Bridge Old Gooseberry Show

Ahead of this week's Egton Bridge Old Gooseberry Show, Steven Desmond spoke to competitors at this centuries-old event.

The most impressive perennial grown in Britain: The swamp pot

Mark Griffiths extols the wonders of the swamp pot ‘Thalia dealbata’ and teaches us how to best do the beautiful flowers justice.

The tale of the Lady Penny sweet peas that were brought back from extinction thanks to a handful of saved seeds

When the seeds of her eponymous sweet pea were lost, Lady Penny Mountbatten turned to Roger Parsons, holder of the National Collection, for help. Report by Tiffany Daneff, with photographs by Daniel Gould.

Alan Titchmarsh: The best coastal flowers, and the relief of finding that old age and a treacled memory haven't claimed me yet

Our columnist Alan Titchmarsh on the beauty of the coastal flowers that dot our shoreline — and never more spectacularly than on the cliffs of Cornwall.

Curious Questions: Why is there no such thing as a truly blue rose? And will we ever have one?

Breeding a blue rose has long been the Holy Grail for plant breeders everywhere. Charles Quest-Ritson, author of the RHS Encyclopedia of Roses, explains why it's proven so elusive.

The wonders of Carolina allspice: Used to scent a garden, a kitchen, or even your cleavage

The top salad leaves to grow in your garden for summer garnishes

Mark Diacono tells us his top salads to plant to accompany barbecues this summer season.

Alan Titchmarsh: How each of our English country gardens can play their part in saving the planet

Our columnist Alan Titchmarsh talks extreme weather, climate change and the faith all gardeners have in the extraordinary ability of nature to bounce back from pretty much anything.

Looking after trees: Signs of stress, what to do, and when to call the experts

Kenton Smith and Tony Kirkham, author of the Haynes guide Trees, give their tips on making sure the trees in your garden stay healthy.

I hadn't been to RHS Chelsea for years, but it's better than ever — just don't ask strangers to share your taxi

After staying away for a few years Charles Quest-Ritson is delighted to report that the Chelsea Flower Show is as great a treat as ever — but that's not to say there aren't a few things that have changed...

Brace yourself for the new invasive pests, from to oak-munching caterpillars to Asiatic hornets

Charles Quest-Ritson takes aim at the foreign invaders who seem set to ravage our gardens.

Alan Titchmarsh: The weeds I welcome with open arms

Our columnist Alan Titchmarsh used to spend hours ridding his garden of anything he hadn't planted himself. These days he sees things differently — and even welcomes their arrival.

The simple guide to growing your own grapes

If you pick the right variety and get the conditions spot on, you'll be eating your own grapes under the shade of your own vine in three years, says Mark Diacono.

Mark Griffiths: Why gardening is vastly richer, wider and deeper than in Gertrude Jekyll’s day

Gertrude Jekyll loved bergenais, but she'd be the first to agree that the variety around today far outshines what was available to her as Mark Griffiths explains.

The common garden plants that are deadly to dogs and cats – and what to do if they eat one

Many beautiful and common plants in the average English garden can prove fatal to household pets. Peter Green, a veterinary surgeon, gives his advice on some of the most common things to look out for.

Alan Titchmarsh: The 1950 gardening trick which will bring you truly spectacular garden borders

Alan Titchmarsh revisits one of the books which first sparked his love of gardening – and shares one of the finest tips found therein.

Plastic-free gardening: Five ways to help keep your garden free from pointless plastic

It's not just food, clothes and household stores which use an absurd amount of plastic packaging these days – gardening gear is also full of it, from plant pots to tools.

Cultivating mint: What varietals to plant, where to plant them and whether they should be used for jelly or juleps

Mark Diacono explains why mint is for even the incurably incompetent horticultural enthusiast.

Alan Titchmarsh: Why Kirstenbosch is the gardener’s garden

Alan Titchmarsh waxes lyrical about one of the world's truly magnificent gardens.

Alan Titchmarsh: A foolproof guide to growing wisteria

Alan Titchmarsh gives advice for growing this most glorious of horticultural spectacles.