Expert Gardening Tips
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Alan Titchmarsh: 'A stately pile in my part of Hampshire has been on the market for years — but one buyer didn't even make it to the door before getting back in his helicopter'
Silence is golden — and more readily accessible at this time of year than any other, says Alan Titchmarsh.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Charles Quest-Ritson: Walnuts are one of the gardener's greatest pleasures — but you'll have to be ready for the squirrels
Once you are hooked by walnuts and want to grow more varieties, you find an extraordinary amount of choice. Charles Quest-Ritson explains more.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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Mark Diacono: How to grow savory both summer and winter
The grow-your-own gardening expert on summer savory and winter savory, and making sure that whenever you can't enjoy one, you'll be able to call on the other.
By Mark Diacono Published
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The trees with fruits so sweet and delectable that badgers have been known to batter their way through iron gates to get to them
Garden designer and writer Isabel Bannerman doesn't normally advocate taking plants from one house to another — but her mulberry tree has been with her for years.
By Isabel Bannerman Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: Terracotta has been used for flowerpots for 2,500 years — and it's still by far the best thing to pot your plants in
Plastic pots might have conquered the industry — but look after terracotta pots and they'll last for lifetimes. Literally.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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'That first taste, six months later, was a quiet revelation': Mark Diacono on how he was inspired to grow his own vegetables
Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono looks back on the early days of his growing, and how things he'd never heard of such as salsify and scorzonera found a place in his heart. And his garden, of course.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Asters: what they are, which ones to try and how to grow them
These late blooming plants 'promise future spring', making them essential for any garden.
By John Hoyland Published
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Charles Quest-Ritson: Winter buddlejas, and the plant that might just cover the VAT on your children's school fees
Charles Quest-Ritson on the buddlejas that help see him through the winter — and the plant breeding idea that could help you grow a small fortune.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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Alan Titchmarsh's Compost conundrums
No, it's not the name of a new quiz show featuring our columnist as host (although that *would* be a hit, surely) but instead it's Alan Titchmarsh on the increasingly tricky issue of getting the right kind of compost for the right kind of planting.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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'A garden should be the cosiest of places, but with some element of awe, menace, and glimpses of the wider landscape'
Isabel Bannerman shares her thoughts on making a garden that makes people feel at home.
By Isabel Bannerman Published
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The case of the disappearing dahlias
John Hoyland of the gardens at Glyndebourne on how to plug the gaps of those flowers that didn't make it through the winter.
By John Hoyland Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: The best flower shows in Britain show exactly where RHS Chelsea gets it wrong
The Chelsea Flower Show might be the most famous in the world — but does it offer the best experience for visitors? Alan Titchmarsh suggests a few others where you might have an even better time.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Charles Quest-Ritson: 'Gardens of supreme botanical importance are being degraded by new owners and changing priorities'
What's in a label? More than you might think, says Charles Quest-Ritson.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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The beautiful perfumed fruit that's easy to grow, needs almost no attention, and makes a magnificent Christmas liqueur
Easy to manage and extremely versatile to use, quinces should be a staple in any garden says our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono.
By Mark Diacono Published
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If you sow seeds in June, you might just be putting down bird seed... but it's worth the risk if you love fresh summer salads
Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono suggests a string of ideas for what you can plant as summer kicks in.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Why I try to get rid of the pinks in my garden — and the reason I always change my mind and end up keeping them
To pink or not to pink? John Hoyland on the flowers whose brief cameo is worth the bother.
By John Hoyland Published
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Autumn olives: The summer fruit that enriches the soil, your lunch table and your life
A hedge? A crop? A beautiful foliage plant? All this and more come to those who grow Autumn olive, says Mark Diacono.
By Mark Diacono Published
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'Within a month, one was eaten by a tiger, one was burned alive, five disappeared and the sole survivor emerged with 7,000 specimens': The unique passion engendered by orchids
Charles Quest-Ritson admits that he never fell for orchids the way he has for roses — but the devotion they inspire is legendary.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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How to grow lovage — and the reasons why you'd want to bother
Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono takes a look at the lovely uses for lovage.
By Mark Diacono Published
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The expert guide to growing violets, by the fifth-generation nursery owner who's devoted a lifetime to them
Groves Nursery in Bridport, Dorset, has been breeding violets since 1866 and, today, holds a National Collection, as well as offering more than 200 varieties for sale. Tilly Ware paid a visit and picked up expert advice from the latest member of the family to run the nursery, Clive Groves.
By Tilly Ware Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: The boy who left school early with one O-level 60 years ago... and found the perfect career
Our columnist Alan Titchmarsh reflects on 60 years of gardening.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published