Expert Gardening Tips
-
Why you shouldn't grow onions on your allotment — but if you do, go for these really exceptional ones
Mark Diacono takes a look at allotment logic, and shares his formula for what you should and shouldn't spend your time and energy growing.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
The beautiful plants to look out for as Spring bursts through across Britain
Expert gardener and gardening writer Steven Desmond picks out some of his favourite sights as the winter begins to give way.
By Steven Desmond Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh: The old wives' tales of gardening that are total rubbish — and the ones with a grain of truth
There is often more than a grain of truth in gardening wisdom that comes from folklore.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
Planting big trees: What you need to know
The old advice always used to be to plant small and wait, but recent innovations mean that gardeners can plant outsize trees with confidence, says Charles Quest-Ritson.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
-
The best potato varieties to grow in a British garden
If you grow your own potatoes, you may find things are a little harder this year — but Mark Diacono picks out nine varieties that you can grow yourself which will easily outstrip what you find in the shops for flavour, texture and often colour.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh: The best gardening books in my library of 5,000 volumes
The best of Alan Titchmarsh's gardening books have helped shape his career — he takes a look at some very special items in his library.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
Charles Quest-Ritson: The secret to enjoying gardens in beastly cold, deepest winter
Our columnist has a suggestion for enjoying January, albeit one that doesn't involve staying put in England.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
-
What you need to know about training fruit trees, from fans and spirals to arches, palmettes and beyond
Trained fruit trees are beautiful as well as bounteous. Mark Diacono explains what you need to know if you wish to get started.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
A gardener's guide to winter, from late autumn to the end of February
Tiffany Daneff shares her winter gardening tips.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
-
How to grow spectacular winter flowers that will make your garden smell wonderful until Spring
It's possible to plant flowers that offer beautiful sights and smells throughout winter. Steven Desmond suggests some of the best.
By Steven Desmond Published
-
Best climbing plants for conservatories
Nothing beats the sun glinting through the conservatory windows on a chilly winter day, but what to plant inside? John Hoyland recommends the finest climbers.
By John Hoyland Published
-
Noel Kingsbury: Why it's time to reassess 'one of the great triumphs of the 20th-century English garden'
Everything from climate change to the whims of gardening fashion shape what we plant, but is it time to remember our traditional strengths, asks Noel Kingsbury.
By Noel Kingsbury Published
-
The six varieties of poppy every gardener needs to know
From common poppy and the poum poppy to the bright yellow Welsh poppy, Jack Watkins takes a look at these exquisite natural flowers.
By Jack Watkins Published
-
What you need to know about privet hedges: The good, the brilliant, the quirky... and the one that all my visitors ask me about
Privet can be dull, admits Charles Quest-Ritson — but it needn't be, if you plant the right varieties. Our expert shares his knowledge of a plant so ubiquitous that we rarely stop to think about it.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
-
How to grow a nut tree
Country Life's expert grow-it-to-eat-it gardener Mark Diacono shares his tips on how to grow a nut tree — or even better, an entire nuttery — in your garden.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
What to do with sweet chestnuts, from roasting over an open fire to adding zip to burgers and brownies
Mark Diacono says that autumn is synonymous with sweet chestnuts — and he has all sorts of ways to make the most of a seasonal treat.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
Nine unusual berries that you should be growing in your garden, from boysenberries to wineberries
There’s a wealth of juicy deliciousness beyond the standard fruit-cage fare of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. Mark Diacono explores all the other berries we should be growing, too.
By Mark Diacono Published
-
How to plant the perfect pot of tulips
Pots look simple, but it takes a bit of planning to create a balanced display for five weeks of colour in spring. Designer Angel Collins shows how to do it.
By Country Life Published
-
Mary Keen: The secrets of vertical gardening
Gardener and author Mary Keen on why you should think up to make the most of your garden.
By Mary Keen Published
-
Alan Titchmarsh: How to grow exotic flowers in English country gardens
Alan Titchmarsh shares his tips on bringing exotic blooms to life in the gardens of Britain.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
-
Best tulips: The bulbs to buy now to light up your garden throughout next summer
Charles Quest-Ritson once looked down on tulips, something he deeply regrets. Don't make the same mistake, he says, as he names his favourite tulips of the summer and suggests you look to buy bulbs now.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published