Expert Gardening Tips
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Best strawberries to grow at home, and how to make sure they keep producing fruit all summer
Expert fruit farmer Mark Diacono chooses the best strawberries, picking out varieties which will keep you in fresh strawberries all summer.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: The garden blunder that caught me out — and how it's going to cost me than I can admit to my wife
Alan Titchmarsh thought his 'old friends' growing peacefully in their pots would be safe. He was wrong.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Arthur Parkinson: 'It’s a crime that we have forsaken our wildflower meadows for petrol lawnmowers and Flymos'
The gardener Arthur Parkinson speaks to Country Life about his garden inspirations, keeping chickens and why
By Toby Keel Published
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What to plant to create a bold, romantic scheme in a classic British garden
Andrew Cannell, Head Gardener at American Museum and Gardens in Bath, shares his recommendations for Bold Romantic plant combinations for a British garden.
By Non Morris Published
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Japanese Quince: The spectacular red flowers that should be on every gardener's to-grow list
Steven Desmond pours praise on the flowers of genus chaenomeles — also known as japonica, or Japanese quince — and explains how to make sure they thrive in your garden.
By Steven Desmond Published
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Charles-Quest Ritson: 'Gardens are like people — most of them don’t age well'
Charles Quest-Ritson reminisces on his younger days and laments the passing years — not least our shared tendency with gardens to become 'rather seedy in old age, which is when they need constant attention to stay looking good'.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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Umbellifers: The plants with 'bold structure' with soft, frothy flowers that have an ethereal quality
Their frothing flower heads and bold structure give a relaxed country feel to any garden, but John Hoyland — gardens advisor at Glyndebourne — says you must choose umbellifers carefully. Here’s his guide to the best.
By Country Life Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: 'Their goal is quantity rather than quality; of boastfulness rather than the innate delight in seeing a plant that is loved'
Our columnist takes aim at the plant collectors whose desire to hit bigger numbers overtakes their love of gardening — but he pours praise on the honourable exceptions who manage to balance both impulses.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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How to grow your own salad: 'Whether it’s a single-leaf salad or a tumble of colours, no salad is better than the one you grow yourself'
Mark Diacono offers his top tips to sow, grow and cut your own salad and shares his favourite varieties.
By Mark Diacono Published
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The ultimate guide to planting your own orchard: 'Getting it right is easy; sadly, so is getting it wrong'
Mark Diacono has planted dozens of orchards — he shares his wisdom on how to go about it.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: Why I relish the worst jobs in gardening
Alan Titchmarsh admits that it's not just gardening's most challenging tasks, but also its the mundane chores that 'give me a deep sense of pleasure'.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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Noel Kingsbury: How to make a bonfire that doubles as a spectacular natural firework display
Garden designer Noel Kingsbury on the joy of a good bonfire.
By Country Life Published
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Grow your own pepper, even in Britain: The varieties that are fragrant, exotic and almost indecently easy to cultivate
Normal black peppercorns need more heat than you'll get in Britain — but there are extraordinary alternatives which will spice up your cooking and even save you a fortune, as Mark Diacono explains.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: 'I treasure still the letters that I received from him, not simply for their horticultural content, but their companionship'
The gardener, writer and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh reminisces about the gardening letters he's received — and despairs at the thought of what might have become of them if they'd been sent by e-mail.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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How to grow vegetables which look as good as they taste
Vegetable needn't be drab or dull — all you have to do is pick the right varieties. Steven Desmond shares some of his best tips.
By Steven Desmond Published
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The best holly to grow in your garden — and how to make sure it's the right sex
Charles Quest-Ritson takes a look at the surprisingly tricky world of growing holly.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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The best British potatoes to grow for every meal, from roast potatoes and chips to mash and salads
Mark Diacono runs through his go-to list of British potato varieties to grow — and explains how to help them avoid the dreaded potato blight.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Country Life's 10 best gardening tips of 2020, from which nurseries to trust online to avoiding naff plant pots
Our gardening advice blogs are always enormously popular on the Country Life website — and with writers such as Alan Titchmarsh and Mark Diacono, it's hardly surprising.
By Toby Keel Published
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The best herbs to grow in your garden aren't the ones you use the most. Here's why.
Mark Diacono is about to embark on creating a herb garden — here's what he's going to grow.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Jerusalem Artichokes: Everything you need to know about growing and eating them
Point one: they're not artichokes, and they're not from Jerusalem, says Mark Diacono.
By Mark Diacono Published
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The best Cox's apple varieties to eat and grow — including one you'll never see in a supermarket
Steven Desmond takes a look at the various members of the Cox apple family, and suggests some to look out for.
By Steven Desmond Published


