Rhododendrons: A beautiful excuse to lose the battle against invading flowers
Charles Quest-Ritson explains why these gorgeous purple flowers are not such a bad thing, really.
Gardens
We can’t get enough of our gardens at Country Life magazine. We love to visit gorgeous English country gardens at any time of year – and more and more are opening for longer, as you can see from our piece on beautiful gardens to visit all year around.
At the same time, different gardens are best at certain times of year. For instance we know the best places to see snowdrops, where to see bluebells, and the best gardens for afternoon tea in the summertime.
We have guides to our flowering trees, and our ultimate guide to British wildflowers, as well as tips on overcoming box blight and other garden pests.
Read on, and find out whether we are running any of our exclusive garden tours, which take readers to see some of the most impressive private gardens in Provence and Tuscany twice a year.
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White cherry blossom trees in the orchard at Alnwick Garden, Northumberland. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo Britain is blossoming – here’s where to make the most of this beautiful moment in Spring
With blossom trees across the nation bursting into bloom we've polled our team of writers and contributors to offer these wonderful suggestions for the best places to enjoy this glorious seasonal show.
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Credit: Getty Images 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.
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Credit: Alamy Stock Photo 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.
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Credit: Alamy Stock Photo 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.
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Credit: Alamy 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.
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The Walled Garden and glasshouse at Fulham Palace Gardens Credit: Alamy Stock Photo Flowers, greenhouses and political intrigue: The extraordinary tale of Fulham Palace Gardens
Fulham Palace Gardens have been bringing joy to garden-lovers in London for three centuries. Mark Griffiths pays tribute to the extraordinary figure who first created this idyllic space.
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Tree Canopy Walkway, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Cape Town, South Africa, with Table Mountain in background. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo Alan Titchmarsh: Why Kirstenbosch is the gardener’s garden
Alan Titchmarsh waxes lyrical about one of the world's truly magnificent gardens.
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Wisteria on a house wall in the village of Broadway in the Cotswolds. Credit: Alamy Alan Titchmarsh: A foolproof guide to growing wisteria
Alan Titchmarsh gives advice for growing this most glorious of horticultural spectacles.
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Tulips in a country house garden. Credit: ©Val Corbett/Country Life How to grow tulips, by the gardener who creates the incomparable display at Parham Park
Parham Park’s head gardener Tom Brown shares his tips on how to grow tulips.
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Red-girdled Mining-bee (Andrena labiata) adult male in a dandelion flower. Powys, Wales. April. How to attract bees to your garden
Dave Goulson, Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Sussex and founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, explains how to attract bees to your garden.
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Credit: Chris Warren The Art of Glass: How Marston & Langinger have transformed the conservatory as we know it
Nick Bashford tells Giles Kime how Marston & Langinger has succeeded in transforming the possibilities of glass architecture.
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Credit: Moment Editorial/Getty Alan Titchmarsh: Why I've decided that life's too short to keep growing the same old things in my greenhouse
Alan Titchmarsh's greenhouse has become a bit predictable – but he's now got big plans to mix things up.
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Credit: Alamy Stock Photo Jason Goodwin: How legginess, though desirable on humans, is the devil in seedlings
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Credit: Alamy The best daffodils and narcissi to grow your garden, whether in pots, grass or borders
With more than 26,000 to choose from, it can be agonising deciding which narcissus to grow. Charles Quest-Ritson asks daffodil doyenne Christine Skelmersdale for ideas.
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The title of Giles Kime's recent book about the designer of this room says it all: 'Nina Campbell: Elegance and Ease'. What more could anyone wish for their home? Credit: Paul Raeside/Rizzoli The Country Life Top 100 builders, architects, interior decorators and garden designers in Britain
Country Life's experts have delved into their little black books to bring you the finest architects, builders, interior decorators and garden designers in Britain.
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The south front of Lowther Castle and view of the Parterre Garden from the gardens, designed by Dan Pearson. Credit: Paul Highnam/Country Life The best garden designers and landscapers in Britain
A beautiful country house is as much about its surroundings as its bricks and mortar, something that the best garden designers in Britain all understand. We've completely revised and updated our list of the finest of them all.
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Andrew May, one of the narcissus and daffodil growers of the Scilly Isles Credit: Emily Whitfield-Wicks The flower growers of the Scilly Isles: 'There’s a bit of good fortune and a lot of hard work'
The Isles of Scilly have spectacularly good conditions for growing flowers – particularly the daffodils and other narcissi which we're now seeing everywhere.
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Credit: Chris Warren / Marston and Langinger 10 breathtakingly pretty conservatories, orangeries and greenhouses to suit any home
Whether you've got the space for a glorified window box or a minor concert venue, Amelia Thorpe has something to fit the bill.
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Credit: Chris Warren / Marston and Langinger What to grow in a conservatory, from cacti and succulents to orchids and herbs
Conservatories are once again being used for cultivating and enjoying plants. Amelia Thorpe reports on a growing trend.
