Gardens
Britain's best gardens, and advice on how to transform your own with seasonal advice from leading gardeners & Country Life experts.
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'I was utterly bewitched': The heartwarming success story of one of Britain's greatest rose-growers
Charles Quest-Ritson talks to Trevor White, whose Norfolk rose nursery is sought out by enthusiasts for the quality and variety of its stock. Photographs by Richard Bloom.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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William Robinson, the visionary gardener 150 years ahead of his time
A century and a half before the word 'rewilding' entered the gardening lexicon, a pioneering gardener named William Robinson was advocating for a more natural approach to our green spaces. Tiffany Daneff examines his legacy, and his home at Gravetye Manor.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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Springing in the rain: The science behind the smells of the seasons
Spring is just around the corner, and so too is an assault on the senses.
By Laura Parker Published
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'It was like going on a blind date... over a few glasses of wine our friendship was sealed and by three in the morning we had a plan': The creation of a spectacular Moroccan garden
Scrubby farmland near Marrakech has been transformed into an exceptional garden with views of the snow-capped Atlas mountains. discovers Kirsty Fergusson discovers the gardens of Riad Nouria, home of Lexi and Helena Oswald. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
By Kirsty Fergusson Last updated
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Alan Titchmarsh: I'm always asked about 'creating a sensory garden', and my answer is always the same
From the chirruping of the birds to the sweeping of a broom, Alan Titchmarsh shares the sounds that all our gardens have in common.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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RHS to run two new touring shows at Badminton and at the royal estate at Sandringham
The King will collaborate with a designer on the RHS Royal Legacy Garden at the Sandringham flower show.
By Julie Harding Published
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The gardeners' gardens: Alan Titchmarsh, Mary Keen, Clive Nichols and more on the places they have on their 2026 hitlists
Which gardens are Country Life contributors most looking forward to visiting this year? We asked them for the where and why.
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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Beautiful, rewarding, unpronounceable: Chaenomeles, the spectacular shrub that grows happily in gardens where azaleas will never bloom
So many new types of Japanese flowering quince are now available that they have been the subject of a four-year trial by the RHS. Charles Quest-Ritson picks his favourites; just don't ask him to say their names out loud.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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English country gardens once dotted the French Riviera. Now the last of them is about to slip away forever
Charles Quest-Ritson laments the final closure of the English Edwardian garden at Le Clos.
By Charles Quest-Ritson Published
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Three plants to grow in 2026 that are as delicious as they are pretty, from Siberian chives to 'Turkish warty cabbage'
Our grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono has sound advice for those feeling adventurous in the garden in 2026.
By Mark Diacono Published
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Seeing the centuries old specimens of Carl Linnaeus in a new light
Safely stored in a dark vault in London, the dried specimens of Carl Linnaeus's 18th-century herbarium have been revealed in their true colours.
By Christopher Stocks Published
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Alan Titchmarsh: Everything you think you know about ivy is probably wrong
The oft-maligned ivy is no parasite, says Alan Titchmarsh: it's a plant that does little harm and much good.
By Alan Titchmarsh Published
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The railway station gardens that bring a touch of bucolic bliss to an ordinary train ride
Gently tended by devoted staff, the railway station garden has become a rural idyll in its own right, says Andrew Martin.
By Andrew Martin Published
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The Convent Garden of Il Redentore: A Venice masterpiece that's finally opened its gates after 450 years of total privacy
The recent exemplary restoration by Paolo Pejrone of the 16th-century monastic gardens is not to be missed, writes Tim Richardson. Photographs by Nicolò Tacconi/Orto Giardino del Redentore.
By Tim Richardson Published
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Country Life's top 10 garden stories of 2025, from Alan Titchmarsh's hardy annuals to David Beckham's Cotswolds paradise
We look back at the most-read architecture stories on the Country Life website in 2025.
By Toby Keel Published
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Helmingham Hall: The ancient garden at a medieval hall where the drawbridge is still pulled up every night
Half a millennium of careful tending at Helmingham Hall in Suffolk — home of Ed and Sophie Tollemache — has given this garden a rare magic, most noticeable in the depths of winter. Tilly Ware paid a visit; photography by Clive Nichols.
By Tilly Ware Published
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The plants to give for Christmas which will keep flowering for years
John Massey of Ashwood Nurseries grows thousands of Christmas plants each year — making him one of our Christmas heroes. Here are his tips for the best ones to give.
By Jane Wheatley Published
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How to create spectacular arrangements for your Christmas table
Candles, crabapples and a Champagne bucket are all your need to transform your Christmas table, says Amy Merrick. Just don't mention cut flowers.
By Amy Merrick Published
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The greatest flowers make the greatest art
A search for still-life subjects led Kate Friend to some of the greatest gardens and gardeners in the country
By Tiffany Daneff Published
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There are a billion microbes in a teaspoon of soil. Leaving the leaves to Nature feeds and nourishes them
Leaf blowers aren't just futile and polluting — they're actively bad for the health of your garden, not to mention your mental wellbeing. Time to reach for the rake, says Isabel Bannerman.
By Isabel Bannerman Published
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Country Life's luxury editor's Christmas gift ideas for the home and garden
Our luxury editor's round up of the best Christmas presents for house and garden proud mothers, fathers, siblings, partners and friends.
By Amie Elizabeth White Last updated


