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Betting your hedges: How taking a risk with your garden hedge could be the most rewarding job you ever do
As old as husbandry hedges may be, but that doesn’t mean they cannot be beautiful, too. Charles Quest-Ritson considers the many options.
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About thyme: the herb that goes with any dish
With more than 200 different varieties, there's a thyme to suit any gardener's preference
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Spring has officially sprung, according to some plants in Cornwall
Six magnolia trees in Cornwall have flowered, signalling the end of winter, according to a tradition that's been running for the past 12 years.
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The romance of the rose, and how it became the flower of love
Generations have sought that unattainable mystical creature, the perfect rose: shapely, dark red and sweetly scented. What is it about this flower that holds us so in thrall, and why are roses associated with love? Charles Quest-Ritson finds out.
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Jason Goodwin: 'In the garden I see myself as a god, quite Old Testament, full of wrath and vengeance'
'Bonfires spring up in my wake,' says Jason Goodwin. 'Brambles part before me like the Red Sea.'
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After a long winter, it's time to get out and start preparing for spring
Gardens Editor Tiffany Danneff shares her top suggestions for new plants and seeds this growing season.
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The snowdrops of Thenford: 900 varieties that are the pride and joy of Lord and Lady Heseltine
The gardens at Thenford House, home of Lord and Lady Heseltine James Alexander-Sinclair joins snowdrop lovers wandering through more than 900 varieties of Galanthus, perhaps the largest collection in the country. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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Charles Quest-Ritson: no chain, no gain — how using a chainsaw will improve your garden
Gardeners can be reluctant to take a blade to a healthy tree, but sometimes a severe pruning will leave both plant and garden in better health.
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Where to see snowdrops: The best places in Britain
The sight of these tiny white flowers peeping through in January or February never fails to cheer us up – here's our pick of where to see snowdrops.
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Alan Titchmarsh: The art and craft of the head gardener
There are a healthy number of estates whose gardening staff are a vital part of their continued existence — Alan Titchmarsh pays tribute.
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How Morton Hall's owner has reinvented the art of clematis training
Tiffany Daneff visits Morton Hall in Worcestershire to discover the secret of its owner’s new clematis-training technique. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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11 glorious dahlias to plant in your garden, as chosen by the experts at the National Dahlia Collection
The experts at the National Dahlia Collections told Kirsty Fergusson the best varieties they’d suggest for the typical country garden in Britain.
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Floral fireworks: The treasures you’ll find at the National Dahlia Collection
The National Dahlia Collection in Cornwallwas scheduled to be grubbed up in 2020, but was saved in the nick of time. Kirsty Fergusson visits the 1,700 dahlias now happily settled in their new home and finds out the best to order now for late-summer colour. Photos by Mimi Connolly.
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Mark Diacono: Chips, mash, roasted or dauphinoise — all better with your own potatoes
The versatile varieties of the potato make it a great crop to experiment with and, no matter what, nothing beats the taste of home grown
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Where art meets biology: How Anne Wright has bred some of the world's most covetable snowdrops
At Dryad Nursery near York, botanical artist Anne Wright has been breeding some highly collectable snowdrops, writes Mary Keen. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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Alan Titchmarsh: Change your plants, buy a greenhouse, erect a shed — do something to shake up your garden this winter
Spring will be here before you know it, so why not shake up your garden before the bloom? Alan Titchmarsh offers some suggestions on how to do just that.
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Long Barn Gardens, Kent: The place where Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson learned how to make a garden great
The garden at Long Barn, near Sevenoaks — the home of Lars and Rebecca Lemonius — shares many of the elements that make Sissinghurst Castle famous, says Christopher Stocks. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
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Figs, wisteria, and the roses that 'are ridiculously easy to grow': Country Life's 10 best gardens stories of 2023
We take a look back at Country Life's most popular gardening features and articles of the year.
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How to create a sweet-smelling winter garden
Fragranced plants may be harder to come across in winter months, says Lia Leendertz, but a little effort will reap deliciously sweet-smelling rewards both inside and outside the home.
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George Harrison's Garden: How the Beatle and his wife turned a 'tangled jungle' into a magnificent garden
When George Harrison first saw the famous Topiary Garden at Friar Park in Oxfordshire, it was a tangled jungle of overgrown yews. The work he began has been continued by his wife, Olivia, and, now, the display is back to its full glory, finds Charles Quest-Ritson.
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24 hours in Oxford, from the Botanic Garden to the Bodleian Library
Oxford’s unique mix of history, art, nature and architecture make it the ideal place for a short break. Our gardens editor Tiffany Daneff paid a visit to the famous Botanic Garden — and found she still had time to fit in several more of the city’s great treasures.
