Latest From Gardens Illustrated
A well-behaved alternative to bamboo, these grass-like evergreens are great year-round
An exciting alternative to bamboo, these evergreen, grass-like plants offer eye-catching details and attractive stems all year round
The gardener who trades secateurs for stilettos to become his drag queen alter ego
Professional gardener Tom, aka the Drag Queen Gardener, cares for a private 90-acre estate in Warwickshire, but trades secateurs for stilettos to become his alter ego, Daisy Desire.
Portrait: Andrew Montgomery
These are the top seed suppliers you need to be buying from for your online seed order this year
If you're looking for inspiration for your next crop of flowers, herbs and vegetables, take a look at our recommended seed suppliers this year
How to design a garden on a slope: inspiration for your sloping garden
Creating a garden on a sloping site brings a host of challenges, but, says designer Charlotte Harris, with careful planning it is also an opportunity to make a really interesting space.
Looking for colour in winter? Hellebores are perfect flowers for the season- here's how to plant, care for and sow them
Plant expert John Hoyland gives advice on planting, sowing and growing hellebores. Plus, the best varieties to grow, recommended by some of our favourite plant experts.
The big job Nigel Slater is embarking on this year
Not typically one to act on impulse, Nigel Slater wonders if more spontaneity, and stone paving, might be in order.
Gardens Illustrated 's Editor's choice
Discover designer Dan Pearson’s personal slice of paradise in the English countryside
At his Somerset home, Hillside, designer Dan Pearson has worked sensitively with the open, sloping site to create a beautifully intricate garden with a true sense of place.
Watch Nigel Slater's exclusive tour around his own small garden and discover why he wouldn't want a bigger one
While Nigel Slater might occasionally dream of a larger garden, the joy he feels cocooned in his tiny basement courtyard has convinced him size isn’t everything.
Illustration: Paul Wearing, Portrait: John Campbell
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Gardens Illustrated events
Latest garden features and design ideas
Try these tips from garden experts for seed sowing success for the coming year
Daunted by sowing seeds? Propagation expert Carol Klein and vegetable grower Aaron Bertelsen share their seed sowing tips.
Here's exactly how to grow snowdrops to make sure you have a beautiful display early in the year
All you need to know about growing snowdrops, including when to plant snowdrops and how to care for them
The 19 best new gardens to visit in 2025: perfect spots you won't have visited yet
A new year, a new set of gardens to explore. We’ve rounded up the best new horticultural hotspots to visit - all recently opened or redesigned.
Monty Don’s new TV series is 'one of the hardest things I've done'
Here’s everything you need to know about Monty Don’s British Gardens.
Nigel Dunnett to return to RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2025 with remarkable sand dune garden
The world-renowned planting expert will be designing a garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2025
Hate the gym? There’s an easier way to get fit and stay healthy and you may not believe what it is, says GP
Hate the gym? Then Dr Richard Claxton has good news: studies show that being active in your garden offers a host of health benefits.
Illustration: Vicki Turner
Looking for Scandi-style comfort in your garden? How about a sauna - these are the best we've found
Sit back and relax under the stars with our pick of the best saunas for your garden.
These plants will make your garden look good over winter
The seedheads of perennials bring drama to the garden in winter and provide food for birds and insects, too. We recommend 11 of the best
How to stop squirrels eating your tulip bulbs
Squirrels can ruin tulip displays. We asked a range of experts for their advice on stopping squirrels digging up bulb displays.
How late is too late to plant bulbs?
Ever wondered how long you can wait to plant your spring bulbs? We asked our readers and the experts, and these are the results.
Best garden plants for now
Feed the birds: these are the best plants for birds that you can have in your garden
Making your garden a safe haven for birds is easy and rewarding says Jane Moore, author of Planting for Garden Birds.
These are the top seed suppliers you need to be buying from for your online seed order this year
If you're looking for inspiration for your next crop of flowers, herbs and vegetables, take a look at our recommended seed suppliers this year
Looking for colour in winter? Hellebores are perfect flowers for the season- here's how to plant, care for and sow them
Plant expert John Hoyland gives advice on planting, sowing and growing hellebores. Plus, the best varieties to grow, recommended by some of our favourite plant experts.
Pink flowers for the garden that you'll love
From the palest china pink to vibrant magenta, here are 20 pretty pink blooms for your garden in every season.
Here's exactly how to grow snowdrops to make sure you have a beautiful display early in the year
All you need to know about growing snowdrops, including when to plant snowdrops and how to care for them
No space for a tree in your garden? Think again – with these 13 expert picks for trees in pots
No space for a tree in your garden? Think again. We asked experts to recommend the best trees to grow in containers. Words: Chris Young, Photos: Jason Ingram & Eleanor Walpole
Houseplants
Can house plants really beat mould? We discover the truth around the claims
The internet is awash with advice on house plants beating mould. But are the claims actually true?
Your common house plant problems - solved
House plant expert Sarah Gerrard-Jones identifies the 10 most common house plant problems and explains how to solve them.
Houseplants | How to look after the blue star fern
Ferns sparked the first houseplant craze and are still a great houseplant choice, especially the unfussy Phlebodium aureum. Illustration Agata Wierzbicka
Gardens Illustrated 's Podcasts
Talking Gardens season 4: John Little
Talking Gardens season 4: Shane Connolly
Talking Gardens Season 4: Butter Wakefield
Talking Gardens Season 4: Charles Dowding
Talking Gardens Season 4: Rosy Hardy
Talking Gardens Season 4: Monty Don
Talking Gardens podcast with Jimi Blake
Listen to this episode of Talking Gardens, the Gardens Illustrated podcast, featuring Jimi Blake on how he dodges bears while botanising and how going to train as a gardener was life-saving for him.
Recipes
HOME COOKED RECIPES WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS
How to make delicious cherry blossom jam
Beth Al Rikabi shares her recipe for cherry blossom jam, which has a delicate, almondy flavour
Baked apples with maple syrup and cinnamon recipe
This delicious baked apple with maple syrup, cinnamon and raisins is the perfect warmer for autumn evenings
Hot-smoked cauliflower with a cheese and dill sauce
Chef and food writer Gill Meller believes enjoying food outside can help us connect with nature, whatever the time of year. This seasonal recipe can be cooked over an open fire. Photographs by Andrew Montgomery
Crispy kale with sea salt and lemon
These tasty vegetable kale crisps, flavoured with sea salt and lemon, are the perfect, pre-dinner snack.
Container Gardening
pots of style for your garden
Give your containers autumn style with the help of designer Jo Thompson's hellebore and euonymus designs
Designer Jo Thompson creates this stylish display using hellebores and euonymus to see you through the colder months
A great planted pot for winter and autumn using succulents with architectural texture
Designer Jo Thompson creates a stylish display to see you through the colder months using aloe and other succulents
You can grow beautiful bulbs in your house over winter by 'forcing' them - here's how to do it
Forcing bulbs is a way to manipulate spring bulbs so that they flower early, bringing a much-needed burst of colour into the home during the winter months. Try these bulb combinations to learn how to force bulbs yourself. Images by Jason Ingram
A warming winter pot for wildlife using Cornus alba and cotoneaster
Designer Jo Thompson offers a stylish display to see you through the colder months. Photographs Jason Ingram
Inspiring Gardens
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
A zesty tangerine-coloured roof top garden in London designed by Nigel Dunnett
On the edge of one of London’s busiest roundabouts, Nigel Dunnett has created exciting combinations of drought-tolerant plants for a roof garden that is as unexpected as it is joyful. Words: Natasha Goodfellow, Photographs: Alister Thorpe
From boarded up library to gorgeous community garden: this space in London was transformed by a Chelsea gold-winning designer
A new community garden designed by Sarah Price around
an old library turned arts centre in southeast London is a treasured space for local residents
and garden lovers alike.
A zero waste garden: this space was completely transformed, without sending anything to landfill
Designer Miria Harris gave herself the challenge of a no-skip, zero-waste project, giving away, recycling or reusing everything in this back garden before transforming it into a space her client could love.
Words: Zia Allaway, Photographs: Rachel Warne
Warmer climes: this sunny new Mallorcan garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith will have you reaching for your passport
By replacing grass lawns with a relaxed mix of resilient planting, Tom Stuart-Smith has ensured this Mediterranean garden is firmly grounded in its landscape.
Words: Errol Reuben Fernandes, Photographs: Richard Bloom
This season in the garden
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GARDENING NOW
Seeds to sow and plants to get in the earth in January to make sure you've a thriving garden in spring
Head gardener Benjamin Pope is keeping busy this month in preparation for spring. Here are his suggestions of what you could be planting through the month of January
Get these key jobs done in January to keep your garden looking great
A new year heralds a new growing season and the promise of crops to come. Discover a new year of possibilities in your garden. Words Aaron Bertelsen
Winter flowers: experts' choice of winter flowering plants
Our panel of experts pick the best winter flowering plants to grow over the colder months to ensure bright blooms add colour and interest in your garden
Put the spade down! Gardening in January could do more harm than good
Garden writer and horticulturist Daniel Masoliver explains why you need to stop what you're doing, put your spade down, and actually stop gardening this month
Gardens to visit
which gardens to visit and where
Are you a galanthophile? Here are the best places to see snowdrops in 2025
For snowdrop lovers, or galanthophiles, February is the month to venture out to admire spectacular displays of snowdrops. Here are some of our recommended gardens to visit.
The most inspiring winter garden walks
It may be cold outside but you can still visit beautiful gardens over the winter months. Here's our top picks of UK open gardens to visit for a refreshing winter walk
25 English gardens to visit for classic style and beautiful plants
In this feature designer and garden historian Penelope Hobhouse shares 25 of the best English gardens to visit
Garden design
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
Limited space? You probably still have room for a tree - discover the best trees for small gardens
Many people worry that a tree will overpower a small garden, but as garden designer Sarah Price shows, the key is finding the right place and the right tree
Mid-century style garden furniture is trending, here's why you need these iconic garden furniture pieces
Love mid-century style? You won’t want to miss this brand’s sale across many of its iconic outdoor furniture pieces…
You can have a sustainable garden that's also beautiful - here's how to design stylish ecological gardens
Charlotte Harris explains how to design gardens that are ecological and beautiful in her expert guide to sustainable garden design
How to design a garden on a slope: inspiration for your sloping garden
Creating a garden on a sloping site brings a host of challenges, but, says designer Charlotte Harris, with careful planning it is also an opportunity to make a really interesting space.
Here's what companion planting means and why it can help plants thrive
Ever wondered how companion planting might help your vegetables and deter pests? Here expert grower Matthew Biggs breaks down the companion planting myths and explains how the system works
How do garden landscapers and designers work together?
There’s confusion around what a landscape architect, garden designer and hard landscaper really is. Here Claire Vokins from Wilson | Vokins breaks down the connection
Gardening Advice
WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT
Wondering what no-dig gardening is? Let the expert explain
Generations of gardeners have been told that digging is the best way to prepare soil for planting – but that’s a myth, according to grower Charles Dowding, who practises no dig gardening. Charles explains what no dig is and how it works
A guide to pruning roses
Discover how to prune all types of roses including shrub, climbing and rambling roses in our guide from plant expert John Hoyland. Photographs by Gavin Kingcome.
Ten tips for gardening plastic free
David Ware, head of eco garden centre EdibleCulture, offers up his top tips for how to garden without using plaastic
Gardening Kit
OUR PICK OF THE BEST GARDENING TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
Brilliant bird tables for all types of garden birds
Welcome more birds into your garden this winter with a stylish and sturdy bird table.
Turn your garden into a wildflower haven with these great seed bombs to buy for your garden
Get beautiful blooms for minimum effort with a pack of wildflower seed bombs
The best gardening books in 2024: leaf through these highly-rated reads
Discover the best gardening books to read in 2024, recommended by a range of horticultural experts for Gardens Illustrated
The best wellington boots for walking and gardening
Keep your feet warm, snug and dry this autumn with our pick of the best wellies for gardening
10 of the best bird baths 2025: from the modern to the classic
Welcome some birds into your garden with a bird bath. You'll provide them with a reliable source of water to drink from and bathe in
Best plant gift subscriptions
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