Features
All the latest features from Gardens Illustrated magazine
After so much hot, dry weather, we're asking gardeners how they're faring this year
A meadow-inspired pot display from Jo Thompson for late-summer
From cool pastels and foliage to hot colours, designer Jo Thompson creates a stylish container combination
11 cool, alternative garden festivals and events to enjoy this summer
From a compost festival to an exhibition displaying a 1500s gardening manual, there are plenty of fascinating events to attend this summer.
Sworn enemies no more: we should ban the word ‘pest’ and give garden critters a rebrand
We should stop labelling creatures as sworn enemies, argues Cleve West, if we want to ensure our gardens are truly welcoming to wildlife.
Enter the charming world of the Bloomsbury Group in the romantic, cottage-style garden at Charleston
The gardens of Charleston, once home to painters Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and the artistic residence of the Bloomsbury Group, are maintained in the spirit of that age
From dancer to dairy farm: the yoghurt queen of Yeo Valley on launching a new festival in Somerset
The co-owner and head gardener of Yeo Valley Organic Garden on learning that life is not just a cabaret and why she’s launching a new garden festival
The best plants for August
As summer reaches its peak Tom Brown, the head gardener at West Dean Gardens, picks his favourite August flowers. Photographs Jason Ingram
Gardens to visit in August: the green spaces that will look perfect at this exact time of year
Want to see August flowers in full bloom? Head to these gardens and nurseries
Discover how to make these painterly plant pots designed by the head gardener at Benton End
Inspired by the gardens at Benton End, garden maker James Horner suggests a fresh container arrangement to capture the essence of summer
Kids vs garden? You can have a beautiful family friendly space, says Chelsea Flower Show designer. Here’s how
You can have a nice garden that both you and the kids will love, says Charlotte Harris, if you design smart and think ahead
'We must put ecology at the beginning of all our thoughts' - Alys Fowler on peat bogs and animism
Gardener and writer Alys Fowler on her new book, why she can’t grow carrots and why we need to value our peat bogs more
These 76 resilient plants chosen by world-leading experts are the ultimate selection for a changing climate
Five expert designers and plantspeople choose their top garden plants that are adaptable, beautiful and sure to grow happily whatever the weather throws at us
The best beer garden in the country? This award-winning plot with beautiful planting was once a car park
The spirit of hospitality flourishes in designer Tabitha Rigden’s contemporary take on a pub garden at The Plough Shiplake, with a beautifully planted new outdoor space that was previously a car park
These 14 things in your garden are giving people the ick: no-nos that top designers and horticulturists would ban
Banished from sight, these are the features, plants, accessories and design choices gardeners including Monty Don, Sarah Raven, Carol Klein and Alan Titchmarsh say they would never allow in their gardens
How to turn your garden into a peaceful sanctuary with top tips from expert designers
Desperately seeking a sense of tranquillity? Discover how to make your garden a space for mindfulness and wellbeing
Gardening events and shows in 2025
All the big names in one place. Here's our guide to the gardening calendar's biggest and best gardening events for the year ahead
I design amazing natural swimming ponds for a living, and this is what I learned creating my own
For her own garden, Ellicar, swimming pond designer Sarah Murch has created a wildlife-focused landscape that is at one with nature
Don't kill the wasps! They may be annoying but you definitely want them in your garden
Wasps are generally thought of as pests, but in fact they are great garden helpers. Here's the Royal Entomological Society's guide to wasps in the garden
The best UK campsites with beautiful gardens for a perfect green spot this summer
From Victorian walled gardens to shaded clearings among wildflowers, we recommend the best campsites in the UK with beautiful gardens to get lost in
Are we growing lemon trees instead of apples now? The new climate-change conundrum for gardeners
As our climate changes, gardeners are finding their plant palette is shifting, with some old favourites no longer happy and opportunities to try something new
Take a sneak peek around this private seaside garden with its own jetty in the UK’s most expensive area
Helen Elks-Smith’s clever design for a garden overlooking Poole Harbour makes the most of its impressive views and is planted to resist the fierce winds
What is the Big Butterfly Count and how can you take part
The Big Butterfly Count takes place 18 July to 10 August 2025. Read our guide to how you can take part in this important citizen science project, and how to attract more butterflies to your garden
Butter yellow may be the colour of the season, but yellow flowers give some people the ick. What you need is pale yellow - here are 15 lovely options that will light up a border
You might think you hate yellow in the garden - but have you considered pale yellow? This versatile shade combines beautifully with many other colours and can make a border sing
Most garden barbeques are pretty ugly, says Nigel Slater – I prefer these grills for cooking outdoors
Much as he loves eating in his garden, Nigel Slater blows hot and cold about cooking en plein air