Gardening advice
Expert gardening advice for designing and planting in your garden
Ideas for decorating the table for Christmas
Brighten up your Christmas table with these natural festive arrangements using evergreens and winter-flowering shrubs. Here's two simple examples to make yourself. Words and styling Bea Andrews, photography Andrew Montgomery
Easy natural Christmas star decorations using twigs
Create your own quick natural handmade Christmas decorations with these simple but pretty stars made from twigs and evergreens
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
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Winter gardening jobs
Just because winter is here, it doesn't mean there's nothing to do in the garden. Rosie Fyles, head gardener at Chiswick House, and head gardener Benjamin Pope explain what winter gardening needs to be done
What's new?
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.
Six easy ideas for Christmas wreaths using seasonal materials foraged from your garden
Learn how to make a homemade Christmas wreath from scratch with our ideas using natural materials including succulents, evergreens and seedheads
‘I didn’t harvest a single carrot. That was a sharp lesson’: Charles Dowding on his no-dig journey and how to compost well
No-dig expert, market gardener and author Charles Dowding talks about his new book, the books he reads, and what he’s up to next
How to do bokashi composting and the worm compost method
Most gardeners know about traditional ways of composting, but head gardener Joshua Sparkes explains the options for smaller spaces. Illustration Vicki Turner
Want a natural Christmas? Here are 12 ideas for decorations made from materials from your garden
Festive ideas and inspiration for stylish Christmas decorations such as baubles and garlands, easily handmade at home using foraged and natural materials from the garden
Advice for big gardens
How to lay a hedge
Interested in the centuries-old skill of hedge laying? Follow our guide on how to lay a hedge and learn about the traditional ways to lay a hedge. Words Louise Allen, photography Andrew Montgomery, illustration Liam McAuley
What is soil? You may think you know, but there's a lot going on under your feet
Think of your garden soil as a living organism that needs gentle handling and you will reap the benefits in healthier plants, urges no-dig gardening expert Charles Dowding
Autumn jobs in the garden: Sissinghurst head gardener explains what you should be doing over this season
As the garden slips into a new season, head gardener Troy Scott Smith and his team are busy with tasks from hedge cutting and lawn work to bulb planting and sowing seeds. Words Troy Scott Smith, photographs John Campbell
Advice for dry gardens
Get help for planting and ideas for your dry garden
How to protect grass seed from birds
Head gardener Troy Scott Smith explains his tips and tricks on sowing grass seed in a way that the birds won't eat
What does 'organic' actually mean? We break down the confusing terms and see if it's possible to garden organically
Organic is a word used a lot in the gardening and farming world these days, and many people are trying to 'go organic'. But what does organic actually mean? It isn't as simple as you think
How to care for your lawn: ten top tips for keeping your lawn lush and green
Head gardener of Stockton Bury Tamsin Westhorpe explains ten simple tips that will help you care for your lawn
Gardening how tos
Wondering exactly how to do something in the garden? Discover our gardening guides
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.
Plants to grow for your gut microbiome to boost your health
Growing your own edible plants is a great way to boost your gut microbiome. Discover expert picks of edimentals that are both beautiful and beneficial.
Words: Sid Hill
Low maintenance gardens
Our guide to finding the easiest ways of gardening
31 small garden design ideas from experts that will maximise impact and space on your own plot
Three top designers share expert advice on creating small spaces that really work, with insightful dos and don’ts to apply to your own garden. Picked by Harry Holding, Caroline Clayton, Harriet Farlam and Ben Chandler
10 facts you (possibly) didn’t know about dahlias
Celebrating dahlia season - here's 10 facts you might not have known about these gorgeous late season flowers
Easy lawn alternatives: here are six plants that will work as an alternative to grass for your lawn and are easier to maintain
A lawn doesn't have to consist of grass. Here are six beautiful alternatives that will cover the ground and give you a green look, without the need to mow.
Advice for shady gardens
Get help for your shady garden
A small sloping backyard was given a designer update and is now a beautiful, flower-filled family garden on different levels by Farlam & Chandler
Design duo Farlam & Chandler has transformed a heavily shaded plot into a beautiful, flower-filled family garden
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
Stop! Here are 14 things you think you need to do in your garden but you actually don't
The RHS offers up 14 things in your garden that you think might work, but which actually don't
Sunny gardens
Beautiful pink, orange, red and white poppies for your garden and how to care for them
The scarlet poppy may be one of the most instantly recognisable flowers, but with more than 70 species of Papaver, in a range of shapes and colours, there’s one for every garden. Plant expert John Hoyland picks the best and gives his growing advice
When to water plants in hot weather
In the heatwave, make sure you're watering your plants at the right time of day
Wondering what jobs to get done this summer? Let Sissinghurst's expert head gardener guide you
Sissinghurst’s head gardener Troy Scott Smith guides us through the jobs that he and his team do in summer. Images by John Campbell
Advice for wet gardens
Get help for your wet garden
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
30 of the best climbing plants for 2024
Choose from our selection of best climbing plants and add vertical interest to walls and trellises or allow to scramble over other plants in borders. Plantsman and garden designer Rory Dusoir gives his top recommendations.
Box tree moth could be rampant this year, warns RHS
The RHS has warned that 2024 could see a significant rise in the spread of box tree moth