Plants
Plants, how to plant, what to plant
Monty Don show's flower farmer Cel Robertson on changing career and her top 7 flowers for cutting
Cel Robertson of Forever Green Flower Company in Norfolk on flower farming and the best blooms to grow in your garden for cutting
Why you should buy snowdrops 'in the green' - plus how to plant them
Planting snowdrops in the green is considered the best way to establish them. Here's advice on why you should buy them, where to buy and how to plant
Yellow snowdrops? Yes, they do exist – and command high prices
Most snowdrops are white, or green and white, but some have yellow markings – and are highly sought after.
Subscribe to Gardens Illustrated and get your first 3 issues for only £6!
A very special Gardens Illustrated subscription offer! Join Gardens Illustrated magazine and get your first 3 issues for only £6!
The best snowdrops for your garden
John Sales, former head of gardens at the National Trust, recommends 12 of the best snowdrops to grow in your garden. Words Mary Keen.
What's new?
Trees and shrubs to plant for birds
Discover some of the best shrubs to plant in your garden for birds, chosen by Isabel Losada
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.
Love birds? Here are the best way to attract them to your garden
Looking for ways to attract birds to your garden? Here's how to keep all your feathered friends happy all year round
A well-behaved alternative to bamboo, these grass-like evergreens are great year-round
Defying easy categorisation, restios are evergreen plants that offer eye-catching details, attractive stems and grow rapidly in spring
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
Autumn
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
Make your own seed envelope using recycled paper with our handy guide and video
Follow our fold-by-fold guide to making your own origami seed envelope. Then save and collect your own seeds from this year's favourites, or swap with a gardening friend and be ready to sow next spring.
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
Bulbs
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
Great flowers and plants for the garden in December picked by head gardeners
The best December flowers and foliage from winter interest plants chosen for structure, colour and texture in the garden. Photographs Jason Ingram
Think there is nothing to start growing now? It's actually garlic planting season. Here's how to grow it
Garlic is one of the healthiest ways to add flavour to food and is not difficult to grow. Allotmenteer Jojo Tulloh explains how to get started. Photographs Andrew Montgomery
Flowers
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.
The best winter-flowering clematis
Plant expert John Hoyland recommends 14 of the best winter-flowering clematis to grow in your garden. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
House plants
The best indoor orchids for long-lasting, colourful blooms plus how to to keep them alive and flowering again
Add colour to the winter months with these delicate houseplants that offer exotic, long-lasting flowers, and are easier to look after than you may think.
Words: Matthew Biggs, Photographs: Éva Nemeth
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
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?
Planting ideas
Get inspiration for your garden and discover which plants will work best and where
New plants on sale in 2025 - these exciting new plants will be available for the garden from top nurseries
Expert plantspeople and nursery owners reveal the new plants they're offering for sale this year
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
What to plant and sow in November in the garden for a great crop next year
Put the work into your garden now and you'll reap the rewards come spring. Head gardener Benjamin William Pope and garden writer Aaron Bertelsen explain what you can sow in November
Pots
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
Alternatives to a Christmas tree
Looking for an alternative to a cut Christmas tree? Here are some attractive conifers that you can grow outdoors in pots all year round, then bring indoors for the festive season
Shrubs
These colourful stems will be a great addition to your winter garden
Cultivars of Cornus sanguinea, Cornus alba and Cornus sericea are grown for their colourful winter stems, but some have the benefit of attractive foliage too, giving them year-round appeal. Plant expert Andy McIndoe recommends some of the best.
The best plants for November
There's plenty of ways to find colour and contrast in the garden on November days. Here Tom Brown and Fleur van Zonneveld pick the best plants for November. Photographs Jason Ingram and Maayke de Ridder
Cotinus: smoke bushes to grow for autumn colour
Bold autumn tints and early plumes of flower make the cotinus, or smoke bush, an indispensable shrub in the garden. Shrub expert Andy McIndoe advises on how to grow them. Photographs by Richard Bloom
Spring
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.
21 brilliant bulbs to plant that will give you colour in every season
Garden designer Adam Hunt recommends his favourite bulbs for colour almost all year round.
Bulbs border display: download our designer plan
Garden designer James Alexander-Sinclair’s bold bulb plan for a bulb-filled border offers a spectacular display of flowering bulbs from January to July. Download the plan here. Illustration Hannah McVicar
Summer
In praise of the chrysanthemum
Discover exactly how to grow these late-flowering hardy chrysanthemums that will look perfect in your garden. Photographs by Jason Ingram
The best fuchsias for your garden
Hardy fuchsias can flower from late spring right through to early autumn. Mat Reese, head gardener at Malverleys in Hampshire, recommends his favourites and gives advice on growing them
Why Japanese anemones are the perfect bloom for late-summer and autumn borders
These elegant blooms are perfect for brightening up late-summer and autumn borders, here we explain how to use this colourful flower.
Words: Matthew Reese, Photographs: Jason Ingram
Trees
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
The best wood for burning on wood burning stoves and fires
As winter approaches, re-stocking your firewood supplies is on the agenda. We choose the best types of firewood, give advice on stacking logs and how to light a fire. Words Louise Allen, photographs Andrew Montgomery
The world's most extreme trees grow in the fiercest conditions. But should you plant them in your garden?
Faced with a warming climate, many gardeners are thinking carefully about resilient plants for their garden. But what about three of the world's most extreme trees?
Winter
A classic walled garden that's a delight in frost with a beautiful winter structure designed by Arne Maynard
This walled garden designed by Arne Maynard is a perfect example of a winter garden that has faded to reveal its beautiful bare framework.
Best UK gardens open for Boxing Day walks
Many UK gardens are open this festive season, so why not work off your Christmas indulgence between Boxing Day and New Year with a winter walk at one of these 13 great open gardens?
Winter jobs in the garden: Sissinghurst head gardener explains what you should be doing over this season
Think there's little to do in the garden in winter? Make sure you have got these key winter garden jobs done for a beautiful garden come spring.
Photographs: John Campbell