Latest From Gardens Illustrated
Brilliant eco-friendly advent calendars for the Christmas countdown
Enjoy the build up to Christmas with less waste this December with one of these luxury, eco-friendly advent calendars.
First details of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show 2026: discover who is designing what
Everything we know so far about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, including who is designing gardens and the causes they focus on.
Have you booked your Christmas light show visit yet? Here are 22 of the best not to miss
Here are our top picks for the best Christmas light shows and illuminated trails in gardens across the UK, to enjoy with friends and family during this festive season
Gen Z are becoming gardeners now and they have a few ideas
Get a fresh perspective with these top tips from the UK’s next generation of bright young gardening stars
We have to charge for Chelsea, or we wouldn’t have the money to do everything else, says RHS director general
The director general of the RHS on a childhood spent among nature, her impulse to engage and educate, and the strategy for the future
Jobs to get done in the garden this month: what to do in October
Aaron Bertelsen and Benjamin William Pope explain a few key jobs you can do in the garden right now. Illustration Alice Pattullo
Gardens Illustrated 's Editor's choice
9 simple fixes to elevate your outdoor space fast (without spending a fortune)
These unbeatable ideas from top gardeners and designers will transform your garden into a stylish, plant-filled haven in no time
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
Get a classic garden apron when you join as a member to Gardens Illustrated today
Get a classic garden apron when you join as a member to Gardens Illustrated today
The first book from Gardens Illustrated- The New Beautiful
Here how to buy the new book from Gardens Illustrated - The New Beautiful
Gardens Illustrated events
Latest garden features and design ideas
How to create the illlusion of space – the best plants for small gardens
Fill your garden with these hardworking plants that will help your garden look good all year round.
The Newt: a garden for all seasons
Discover the Somerset estate that offers history, horticulture, culinary excellence, education and much more
From pastels to punchy: how colour in the garden is changing
The design changes you should not make in your garden – and what to do instead
Do you really need to make design changes to your garden? Here are some of the biggest decisions people make without thinking it through
The first book from Gardens Illustrated- The New Beautiful
Here how to buy the new book from Gardens Illustrated - The New Beautiful
Spend less time and effort gardening with these pro gardener hacks for a beautiful low-maintenance space
Love gardening but short on time, or looking for ways to make your garden easier to manage? We’ve got smart tips from the experts on how to have a lovely garden with less work
What housebuyers want in a garden - and the features that turn them off
Discover which garden features will help sell your home, and the ones that turn buyers off, with top tips from leading estate agents and garden designers
Master designer Piet Oudolf says gardens have changed dramatically, and gardening is evolving. Here’s how
As our first book is released, Piet Oudolf looks at how gardens have evolved in recent decades and what makes a Gardens Illustrated-worthy garden today
Parking space vs front garden? It is actually possible to have both
Off-street parking and an attractively planted front garden needn’t be mutually exclusive – there are lots of designs that combine the two.
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
Best garden plants for now
16 trees with stunning autumn colour that are perfect for the garden
We bring you 16 of the best trees for autumn colour, chosen by the experts at Kwekerij Arborealis nursery in the Netherlands. Photographs by Maayke de Ridder and Andrea Jones
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
Colchicums for your garden
Discover when to plant colchicum and the best colchicums for your garden – plus how to plant and care for them. Words by Rod Leeds, expert in autumn-flowering bulbs. Photographs by Richard Bloom.
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
Beautiful autumn flowers for the garden: nerines and amarines and how to grow them
Nerines and amarines flower in autumn, when many other flowers have faded. Plant expert John Hoyland advises on how to grow them, and recommends the best varieties to grow.
How to grow Persicaria
Persicaria are versatile perennials with late season, brightly coloured flower spikes on hearty green plants from July through to late October. Plantsman Rory Dusoir shares his advice on how to grow persicaria and where to plant it.
Houseplants
Here's a houseplant you definitely won't kill: how to to care for and propagate sansevieria, or snake plant
Sansevieria, or the snake plant, is an almost indestructible houseplant that is creeping out of the shadows to take centre stage. Illustration Patrick Morgan
'I'm convinced of the power of plants to help us heal' – meet the Plant Rescuer, Sarah Gerrard-Jones
Sarah Gerrard-Jones, aka The Plant Rescuer, on her latest book, her houseplant obsession and why she doesn’t always try to save a houseplant
The perfect houseplants for problem places in your home, including draughty, dark and hot dry spots
Maddie Bailey of Forest London shares advice on the best houseplants to grow in awkward areas.
Gardens Illustrated 's Podcasts
Recipes
HOME COOKED RECIPES WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS
Tasty summer tomato tart using fresh tomatoes with mustard and cheese
This delicious twist on a Provençal favourite is a wonderful way to make the use of ripe tomatoes and makes a perfect light summer lunch.
A tasty soup made from your summer glut of courgettes
The best courgette soup using home grown courgettes from the garden.
Roasted beetroot and tomatoes with yoghurt and nasturtium salsa recipe
This recipe from chef Erin Bunting shows how using flowers not only brings an element of beauty to the food on our plates, but can offer new and exciting flavours too. Words Erin Bunting and Jo Facer, Photographs Sharon Cosgrove
Home made Pesto using any green leaves
Home made pesto is delicious stirred through pasta for a quick meal and this easy recipe takes just 10 minutes to make and can be made using any green leaves, such as Swiss card, kale or rocket. Photograph Andrew Montgomery
Container Gardening
pots of style for your garden
Inspiring ideas for eye-catching plant pots that bridge the gap between summer and autumn
James Horner creates three eye-catching displays to bridge the gap between the warmth of late summer and the cooler autumn months
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
Bring spring colour to the garden with the vibrant pot design from expert garden maker James Horner
James Horner, garden maker at Benton End, the one-time home of the artist and plantsman Cedric Morris, suggests this arrangements in a basket to celebrate spring
Spring beauty in a pot: a stunning plant pot design you can plant up at home from designer Jo Thompson
Award-winning designer Jo Thompson's container-planting series continues with this early spring flower combination using Narcissus and Scilla. Words Jo Thompson, photographs Jason Ingram
Inspiring Gardens
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
A tiny garden in London, inspired by Kyoto by Japanese designer Haruko Seki
Haruko Seki’s ingenious design makes use of raised containers and subtle planting to create a sense of stillness, balance and light in a tiny city courtyard.
A patchwork patterned garden in Connecticut
Throughout this New England garden, designer Richard Hartlage has planted swathes of single species to create a dramatic patchwork pattern. Words Kendra Wilson, photographs Claire Takacs
A perennial garden around a modernist house in Australia
For a modernist house near Melbourne, designer Michael McCoy has created a separate perennial garden that sits like an island of colour in its distinctly Australian landscape Words Hilary Burden, photography Claire Takacs
This season in the garden
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GARDENING NOW
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
Jobs to get done in the garden this month: what to do in October
Aaron Bertelsen and Benjamin William Pope explain a few key jobs you can do in the garden right now. Illustration Alice Pattullo
Gardens can look great in October – here are the best gardens to visit this month for beautiful autumn blooms
Head gardener Tom Brown recommends gardens and places to see seasonal plants and flowers at their best
Save seed from your garden now for free plants next year
Collecting your own seed is satisfying, economical and, because it’s fresh and hyper-local, probably better than any seed you can buy. Plantswoman Derry Watkins shares her secrets
Gardens to visit
which gardens to visit and where
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
The best hotels with gardens in the UK: stay at these places for a luxury garden experience
From majestic estates to romantic country cottages, Sorrel Everton chooses her favourite hotels with gardens, including B&Bs and self-catering getaways
10 of the best museum gardens to visit
Strolling around a museum or gallery is still off the cards, but many museum gardens and gallery gardens are reopening this month. Here are ten of the best.
Garden design
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
Little garden, big ideas: how to make a small garden look bigger
There's no need to feel hemmed in by your small garden - here are the experts' design tricks you need to make it look and feel bigger
Gardening on slopes doesn't have to be a chore: how to turn challenging terrain into garden gold
Sloped gardens offer drama, depth, and beauty. Learn expert design tips to transform challenging terrain into a standout landscape
9 simple fixes to elevate your outdoor space fast (without spending a fortune)
These unbeatable ideas from top gardeners and designers will transform your garden into a stylish, plant-filled haven in no time
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
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
How to screen your garden from overlooking neighbours: our designer guide to creating a private sanctuary
Designer Charlotte Harris shows how to screen your garden from the neighbours or block out eyesores
Gardening Advice
WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT
How to build a natural swimming pond in your garden
Discover tips on how to build a natural swimming pool or pond in your garden, from expert designer Will Tomson
Want a beautiful bulb meadow on your lawn? Here's our expert planting plan for creating a simple and stunning display
Find out how to plant a bulb meadow in your lawn that will look stunning from February to May, with advice from a bulb expert.
How to create a dazzling tulip display: top tips from this bloom-filled garden that opens each spring
Tulips are the curtain-raisers at Morton Hall in Worcestershire, where visitors can enjoy a late-spring spectacle of formal, intricate plantings in a series of interconnected spaces
Gardening Kit
OUR PICK OF THE BEST GARDENING TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
The ultimate, GOAT gardening kit: 12 of the best tools and accessories
Don’t waste another penny on terrible tools – invest in these quality OG items beloved by everyone from Monty Don and Carol Klein to leading head gardeners, designers and our own experienced garden editors
The best bulb planters: short and mid-length designs for easy planting
Get ready for bulb planting season with our selection of small, hand-held bulb planters.
Autumn tidying: the kit you need for the garden
Discover all the tools and kit you need for the autumn tidying tasks in the garden.
I got a hori hori knife – and became a gardening ninja: here's what they are and why you need one
A hori hori is a knife many gardeners swear by. But what exactly is it and why is it so great? Veronica Peerless tests Niwaki's hori hori knife and explains what happened.
Work out what type of soil you have with these great soil testers for the garden
We discover the best soil pH testers for the soil in your garden, from digital and analogue probes to pH strip testing kits
The best folding saws for coppicing and pruning jobs this season
Save space when cutting branches and shrubs with our picks of the best folding saws.