Gardening advice
Expert gardening advice for designing and planting in your garden
May gardening jobs: what to do in the garden in May
Vegetable gardener and chef Aaron Bertelsen writes on how a kitchen garden grows. Illustration by Alice Pattullo
What vegetables and other plants to get into the ground in May
Head gardener Benjamin Pope explains what you should be planting in May. Illustration by Claire Harrup
Soil health | Why healthy soil is good for the climate
Having healthy soil can help the climate. Here the Land Gardeners, Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elworthy, explain how to maintain good soil health. Words Kendra Wilson, photographs Claire Takacs
Best lawn mowers 2024: 12 designs for lawns and budgets of all sizes
From push mowers to robotic models, discover the top choices to achieve a well-manicured lawn.
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What is box caterpillar, and how to deal with it
The box caterpillar, or box tree caterpillar, can devastate box plants in a matter of days. Here's how to deal with it.
Everything you need to know about growing bluebells
English bluebells are one of the highlights of spring. Here's how to grow them in your own garden – and how to differentiate between English and Spanish bluebells.
What is the difference between Spanish and English bluebells?
The experts at Westonbirt Arboretum explain how to spot an English bluebell and a Spanish one
What to do in the garden in April
As spring gets into full swing, are you on top of your garden? Kitchen garden expert Aaron Bertelsen writes on how a kitchen garden grows
What to plant in April in the garden
Discover which flowers and vegetables to plant in April with the help of head gardener Benjamin Pope
Advice for big gardens
How to grow hellebores
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. Images by Rachel Warne.
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
How to make your garden child friendly without ruining it
If you thought children's play areas and a stylish garden don't mix, here's our advice on pleasing the whole family in the garden.
Advice for dry gardens
Get help for planting and ideas for your dry garden
How to create a gravel garden
In the first of a new design series, the award-wining designer Andy Sturgeon, looks at a style of planting that can adapt to many situations. Words Andy Sturgeon
Adapting to drought: how we should be gardening
As the hot weather in the UK continues, we ask three horticultural experts of the realities of drought on gardens and how we should be adapting the way we garden to hotter, drier conditions in the summer, and wetter, warmer conditions in the winter
What does drought mean for our gardens?
With England seeing its driest July in decades in 2022 and more dry weather on the way this year, we investigate the impact of a potential national drought being declared and what this would mean for our gardens
Gardening how tos
Wondering exactly how to do something in the garden? Discover our gardening guides
Behind the scenes at Sissinghurst: springtime in the most-loved garden in the world
Sissinghurst’s head gardener Troy Scott Smith guides us through the jobs that he and his team do in spring. Images by John Campbell
Here's how to sharpen your garden tools properly to help make sure you're pruning your plants well
Advice on sharpening garden tools, with a step-by-step video on how to sharpen shears. You'll also find all the products you need to get the job done.
What to plant in an edible garden
We talk to vegetable and edible gardening expert Anna Greenland about gardening for flavour. Words Alys Hurn, photographs Jason Ingram
Low maintenance gardens
Our guide to finding the easiest ways of gardening
Is this grassy perennial the perfect solution for shady gardens? How to use this low-maintenance plant
The subtle grass-like sedges of Carex are perfect for adding texture and beauty in challenging and shady spots in the garden. Words Giacomo Guzzon, photographs Jason Ingram
Think 'No Mow May' is not for you? Try these neat ideas for your lawn
Worried that No Mow May will turn your garden into an unmanageable mess? Here are some ways that you can embrace the 'No Mow' concept while keeping your garden acceptably neat.
Elevate your garden with the best climbing plant supports of 2024
Give your plants the support they need to help them flourish in the garden. Here are a few of the best wall trellis designs for climbing plants in 2024
Advice for shady gardens
Get help for your shady garden
The best ferns for your garden
Offering beautiful foliage shape and texture, ferns are easy to grow. Our plant experts choose the best ferns for your garden. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
The best trees for front gardens
Choosing the right tree for a front garden can be tricky but there are advantages and countless pleasures that can be had if you choose your tree carefully.
What is a Japanese Garden?
Finely tuned and rich in detail, Japanese gardens invite us to engage with nature, and have much to teach us about the aesthetics of design and the appreciation of beauty. Words Andy Sturgeon
Sunny gardens
Papaver: the best poppies for your garden
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
Favourite lavenders for a low maintenance garden
Lavender is a very versatile, low maintenance plant to grow and is suitable for gardens of all sizes. Here is a list of favourite lavender cultivars, along with tips on how best to grow and maintain them
When to water plants in hot weather
In the heatwave, make sure you're watering your plants at the right time of day
Advice for wet gardens
Get help for your wet garden
17 plants that can cope with winter wet
As temperatures and climates change, the need to grow resilient plants becomes more necessary for the gardener. Here expert plantsman and landscape designer Cassian Schmidt picks out his top choices of plants for winter wet soil
Plants for flood-prone gardens: the plants that will survive a flood
With extreme wet weather events becoming more frequent, writer and designer Naomi Slade picks the plants that are best for flood-prone gardens
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.