Latest From Gardens Illustrated
Leave your leaves: Here's why you don’t need to tidy up those garden leaves
Gardeners mean well, but the act of gardening can be a hindrance to increasing biodiversity. Maybe, says Rebecca McMackin, we need to let leaves be. Illustration Rosanna Morris
Experts' choice: my favourite tree
We asked a selection of gardening experts to choose their favourite tree. Here are the trees you can plant to help wildlife and mitigate climate change
Festive | Make your own Christmas wreath
Learn how to make a homemade Christmas wreath from scratch with our ideas using natural materials including succulents, evergreens and seedheads
Make strawflower garlands for beautiful natural Christmas decorations this season
Bex Partridge offers this elegant but easy way to decorate your home with strawflowers at Christmas
Win the top 14 gardening books of the year
Trees at risk of extinction: six trees under threat
Forestry England's Westonbirt Arboretum is home to 15,000 specimen trees. Dan Crowley global conservation consortia manager at botanic gardens conservation international tell us about some of the species that are in danger of being lost. Cover image Johnny Hathaway
Gardens Illustrated 's Editor's choice
The best gardening gifts: top gift ideas for gardeners in 2024
Here's our selection of fantastic gardening gifts in 2024, tailor-made to suit the gardener in your life.
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
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Gardens Illustrated events
Save 20% when you book a series ticket for the Gardens Illustrated Masterclass series
GI Masterclass: Maximising small spaces with designer Stefano Marinaz
GI Masterclass: Rose sculpting and training with head gardener Jenny ‘Niff’ Barnes
GI Masterclass: Planting design insights with designer Tom Stuart-Smith
Latest garden features and design ideas
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
This alcohol-free aperitif has earned itself four awards - and is set to take over your cocktail-making this Christmas
Stop the needles falling and the droop: here's how to care for your Christmas tree so it's happy for longer
You invest in a Christmas tree and bring it into your home over the festive season. Make sure it's as happy as possible so it last for as long as possible
Sustainable Christmas trees: real or fake, what's the best tree to buy?
What is the most eco-friendly Christmas tree option – a real tree, or an artificial one? We investigate the pros and cons of each
Why do popular rose varieties get discontinued?
Popular varieties of rose are sometimes discontinued by breeders. We unpack why and what you should do if your favourite rose is retired.
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.
21 top Christmas garden light shows and trails
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
A warming winter pot for wildlife using Cornus alba and cotoneaster
Designer Jo Thompson offers a stylish display to see you through the colder months. Photographs Jason Ingram
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
How late is too late to plant bulbs?
Ever wondered how long you can wait to plant your spring bulbs? We asked our readers and the experts, and these are the results.
Best garden plants for now
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?
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
How to make large Christmas baubles from the garden using natural materials
These baubles, made from natural materials gathered from the garden, look lovely hanging off the Christmas tree or from the mantelpiece, but are super easy to make by following our simple steps. Photography Jason Ingram. Styling by Kristy Ramage
Cyclamen: how to care for and propagate
Cyclamen are a welcome sight in the colder months when little else is in flower. Plant expert John Hoyland recommends his 12 favourite cyclamen and gives advice on how to care for them. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
Get your plants winter ready - here's the best environmentally friendly winter plant protection to use
Keep your plants safe through the winter with our pick of the best eco friendly plant covers and products for winter protection.
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
Houseplants
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?
Your common house plant problems - solved
House plant expert Sarah Gerrard-Jones identifies the 10 most common house plant problems and explains how to solve them.
Houseplants | How to look after the blue star fern
Ferns sparked the first houseplant craze and are still a great houseplant choice, especially the unfussy Phlebodium aureum. Illustration Agata Wierzbicka
Gardens Illustrated 's Podcasts
Talking Gardens Season 4: Monty Don
Talking Gardens podcast with Jimi Blake
Listen to this episode of Talking Gardens, the Gardens Illustrated podcast, featuring Jimi Blake on how he dodges bears while botanising and how going to train as a gardener was life-saving for him.
Talking Gardens podcast with Kate Humble
Listen to this episode of Talking Gardens, the Gardens Illustrated podcast, featuring Kate Humble on how she became a TV presenter, why she loves baobab trees and will never allow a gazebo in her garden.
Talking Gardens podcast Nigel Dunnett
Listen to this episode of Talking Gardens, the Gardens Illustrated podcast, featuring Nigel Dunnett on all the things he would include in his dream garden, from wildflowers to birdsong, and where Claude Monet and David Bowie would fit into his garden fantasies.
Talking Gardens podcast with Katy Merrington
Listen to this episode of Talking Gardens, the Gardens Illustrated podcast, featuring Katy Merrington on who would be on Katy’s ultimate fantasy gardening team and how she manages looking after an urban space that’s open 24/7, 365 days a year.
Talking Gardens podcast with Andy Sturgeon
Listen to this episode of Talking Gardens, the Gardens Illustrated podcast, featuring Andy Sturgeon on how he is designing his own new garden in the country, and the big question - will he or won’t he do Chelsea Flower Show again?
Talking Gardens podcast with Miria Harris
Listen to this episode of Talking Gardens, the Gardens Illustrated podcast, featuring Miria Harris on her personal experience of stroke and how it led to her designing a show garden for the Stroke Association at the Chelsea Flower Show.
Recipes
HOME COOKED RECIPES WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS
Create this lovely spiced pumpkin soup recipe using your home grown pumpkins or leftovers
This warming soup makes the most of the pumpkins gardener chef Aaron Bertelsen browns in his kitchen garden. Photograph Andrew Montgomery
Immune-boosting hedgerow brew using foraged berries to last you through winter
As the seasons begin to change, Beth Al Rikabi suggests an easy recipe for preserving foraged plants. Photographs Matt Inwood
The forager chef Beth Al Rikabi explains why the turnip is so overlooked and how it can work brilliantly as a pickled delicacy
Beth Al Rikabi suggests an easy recipe for preserving an overlooked vegetable. Photographs Matt Inwood
Rich winter stew with seasonal vegetables
A tasty warming rich stew made from seasonal winter vegetables
Container Gardening
pots of style for your garden
A warming winter pot for wildlife using Cornus alba and cotoneaster
Designer Jo Thompson offers a stylish display to see you through the colder months. Photographs Jason Ingram
Discover how to make this beautiful autumnal pot design idea with tones and textures using Heucherella from expert Jo Thompson
A pot with autumn foliage and colours from designer Jo Thompson perfect for the season
Late summer warmth | A late-summer pot arrangement using Molinia caerulea and dahlias
Cottesbrooke’s head gardener Jenny Barnes combines well-established plants with bold foliage and rich colours to create a container display to help summer slide into autumn. Words Jenny Barnes, photographs Richard Bloom
Pots of style | An autumn container display using Euonymus alatus
Ben Preston, head gardener of York Gate in Leeds, sees out the summer with this container display to augment the garden’s lingering warmth and colour. Photographs by Evan Nemeth
Inspiring Gardens
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
A zesty tangerine-coloured roof top garden in London designed by Nigel Dunnett
On the edge of one of London’s busiest roundabouts, Nigel Dunnett has created exciting combinations of drought-tolerant plants for a roof garden that is as unexpected as it is joyful. Words: Natasha Goodfellow, Photographs: Alister Thorpe
From boarded up library to gorgeous community garden: this space in London was transformed by a Chelsea gold-winning designer
A new community garden designed by Sarah Price around
an old library turned arts centre in southeast London is a treasured space for local residents
and garden lovers alike.
A zero waste garden: this space was completely transformed, without sending anything to landfill
Designer Miria Harris gave herself the challenge of a no-skip, zero-waste project, giving away, recycling or reusing everything in this back garden before transforming it into a space her client could love.
Words: Zia Allaway, Photographs: Rachel Warne
Weed, slugs, moles and mice: all are welcome at this pioneering natural farm in Devon
Weeds, slugs, birds and mice – all are welcome on Birch Farm in Devon, where Joshua Sparkes seeks to respect the local ecosystem and mimic nature in his innovative approach to growing.
Photographs: Andrew Montgomery
This season in the garden
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GARDENING NOW
Gardens to visit in November for glorious autumn colour
Head gardener Tom Brown recommends the gardens to visit the month of November to see seasonal plants at their best
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
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
November jobs for the garden: don't forget these key things to do right now
There's always something to do in the garden, even in November. Aaron Bertelsen explains a few key things you can do in the garden right now. Illustration Alice Pattullo
Gardens to visit
which gardens to visit and where
These are the gardens to visit in autumn for the best fiery autumnal displays
Where can you enjoy a magnificent autumn display? Here are our recommended gardens to visit to see the season at its best
25 English gardens to visit for classic style and beautiful plants
In this feature designer and garden historian Penelope Hobhouse shares 25 of the best English gardens to visit
21 top Christmas garden light shows and trails
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
Garden design
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
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
Mid-century style garden furniture is trending, here's why you need these iconic garden furniture pieces
Love mid-century style? You won’t want to miss this brand’s sale across many of its iconic outdoor furniture pieces…
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
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
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.
10 ways to improve your garden
Award-winning garden designer Jinny Blom gives us her 10-point plan for improving any garden.
Gardening Advice
WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT
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.
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
Gardening Kit
OUR PICK OF THE BEST GARDENING TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
The best natural Christmas decorations to shop this year
We've found all the most beautiful baubles, wreaths and home décor to browse this year - made with paper, wood, metal and other natural materials.
Beautiful and best Christmas wreaths for your front door in 2024
Christmas truly begins when we deck the halls with evergreen boughs, not forgetting a beautiful Christmas wreath for the front door
The best wreath making kit for Christmas 2024
Buy a wreath making kit to create your own door display this Christmas, plus all the extra tools you'll need.
Beautiful outdoor Christmas decoration ideas for a winter wonderland in 2024
Bring the festive spirit to your garden with our selection of the best outdoor Christmas decorations.
The best gardening gifts: top gift ideas for gardeners in 2024
Here's our selection of fantastic gardening gifts in 2024, tailor-made to suit the gardener in your life.
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.