Gardening advice
Expert gardening advice for designing and planting in your garden
You need this uber-versatile plant that will grow in any soil, sun or shade, and flowers for ages
With delicate blooms in soft colours, new cultivars of these adaptable, long-flowering beauties will suit many different planting styles and conditions, and sun or shade
These plants will support butterfly and moth caterpillars to help your wildlife garden thrive
The Wildlife Trusts recommend ways to plant to best support butterflies and moths and their caterpillars.
Is drought tolerant planting realistic in the UK? Here's the truth about whether you need to adjust your garden to the changing weather
With summers predicted to get hotter, and water becoming a precious resource, everyone is talking about drought-tolerant plants. But are they the answer in the UK and what should we know about planting and caring for them? We ask plant experts and landscape designers for their advice
Get a Niwaki small golden spade when you join as a member to Gardens Illustrated today
Save 25% + receive a Niwaki small golden spade when you join as a member to Gardens Illustrated today
How to prune wisteria
Wisteria needs to be pruned twice a year to keep it in good shape and to ensure abundant flowers. Here's how to do it.
What's new?
You are going to need these plant combinations and tips from an expert Spanish designer who knows how to garden in intense heat and no rain
Spanish designer Fernando Martos explains why he combines the beauty of Spain's arid landscape with English planting ideas in his dry garden designs. If we're considering climate change, his approach could be a useful one for us to take note of
There's a wrong time to water your plants in hot weather - an expert explains the perfect time to water your plants in a heat wave
In the heatwave, make sure you're watering your plants at the right time of day
Is the UK facing drought, and what does that mean for how we garden?
With England seeing drier and drier summers, we investigate the impact of a potential national drought being declared and what this would mean for our gardens
Gardening in a heatwave - here's how to look after your lawn and water efficiently in soaring temperatures
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
The 10 weeds you need to worry about in your garden - and the 10 you can happily leave be
Short on time or just hate weeding? Here are the weeds most gardeners dread finding, plus some you should probably allow to grow
Advice for big gardens
5 expert design tips for creating a natural swimming pond in your garden
Expert natural swimming pond designer Sarah Murch explains her top tips on how to create a pool you'll love
Should you get a second hand greenhouse? I got one and regretted it - here's why
There's a big market for second hand greenhouses, but is it worth the bother? Here's everything you need to know about getting one
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.
Advice for dry gardens
Get help for planting and ideas for your dry garden
The best drought tolerant plants to grow to combat drier summers and warmer weather
Looking to add more drought tolerant plants to your garden? Annie Godfrey of Daisy Roots nursery recommends some of the best drought tolerant plants.
Want to stop your veg from being munched? Planting these flowers nearby could save it from bugs and slugs
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
Put down the plant feed: turns out fertilisers lead to less blooms and butterflies in your garden
A new study suggests links between fertilisers and a decline in wildflowers and pollinators. So why, asks Jo Kirby, are we still using them in our gardens?
Gardening how tos
Wondering exactly how to do something in the garden? Discover our gardening guides
The key jobs you need to get done in the garden in July
July is mainly a month of maintenance, of watering, feeding and pruning, as well as a time to pause and take pleasure in your achievements. Here's what to do in the garden this month.
The best plants for July
Discover some of the best July flowers and plants including a graceful daylily and a dwarf, claret sunflower
10 of the best and most beautiful garden plants for butterflies that you will love too
Make your garden attractive to vital pollinators with these suggestions of plants that butterflies love
Low maintenance gardens
Our guide to finding the easiest ways of gardening
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
The skiver’s list of top easy-to-grow, low to no-maintenance plants for time-poor and lazy gardeners
Want a lovely garden full of beautiful plants but not to have to spend lots of time growing, pruning, watering and mollycoddling them? These are the best low-care plants if you don’t have time for (or interest in) gardening
8 super quick and easy cheats to make your garden look good in time for this weekend
Have friends coming over or got an outdoor event planned? Here are a few simple ideas to swiftly spruce up your garden
Advice for shady gardens
Get help for your shady garden
6 big changes to how we’ll be gardening in the future, by one of Britain’s top head gardeners
Sissinghurst head gardener Troy Scott Smith shares the big changes he is making in how he gardens in response to climate change
20 of the best plants for shade - including a designer's recommendations
Discover 20 of the best plants for shade, including recommendations from garden designer Chris Moss
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.
Sunny gardens
Want a stunning summer border? Here are four beautiful flower combinations with lots of wow-factor that you can plant in your garden
Four plant combinations to add colour and drama to your summer borders with inspiration from Malverleys head gardener Mat Reese
The best peonies for your garden: beautiful blooms that are easy to grow
Nursery owner Claire Austin grows over 100 different herbaceous peonies in her garden and trials field to find the very best
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
Advice for wet gardens
Get help for your wet garden
How to plant a water lily in a pond - an expert guide to planting water lilies successfully
Tim Stretton, head of gardens at Mounton House, offers expert advice on the best way to plant or replant a water lily in water
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