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
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
Think 'No Mow May' is not for you? These neat ideas for your lawn will make your garden look amazing in May
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.
Lawnmower men versus wild women: the latest battle of the sexes is over the grass in your garden
The latest seemingly harmless social media trend of perfect lawns could actually be damaging wildlife
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
Tired of digging, weeding and controlling pests? Meet the veg growers who are doing things differently
Forget digging, hoeing, weeding, feeding, and pest control: meet five growers who are embracing lower input, nature-friendly ways of growing food
Looking for plants that won't get eaten by slugs? Here are 38 slug-proof plants and flowers that won't get munched by molluscs
Looking for plants that won't get munched by slugs? Instead of using slug controls, why not grow plants that the molluscs just don't like? Here's 38 to choose from
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
How to lay a hedge
Interested in the centuries-old skill of hedge laying? Follow our guide on how to lay a hedge and learn about the traditional ways to lay a hedge. Words Louise Allen, photography Andrew Montgomery, illustration Liam McAuley
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
31 small garden design ideas from experts that will maximise impact and space on your own plot
Three top designers share expert advice on creating small spaces that really work, with insightful dos and don’ts to apply to your own garden. Picked by Harry Holding, Caroline Clayton, Harriet Farlam and Ben Chandler
10 facts you (possibly) didn’t know about dahlias
Celebrating dahlia season - here's 10 facts you might not have known about these gorgeous late season flowers
Easy lawn alternatives: here are six plants that will work as an alternative to grass for your lawn and are easier to maintain
A lawn doesn't have to consist of grass. Here are six beautiful alternatives that will cover the ground and give you a green look, without the need to mow.
How to enjoy an attractive lawn with less effort
Want a lawn, but don't want the effort of maintaining it? Garden designer Jack Wallington shows how you can have the best of both worlds.
Reducing plastic in your garden and allotment
The invention of plastic changed how we gardened forever. Now it is everywhere, here's why we need to deal carefully with our plastic usage and how to get closer to a zero waste garden. llustration Vicki Turner
The best crab apple trees for colour and form
Kew-trained plant expert Graham Rice recommends 15 of the best crab apple trees for blossom, foliage, fruit and flavour. Photographs Dianna Jazwinski
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
Elevate your garden with the best climbing plant supports of 2025
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 2025
Ditch the spade and save your soil: why digging is the one garden job you don't need to do anymore
As Ken Thompson explains, the key to a good soil lies both in its structure and in the life it sustains. But is any of it improved by digging?
The best small conifers to grow
For many, the word conifer conjures an image of imposing trees and hedges, but there are also smaller types that can add useful evergreen structure. Matthew Pottage, Curator at RHS Garden Wisley, recommends some of the best to grow. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
The best winter-flowering heathers to grow
Winter heather provides colour in the coldest months. Shrub expert Andy McIndoe recommends 20 of the best winter-flowering heathers, including Erica carnea, to grow in your garden. Photographs Dianna Jazwinski
10 ways to improve your garden
Award-winning garden designer Jinny Blom gives us her 10-point plan for improving any garden.