Gardens
Find inspiration from gardens of all sizes both in the UK and internationally
The best gardening shoes for all seasons in 2024
Get yourself kitted out for all seasons and gardening jobs with our pick of the best gardening shoes
Garden border ideas | Spring border: a planting plan by designer Sarah Price
Download this border planting plan, created exclusively for Gardens Illustrated by award-winning garden designer Sarah Price. It will look good from late winter to early summer. Illustration by Hannah McVicar.
Miniature narcissi and how to plant them
From her small nursery in a North Yorkshire back garden, Anne Wright grows the most exquisite tiny narcissi. She gives her expert advice on how to plant and care for these miniature daffodils. Words Alys Fowler, photographs Jason Ingram
How to grow scilla
Grown under trees or naturalised in grass, scillas give a beautiful wash of colour in spring. John Grimshaw, director at the Yorkshire Arboretum, recommends his favourites and gives his expert advice on growing them. Photographs by Jason Ingram
How to care for your teak garden furniture
If you already have teak garden furniture, or you are considering buying teak for your outdoor space, here’s how to look after this attractive hardwood
What's new?
The French botanist championing naturalistic gardening on the importance of preserving ecosystems
Meet French botanist Véronique Mure who is championing naturalistic gardening, on the importance of preserving ecosystems and ensuring plants have a living soil. Words Louisa Jones
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
Sissinghurst head gardener Troy Scott Smith on his vision for the garden
In 1930, the writer Vita Sackville-West and her diplomat husband Harold Nicolson bought an old farm in Kent and set about creating a garden that has become one of the best loved and most visited in the world. In the lead-up to the garden's centenary in 2030, head gardener Troy Scott Smith muses on the garden's enduring appeal - and outlines his vision for the garden. Images by John Campbell
A beautiful spring garden around a Grade-I listed manor house in the Cotswolds
Tucked away in the countryside, this historic manor is homes to acres of lush gardens, diverse flowers and plants, and elegant design. Words by Stephanie Mahon. Photographs by Jason Ingram.
8 of the best garden thermometers to keep track of the heat
We bring you eight of the most useful and stylish garden thermometers. Big or small, analogue or digital, we've something for every taste and temperature…
Rural
Arabella Lennox-Boyd's garden at Gresgarth Hall
Over the past 40 years the landscape designer Arabella Lennox-Boyd has turned her Lancashire garden into magical place. Words Matthew Reese, photographs Jason Ingram.
Legendary nurserywoman Elizabeth Strangman's garden showcases her signature hellebores and a wealth of beautiful spring plants
After closing her renowned nursery, Elizabeth Strangman has poured her energies into developing her private garden, which showcases a wealth of plants beginning with her signature hellebores. Photographs Nicky Flint
The remarkable garden of Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage
Photographer Howard Sooley reflects on time spent with his friend the film maker and artist Derek Jarman at Prospect Cottage in Dungeness, creating an iconic garden on the exposed Kent coast. Words and photographs by Howard Sooley
Meet the gardeners
Inspiring female garden designers in British history
Here, we list some of the most inspiring female gardeners and garden designers in British history for International Women's Day
12 of the top female gardeners leading the way
Discover the inspiring women making waves in the horticultural industry and tending to remarkable gardens
Alan Titchmarsh: We should be buying local and gardening organically
We asked Alan Titchmarsh about his favourite month, how he feels about the future and the new King.
Gardens to visit
Visiting a beautiful garden can be a wholly enriching experience. The benefits of visiting a garden – from mental health right through to exercise – are huge, and garden days out are perfect ways to have fun on your own, or as an entire family.
Regardless of how, and whoever you visit with, we have a host of suggestions of which gardens to visit, from gardens for the season, through to the gardens that are in full bloom and at their best each month. We have collated lists of the best gardens to visit with the help of our experts and many years of visiting gardens all around the UK, and beyond. We have gardens organised by theme, days out and local area, so you should find something for wherever you are and whatever garden experience you are looking for.
Enjoy our comprehensive guide to the best gardens to visit in the UK.
Gardens to visit in March
Gardener and plantsman Keith Wiley shares his favourite gardens to visit in March.
This blank rectangular plot was transformed into a field of dreams by Piet Oudolf at a Somerset art gallery
Piet Oudolf has transformed a blank, rectangular plot
into a colourful, perennial meadow full of character
at the Hauser & Wirth art gallery in Somerset
Half term | Garden days out with the kids
Garden days out with the kids are the perfect way to spend half term holidays and more
Gardens of the world
Worldwide gardens you need to see
Spanish landscape architect Lur's test bed garden
The garden of Spanish landscape architecture practice Lur acts as a test bed for their exciting approach to planting. Photographs by Claire Takacs
A designer’s own wild family garden by the ocean in Australia, with eco credentials and colourful planting
In southeastern Australia, a family of four horticulturists has created a dreamy new garden by the ocean, with captivating combinations of native and exotic plants. Words Georgina Reid, images Claire Takacs
Europe’s largest roof garden tops an old car factory and frames the famous test track seen in The Italian Job
The largest roof garden in Europe sits upon the former Fiat factory in Turin, around a rooftop test track that hosts exciting art and architecture. Words Annie Guilfoyle, photographs Claire Takacs
Urban gardens
Amazing gardens from towns and cities
A green corridor in the heart of Sheffield | What is Grey to Green? The initiative bringing colour to Sheffield city centre
The city of Sheffield's green makeover is all thanks to a groundbreaking environmental strategy. Words Jodie Jones, photographs Richard Bloom
Inspiring spaces | A wildlife-friendly garden for lovers of mid-century design
Designer Barbara Samitier has transformed an urban orchard into a stylish, wildlife-friendly garden for a couple who love mid-century design as much as they love nature. Photographs Annaïck Guitteny
Exotic planting brings Californian style to Adam Sykes's London garden
Exotic evergreens provide structure for diverse planting in soft greens and whites, taking a London garden to West Coast America. Words Matt Collins, photographs Jason Ingram