Latest From Gardens Illustrated
Brilliant eco-friendly advent calendars for the Christmas countdown
Enjoy the build up to Christmas with less waste this December with one of these luxury, eco-friendly advent calendars.
Hike into happiness: The benefits of walking
Take on the challenge of a Macmillan Mighty Hike, raise money and improve your physical and mental health
The best gardening gifts: top gift ideas for gardeners in 2025
Here's our selection of fantastic gardening gifts in 2025, tailor-made to suit the gardener in your life.
First details of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show 2026: discover who is designing what
Everything we know so far about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026, including who is designing gardens and the causes they focus on.
The best gardening advice I never got: what top gardeners wish someone had told them
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, so we asked the UK’s top gardeners, designers and growers for the advice they wish they’d known before...
I held a funeral for a hedge. Grief for loss of nature is real, and it has a name
The sadness we feel at the loss of nature all around us is real, says Claire Loder, and it even has a name. We need to find ways to mourn it, and fight it
Gardens Illustrated 's Editor's choice
The first book from Gardens Illustrated- The New Beautiful
Here how to buy the new book from Gardens Illustrated - The New Beautiful
Chelsea 2026 | Tickets, information, dates and what's on
Everything you need to know about RHS Chelsea Flower Show tickets and more for 2026
David Beckham to be ambassador for The King's Foundation garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2026
Along with Alan Titchmarsh CBE, Sir David will be an ambassador for The King's Foundation Curious Garden, designed by Frances Tophill
Get a classic garden apron when you join as a member to Gardens Illustrated today
Get a classic garden apron when you join as a member to Gardens Illustrated today
Gardens Illustrated events
Latest garden features and design ideas
How to create the illlusion of space – the best plants for small gardens
Fill your garden with these hardworking plants that will help your garden look good all year round.
The Newt: a garden for all seasons
Discover the Somerset estate that offers history, horticulture, culinary excellence, education and much more
From pastels to punchy: how colour in the garden is changing
The design changes you should not make in your garden – and what to do instead
Do you really need to make design changes to your garden? Here are some of the biggest decisions people make without thinking it through
The first book from Gardens Illustrated- The New Beautiful
Here how to buy the new book from Gardens Illustrated - The New Beautiful
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
What housebuyers want in a garden - and the features that turn them off
Discover which garden features will help sell your home, and the ones that turn buyers off, with top tips from leading estate agents and garden designers
Master designer Piet Oudolf says gardens have changed dramatically, and gardening is evolving. Here’s how
As our first book is released, Piet Oudolf looks at how gardens have evolved in recent decades and what makes a Gardens Illustrated-worthy garden today
Parking space vs front garden? It is actually possible to have both
Off-street parking and an attractively planted front garden needn’t be mutually exclusive – there are lots of designs that combine the two.
How to turn your garden into a peaceful sanctuary with top tips from expert designers
Desperately seeking a sense of tranquillity? Discover how to make your garden a space for mindfulness and wellbeing
Best garden plants for now
Ilex: holly bushes to grow for berries and evergreen leaves
Lustrous leaves and bright berries make Ilex (holly) the perfect evergreen shrub in winter. Shrub expert Andy McIndoe gives advice on how to grow them, and plant expert Roy Lancaster recommends the best Ilex to grow in your garden. Photographs by Jason Ingram
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.
Are we growing lemon trees instead of apples now? The new climate-change conundrum for gardeners
As our climate changes, gardeners are finding their plant palette is shifting, with some old favourites no longer happy and opportunities to try something new
Fancy a dog's arse or monkey's bottom? The forgotten superfood with crude nicknames that chefs love
Once a delicacy, medlars have fallen out of fashion, but grower Jane Steward is determined to show how abundant and easy they are, and to introduce them to a wider audience
These plants will make your garden look good all year: 30 plants and flowers for year-round colour and interest
These hard-working plants provide several seasons of interest in your garden through flowers, fruit, foliage, bark and even spring shoots
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
Houseplants
8 beautiful indoor Christmas plants to buy this year
Indoor plants make wonderful festive decorations, and many can be kept going from year to year. Consider welcoming these eight indoor Christmas plants into your home this winter.
'I'm convinced of the power of plants to help us heal' – meet the Plant Rescuer, Sarah Gerrard-Jones
Sarah Gerrard-Jones, aka The Plant Rescuer, on her latest book, her houseplant obsession and why she doesn’t always try to save a houseplant
The perfect houseplants for problem places in your home, including draughty, dark and hot dry spots
Maddie Bailey of Forest London shares advice on the best houseplants to grow in awkward areas.
Gardens Illustrated 's Podcasts
Recipes
HOME COOKED RECIPES WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS
Spiced parsnip and apple muffins recipe
The perfect cold-weather, healthy muffin snack using parsnip and apple that is both seasonal and delicious. Recipe from Stephanie Hafferty
Recipe for baked pears on a barbecue
A dessert recipe from Cleve West using pears and fragrant spices that can be cooked at a barbecue or an allotment
Shallot tart tatin and kale chorizo soup recipe from Riverford
Two delicious autumn recipes from Riverford that make the most of seasonal flavours. Words Guy Watson, photography Jason Ingram
Golden beetroot soup recipe
Nutritious and full of flavour; nothing beats a bowl of golden beetroot soup on a cold winter's day. Here's the perfect recipe for how to make it. Recipe from Stephanie Hafferty
Container Gardening
pots of style for your garden
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
A great planted pot for winter and autumn using succulents with architectural texture
Designer Jo Thompson creates a stylish display to see you through the colder months using aloe and other succulents
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
A low maintenance evergreen pot for winter
Head gardener Jenny Barnes creates a pot filled with evergreens – low maintenance and perfect for winter. Photographs by Richard Bloom
Inspiring Gardens
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
Instead of downsizing, this couple revamped their garden into a haven for them and their grandkids
By introducing bold swathes of planting, designer Barbara Samitier transformed a large lawn into an enticing garden with multitudes to discover
A tiny garden in London, inspired by Kyoto by Japanese designer Haruko Seki
Haruko Seki’s ingenious design makes use of raised containers and subtle planting to create a sense of stillness, balance and light in a tiny city courtyard.
A perennial garden around a modernist house in Australia
For a modernist house near Melbourne, designer Michael McCoy has created a separate perennial garden that sits like an island of colour in its distinctly Australian landscape Words Hilary Burden, photography Claire Takacs
This season in the garden
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GARDENING NOW
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
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
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
Enjoy tulips year after year: how to create sustainable tulip displays
Polly Nicholson has mastered the art of growing tulips sustainably. She shares her advice with us.
Gardens to visit
which gardens to visit and where
Have you booked your Christmas light show visit yet? Here are 22 of the best not to miss
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
Gardening events and shows in 2025
All the big names in one place. Here's our guide to the gardening calendar's biggest and best gardening events for the year ahead
Best UK gardens open for Boxing Day walks
Many UK gardens are open this festive season, so why not work off your Christmas indulgence between Boxing Day and New Year with a winter walk at one of these 13 great open gardens?
Garden design
THE BEST OF THE WORLD'S OUTDOOR SPACES
Little garden, big ideas: how to make a small garden look bigger
There's no need to feel hemmed in by your small garden - here are the experts' design tricks you need to make it look and feel bigger
Gardening on slopes doesn't have to be a chore: how to turn challenging terrain into garden gold
Sloped gardens offer drama, depth, and beauty. Learn expert design tips to transform challenging terrain into a standout landscape
9 simple fixes to elevate your outdoor space fast (without spending a fortune)
These unbeatable ideas from top gardeners and designers will transform your garden into a stylish, plant-filled haven in no time
You can have a sustainable garden that's also beautiful - here's how to design stylish ecological gardens
Charlotte Harris explains how to design gardens that are ecological and beautiful in her expert guide to sustainable garden design
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
How to screen your garden from overlooking neighbours: our designer guide to creating a private sanctuary
Designer Charlotte Harris shows how to screen your garden from the neighbours or block out eyesores
Gardening Advice
WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT
Want a beautiful bulb meadow on your lawn? Here's our expert planting plan for creating a simple and stunning display
Find out how to plant a bulb meadow in your lawn that will look stunning from February to May, with advice from a bulb expert.
11 easy ways to manage weeds without using chemicals
Weeding can be a tough, boring chore in the garden, but how do we get rid of unwanted plants without resorting to herbicides? Here are some interesting ideas to try
How to create a dazzling tulip display: top tips from this bloom-filled garden that opens each spring
Tulips are the curtain-raisers at Morton Hall in Worcestershire, where visitors can enjoy a late-spring spectacle of formal, intricate plantings in a series of interconnected spaces
Gardening Kit
OUR PICK OF THE BEST GARDENING TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES
The ultimate, GOAT gardening kit: 12 of the best tools and accessories
Don’t waste another penny on terrible tools – invest in these quality OG items beloved by everyone from Monty Don and Carol Klein to leading head gardeners, designers and our own experienced garden editors
The best bulb planters: short and mid-length designs for easy planting
Get ready for bulb planting season with our selection of small, hand-held bulb planters.
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.
I got a hori hori knife – and became a gardening ninja: here's what they are and why you need one
A hori hori is a knife many gardeners swear by. But what exactly is it and why is it so great? Veronica Peerless tests Niwaki's hori hori knife and explains what happened.
Work out what type of soil you have with these great soil testers for the garden
We discover the best soil pH testers for the soil in your garden, from digital and analogue probes to pH strip testing kits
The best folding saws for coppicing and pruning jobs this season
Save space when cutting branches and shrubs with our picks of the best folding saws.